Paul Anderson Youth Home offers fresh start for teens through Holistic, highly successful program
VIDALIA, Ga. – Each week, more than 36,000 teens are arrested. The causes leading to arrest are many – drug use and addiction, rage, pornography,violence, sexual offenses and involvement in abusive relationships to name a few.
Alternatives to jail time include residential treatment programs and today, many short term programs for troubled youth tout declining success rates. In light of the tragedies above, 90 percent of graduates from the Paul Anderson Youth Home (PAYH), built on 53 years of strength and renown, never face jail time again.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people who wish to have a successful recovery from addictions should enroll in a program that is at least 90 days in length. In addition, recovery should be viewed as a comprehensive and long-term process, not something to happen quickly or alone.
At the PAYH, where the average length of treatment is 18 months, young men from around the country find freedom from dangerous trends affecting today’s youth. The home provides an alternative to jail time through a comprehensive approach that includes academic training in a SACS accredited high school setting, and incorporating physical fitness, social awareness, work ethic development and emotional and spiritual growth. PAYH serves not only the young men in the program, but encourages and nurtures their families as well.
“We are committed to serving these young men, no matter the cost. If they are the lost generation, then the generation before them is responsible,” said Drew Read, the COO of PAYH. “Our desire is to see them reach their potential as the next generation of husbands, fathers, workers, students, teachers and coaches. The value of these young
men’s lives could never be measured, but the value of our holistic approach to recovery
is evident in our success rate.”
Every young man who enrolls in the PAYH receives a scholarship to cover 83 percent of the program’s costs through the support of individuals, corporations, churches and foundations, leaving only 17 percent ‘tuition’ to be covered, “significantly less than similar programs.”
Founded in 1961 by Olympic gold medalist, world champion weightlifter and Guinness Book of World Records holder, Paul Anderson, and his wife Glenda, the home is a sanctuary for troubled teens and their families.
Though Anderson wowed the world with his feats of strength, even after his death in 1994, his true legacy remains in his lasting impact on the lives of youth as co-founder of the PAYH in Vidalia, Ga. During his life, Anderson not only built alternative homes for otherwise incarcerated young men, but the very first home in Vidalia, Ga., which
continues to shape and launch young men back into society today.
In addition to serving more than 1,200 young men at the PAYH since it’s beginning, through the research compiled at the Paul Anderson Youth Home, the staff is able to monitor dangerous trends on the horizon for today’s youth and young adults and address a generation crying out for help.
Many parents believe their families are exempt from these dangerous trends, yet children are starting to use drugs as early as elementary school. In 2011, the PAYH began offering resources for parents under its familySTRONG umbrella.
FamilySTRONG materials help parents spot warning signs, develop authentic relationships with their children and ask for help if the need arises. Through online articles, conversation starters and parenting conferences, familySTRONG offers instruction, teaching, advice, hope and strength, while discussing issues negatively affecting today’s youth such as: culture, identity, high-risk behaviors, depression, suicide and technology.
Since 1960, the Paul Anderson Youth Home has provided a sanctuary for more than 1,200 troubled young men ages 16-20. Founded as an alternative to juvenile correctional facilities, the program helps young men overcome addiction and unhealthy lifestyle patterns by placing emphasis on physical work and play, rigorous academics, and restored relationships with God, their families, and society. The PAYH also equips families nationally to detect and respond to troubled behavior through familySTRONG resources and parenting events. To learn more about the PAYH and familySTRONG resources, visit: http://payh.org.
The 7th Annual Awards Season event will also pay tribute to 10 performers who championed the Civil Rights Movement
NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ – ESSENCE has announced plans to spotlight remarkable moments and performers in film and television with its eagerly anticipated 7th annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, including a special celebration of Black Men in Hollywood: A Year in Film.
Black Women in Hollywood will return to the Beverly Hills Hotel on Feb. 27 to recognize the outstanding achievements of trailblazing women in film and television. The event will honor three of the year’s most impactful and inspiring talents, both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes, with the premier African-American female brand’s esteemed Black Women in Hollywood Award: Lupita Nyong’o (Best Breakthrough Performance); Cheryl Boone Isaacs (Trailblazer Award) and Ava DuVernay (Visionary Award). In recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the event will also pay tribute to legendary performers, who were Champions of the Civil Rights Movement: Diahann Carroll, Nichelle Nichols, Jim Brown, Denise Nicholas and Clarence Williams III, among others.
Black Men in Hollywood: A Year in Film – created to spotlight the actors who represented many of the most compelling and outstanding performances in 2013 – will be a celebratory dinner hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross on Feb. 26, 2014 in Los Angeles.
“2013 was an extraordinary year of breakthroughs in Hollywood, with the naming of Cheryl Boone Isaacs as the first African-American president of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the emergence of gifted actor Lupita Nyong’o as a rising star, Ava DuVernay’s Sundance, Spirit and Tribeca award wins, and the prominence of African-American leading men who created roles that displayed our diversity and humanity,” said ESSENCE Editor-in-Chief, Vanessa K. Bush. “During the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ESSENCE remains committed to honoring excellence in media both in front of and behind the camera.”
Black Women in Hollywood commemorates ESSENCE magazine’s annual Hollywood issue (March), which will be available on newsstands on February 7. ESSENCE.com is giving fans exclusive access to the style and substance of Black Women in Hollywood by live streaming all the red-carpet action, including interviews with the stars, starting at 11:30 a.m. PST/2:30 p.m. EST and re-airing that evening at 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST.
Since its inception in 2008, the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood event has honored some of the most cherished figures in the industry, including: Oprah Winfrey, Octavia Spencer, Pam Grier, Halle Berry, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Angela Bassett, Queen Latifah, Alfre Woodard, Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, Jennifer Hudson, Zoe Saldana, Mary J. Blige, Gabourey Sidibe, Quvenzhane Wallace, Jurnee Smollett, Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson, Loretta Devine, Naomie Harris, Gabrielle Union, Mara Brock-Akil, Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Suzanne de Passe. As a highlight of Oscar week, this elegant luncheon has hosted much of Hollywood’s elite, including Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Amy Adams, Emma Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Forest Whitaker, James Cameron, Terrence Howard, and Laurence Fishburne, among many others.
Stay tuned to Essence.com for highlights and behind-the-scenes access to ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood. Follow us on Twitter @essencemag #EssenceRedCarpet. Join in the discussion on Facebook.
The ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon is presented by Lincoln, and sponsored by L’Oreal Paris, Target, and Colgate Optic White.
About the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood honorees:
LUPITA NYONG’O: Last fall, Lupita Nyong’o made her feature debut in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave alongside Michael Fassbender and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Based on the bestselling book and winner of a Golden Globe® for Best Motion Picture Drama, 12 Years tells the story of Solomon Northup, a free Black man from upstate New York, who was abducted and sold into slavery. Nyong’o plays the role of Patsey, Master Epps’ (Michael Fassbender) slave who comes into contact with Solomon. For her performance, Nyong’o has received Screen Actors Guild®, Golden Globe®, BFCA, Independent Spirit, Gotham and two BAFTA nominations. She has received the LAFCC Best Supporting Actress award, The Palm Spring Film Festival “Breakthrough Award” and the 2013 Hollywood Film Awards “New Hollywood Award” and was named one of Variety’s “10 Actors to Watch.” Next up, the Kenyan actress will co-star alongside Liam Neeson, Michelle Dockery and Julianne Moore in the Universal Pictures thriller Non-Stop slated for February 2014. Nyong’o is also a filmmaker, having served as the creator, director, editor, and producer of the award-winning feature-length documentary, In My Genes.
CHERYL BOONE ISAACS: Cheryl Boone Isaacs was elected President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in July 2013 by the organization’s Board of Governors. She is beginning her 21st year as a Governor, representing the Public Relations Branch. Boone Isaacs served as First Vice-President during the past year, and in 2012 produced the Governors Awards. As the head of CBI Enterprises, Inc., she has consulted on the marketing efforts of blockbuster hits such as The Call, The Artist, The King’s Speech, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, Spider-Man 2 and Tupac: Resurrection. Previously, she served as President of Theatrical Marketing for New Line Cinema, overseeing numerous box office hits such as Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Rush Hour. Prior to joining New Line in 1997, she was Executive Vice-President of Worldwide Publicity for Paramount Pictures, where she orchestrated publicity campaigns for Best Picture winners Forrest Gump and Braveheart.
AVA DUVERNAY: Ava DuVernay is a writer, producer, director and distributor of independent film. She has garnered many prestigious awards for her work, including the Best Director Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, the 2013 John Cassavetes Independent Spirit Award and the Tribeca Film Institute 2013 Affinity Award for her second feature film, Middle of Nowhere. DuVernay has directed the network documentaries Venus Vs for ESPN and My Mic Sounds Nice for BET, along with John Legend Interludes Live, Essence Music Festival and Faith Through The Storm for TV One. In 2013, she directed an episode of ABC top-rated drama series, Scandal. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; she is also a board member of Film Independent and the Sundance Institute.
In December of 2013, Target confirmed the unauthorized access to payment card data that may have impacted certain guests who made credit and debit card purchases in their U.S. stores. Up to 70 million credit and debit card accounts, including names, mailing addresses, phone numbers or email addresses, may have been impacted by those who shopped at Target between November 27 and December 15, 2013. In response to their ongoing investigation of the data breach, representatives of Target have provided the following information for Alabama consumers:
Target is offering one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to all guests who shopped in their U.S. stores. Consumers will have three months to enroll in the program. For additional details on Target Credit Monitoring, Alabama consumers may visit www.creditmonitoring.target.com.
Target selected Experian’s ProtectMyID, which will help consumers understand and keep track of their credit reports. ProtectMyID provides guests with:
· a copy of their credit report,
· daily credit monitoring,
· identity-theft insurance(except where prohibited by law),
· access to personalized assistance from a fraud resolution agent.
This ProtectMyID package includes tools to consumers for thorough credit monitoring and identity theft protection. This package does not include Experian credit score or reports from Equifax and TransUnion. When visiting the enrollment site, consumers will have the option to purchase these items at their own expense if they choose, but are not required to purchase a credit score to receive the benefits of credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
Target created a website specifically for guests interested in registering for free credit monitoring. Details on signing up for the free credit monitoring include:
· Consumers who shopped in U.S. stores may request an activation code by entering their name and email address at Creditmonitoring.target.com before April 23, 2014.
· Consumers will then receive an email from Target within 1-5 days that will include the unique activation code and instructions on how to register their code with ProtectMyID.
· Consumers will have until April 30 to register their code with ProtectMyID.
For more information regarding the Target Data Breach consumers may visit www.target.com/databreach.
By NewsOne Staff
Special To the Times
Joshua Black (pictured), a Republican candidate for a Florida House seat, took to his Twitter account on the birthday celebration of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to call for the hanging of President Barack Obama for his war crimes, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The African-American politico, who is running for the Florida House in District 68 in the St. Peterburg/Clearwater section, tweeted:
Joshua Black 2014 @JoshuaBlack2014 17h
“@civilwarcometh: @BrandonMArms @RedNationRising I’m past impeachment. It’s time to arrest and hang him high. commieblaster.com” Agreed
The post, which was reportedly viewed by a few Florida politicians, also caught Chris Latvala‘s attention, who has his eye on the House District 67 seat. Latvala criticized Black’s outlandish tweets by stating on his Twitter site:
Chris Latvala @ChrisLatvala 17h
@JoshuaBlack2014 you aren’t seriously calling for the killing of Obama are you? I know you are crazy but good heavens.U R an embarrassment
Latvala then suggested to Black via Twitter that he needs to go “take his medicine.”
The 31-year-old Black entered politics two years ago. Ironically, he practiced evangelism on the streets of St. Louis previously.
In response to Latvala, Black also called for the execution of Obama, holding him responsible for ordering a drone strike that killed a U.S. citizen overseas:
Joshua Black 2014 @JoshuaBlack2014 17h
@ChrisLatvala Execution is the appropriate punishment for traitors. #BenedictArnold #ReadAmericanHistory
#criminalpoliticians
As far as his making the incendiary statements on Twitter, Black also stated that he does not fear the Secret Service knocking on his door.
“I guess they’re going to call me a racist now,” he commented.
Meanwhile state Representative Dwight Dudley, who will run against Black, told the Tampa Bay Times that the politician’s Twitter rants are “dangerous and unbecoming for someone who wants to lead.”
Left: Jay Z, middle: Blue Ivy Carter, right: Beyonce
On Saturday, January 18, 2014 Beyonce helped pal Michelle Obama, the first lady of the United States, celebrate her 50th birthday at the
White House in Washington. The “XO” singer, 32, who also performed at President Obama’s inaugural ball in 2009 and second inauguration in January 2013, joined a collection of performers at what is being called a White House “dance party” for the first lady’s big 5-0. The secret celebration hosted about 500 guests sprinkled with A-listers of the political and celebrity variety. Ledisi, a Grammy winner, opened the evening’s live performances, and Beyonce took over for about a 30-minute set accompanied by a full band, Us Weekly reported.
CELEBRATE MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr.’s BIRTHDAY…AND HIS DREAM!!
FIRST…. FOR CHILDREN…
TODAY…..Join the City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Services (DYS) at its 2014 HE’S FIRST/SHE’S FIRST MENTORING SUMMIT. This event is especially designed for those parents, mentors, youth workers and community leaders who are looking for resources to further equip your 6th – 12th graders for a successful future. Taking place on Saturday, January 25, the summit is part of DYS’ Mentorpalooza for National Mentoring Month showing you that Birmingham CARES. HE’S FIRST/SHE’S FIRST will be held from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the historic A. H. Parker High School. Youth and their adult mentor must be registered as a pair and attend the event TOGETHER! The 2014 Summit topics will include, but not limited to: On Your Mark. Get Set. Grow, Who Runs the World? Girls!, What’s Done in the Dark, Mindless Behavior, #NoFilter and much, much more. Drop-off or email completed registration forms by today to the following: DYS He’s First / She’s First Summit, 1608 7th Avenue North | Birmingham, AL 35203. Call (205) 320-0879 for more.
NOW…FOR LAUGHTER…
RORY AND THE RIFF RAFFS, 7 p.m. at the Carver Theatre. This is the best sketch comedy show since In Living Color. Get ready to laugh out loud at the sketch show that broke all the rules with its outrageously skits, wildly original comedy satire. Created by Rory L Kent Jr., Rory and the Riff Raff’s blasted into the comedy world with a mercilessly funny, Take –no-prisoners style not seen since In Living Color. Imagine a smorgasbord of ethnic Broadway trumped by the outrageously comedic elements of “In Living Color” and “Saturday Night Live.” The band provides a reverberating dynamic to the show. The band vitalizes the show with live instruments, experienced vocalists, and musicians. The dance team is composed of gifted men and women who exist in the upper echelon of the urban dance community. HISTORY IN THE MAKING… THE DREAM LIVES 50 YEARS FORWARD RENDITION – Don’t Miss the shining star of the 2014 MLK Day Celebrations…. A play that tells the story of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement like no other on Monday, 6 p.m. at the Carver Theatre featuring Alvin Garrett. Logan, Alicia Johnson-Williams, Rickey Powell and Helen Lyles. It is written, produced and directed by Hollis Wormsby. Call (205) 327-9424 for more. Student civil rights activists join hands and sing as they prepare to leave Ohio to register Black voters in Mississippi. The 1964 voter registration campaign was known as Freedom Summer. Photo Credit: Ted Polumbaum/Newseum collection) A NATIONAL NEWSEUM EXHIBIT – This exhibit is in Washington, D.C. and should be seen by everyone. The Newseum opens “1964: Civil Rights at 50” Exhibit featuring powerful photographs of Freedom Summer, Friday, at the Newseum. It is a yearlong exhibit about Freedom Summer, a bold campaign organized by civil rights groups in 1964 to register Black voters in Mississippi.
“1964” features powerful images of Freedom Summer, from volunteer training sessions in Ohio to clashes with segregationists and the search for three missing civil rights workers who were later found murdered. The photographs were taken by Ted Polumbaum, a freelance photographer for Time magazine, whose passion for social justice led him to Mississippi in the summer of 1964. The Polumbaum photographs are part of the Newseum’s permanent collection on display through Dec. 28, 2014. “The exhibit powerfully illustrates the risks that student activists took 50 years ago to defeat segregation,” said Cathy Trost, vice president of exhibits and programs at the Newseum. “Photojournalist Ted Polumbaum recorded the dramatic events of Freedom Summer and left behind a remarkable collection of images capturing key moments in the fight for civil rights.” THEN…Saturday, at 2:30 p.m., Nyna Brael Polumbaum and Judy Polumbaum, Ted Polumbaum’s widow and daughter, will discuss his photographs and legacy as part of the museum’s Inside Media series. AND, “1964” is a companion exhibit to “Make Some Noise: Students and the Civil Rights Movement,” which opened August 2013. It spotlights key figures in the student civil rights movement, including John Lewis, now a U.S. representative from Georgia, and Julian Bond, who later became chairman of the NAACP. The exhibit also features a section of the original F.W. Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., where in 1960 four African American college students launched the sit-in movement, and a bronze casting of the Birmingham, Ala., jail cell door behind which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. penned his famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail” in 1963. LAST…, The Newseum’s Digital Classroom website features a free learning module called “Making A Change,” which explores the civil rights movement through the lenses of historical connections, media literacy, and civics and citizenship using videos, archival news footage and interviews. These standards-aligned lesson plans will help teachers enhance student engagement with Newseum content, their communities and their peers across the country. FOR ART LOVERS….this weekend…
**MUSEUM OF ART EVENTS – Bridgman|Packer Dance Performance, Saturday, 2 and 6 p.m., FREE in the Jemison Galleries. The Museum is partnering with the Alabama Dance Council to present Voyeur. Voyeur uses the paintings of Edward Hopper as a point of departure, exploring private lives through dance, live video cameras, and imagery. Each performance will include an introduction 30 minutes before. AND…Spotlight on the Collection Slow Art Sunday, 2p.m., FREE at the American Galleries is Albert Bierstadt’s Looking Down Yosemite Valley, California. Take in the beauty and detail of this masterpiece at Slow Art Sunday.
JOHN SOLOMON SANDRIDGE’S NEW ART FORM – A New Art Form by Artist John Solomon Sandridge – NUMINOUSNEOISM – Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) presents “Numinousneoism™, an exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist John Solomon Sandridge through March 23 in BCRI’s Odessa Woolfolk Gallery. Sandridge was not only the first African American to be contracted to do art for Coca-Cola, but his “Numinousneoism” exhibition is actually a new art that Sandridge trademarked. He is a talented sculptor, writer and speaker, and one of a few African-American artists who specialize in Western American art. Sandridge states that numinousneoism is, “a creative expression that comes from God through human imagination for the good of all life. It comes from that special place every child knows about. The innocence takes them where Universal Creativity communicates in them and through them. It’s not make-believe. Looking at Art is spiritual,” continued Sandridge, “Making Art is the Spiritual-Full-Experience. Art is my religion . . . reconnection with The Creator of Life (God). ” The exhibiton includes over 150 paintings and sculptures that reflect the theme of “American slavery killed millions of Africans. The aftermath . . . millions of Black-Americans making this country better for all.” Sandridge will promote his book, “Red Book and Cotton,” which is based on the history of his great-great-grandfather and mother. As a testament to his belief in the new art, Sandridge founded the The Number 2 Pencil Foundation, a nonprofit in Birmingham that teaches children and youth how to use numiousneoism to create, discover, and invent healthy ways to “Save Their Own Future. For more information call 205-328-9696 x 234. FOR MUSIC LOVERS…..A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. and his legacy. REFLECT AND REJOICE, Sunday, 3 p.m. at the Alys Stephens Center featuring the Aeolians of Oakwood University and Roderick Cox, Conductor and much more. Call (205) 975-2787 for more. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY OF SERVICE – Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve will honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 20) with a day of service project coordinated with Hands On Birmingham to work on Long Leaf Cottage, one of the Preserve’s original buildings, that is being renovated into an educational facility for the Preserve. Volunteers can register at http://www.handsonbirmingham.org/MLK. SHOWTIME BIRMINGHAM STYLE 2014 – PERFORMERS ARE INVITED, 9 a.m. at the Sheraton Hotel to audition for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Central Alabama. Call (205) 780-2355 or 1-800-735-0405 for
HERE ARE A FEW MORE THINGS GOING ON…THIS WEEKEND….
COREY HOLCOMB at the STARDOME COMEDY CLUB. Often billing himself as the “ghetto Dr. Phil”, most of Holcomb’s standup material revolves around relationships, particularly relationships gone wrong. In addition to touring the country, he has appeared on Comic View, Def Comedy Jam, Last Comic Standing, and Nick Cannon Presents Wild ‘n Out. He has appeared in two comedy specials of his own, Corey Holcomb: The Problem Is You and Comedy Central Presents: Corey Holcomb. THEN, AT THE STARDOME… DON’T MISS… next week, weekend, COWBOY BILL MARTIN on January 21-26, HENRY CHO on January 30-February 2, JOHN CAPARULO on February 6-9, WENDY LIEBMAN on February 13-16, LUENELL on February 21-22, and DONNELL RAWLINGS on March 6 – 9. Tell Bruce that Gwen sent you. Enjoy some good laughter and fun times while you eat some great food with your friends. See you there! For more, call (205) 444-0008. TODAY… , CHRIS MOORE with CHRIS FRYAR of SAC BROWN BAND, 8 p.m. at Ona’s Music Room. FRIDAY…
**FRIDAY AFTER WORK, 4:30 – 9:30 p.m. at 25 West Oxmoor Road, Suite 26 in Homewood. Call (205) 572-1295 for more.
**UP, 10 p.m. at Ona’s Music Room. SATURDAY…
**ONA WATSON AND CHAMPAGNE, 10 p.m. at Ona’s Music Room. SUNDAY….
**PHASE II BAND AND SHOW, 9 p.m. at Tide & Tiger Lounge, 409 Graymont Avenue (across from Legion Field.) For more, call (205) 229-4829 or 502-3880. MONDAY….
NAPPY NIGHT – Music at Boujee Lounge, every Monday at 204 Avenue U in Pratt City, 8 p.m. with good jerk food, vendors and music. See you there on Mondays! TUESDAY…
**MUSIC with DJ BATMAN…at the New Tide and Tiger!! WEDNESDAY…
**MUSIC with DJ BATMAN…at the New Tide and Tiger!!
**BAMA presents UAB Brass Quintet in a free concert – The Birmingham Art Music Alliance will present the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Music’s Brass Quintet in a free concert of newly composed music by BAMA members at 7:30 p.m., in the Samford University Brock Recital Hall, 800 Lakeshore Drive. COMING SOON…,
FEBRUARY 1 – SICKLE CELL GALA at the Sheraton Hotel.
UNCF MASKED BALL
MARCH 8 – UNCF MASKED BALL GALA, 6 p.m. at the Sheraton Birmingham Ballroom.
NOW…. a BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT FOR JANUARY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU DR. JESSE J. LEWIS, SR., LeBOISE DeRU, JR., SENATOR LINDA COLEMAN, BETTINA BYRD-GILES, RENEE KEMP-ROTAN, DRU HARRIS EALONS, CHUCK GEISS, JAMES WILLIAMS, KYLE WHITMIRE, WILLIAM BARNES, HAROLD COX, PHYLLIS CONNELL, AUDREY PERRINE and LOUISE WASHINGTON…AND TO ALL CELEBRATING!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL YOU BIRTHDAY BALLERS…MANY, MANY MORE HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!! ENJOY!!
Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time.
(People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send comments to my emails: thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com or gwenderu@yahoo.com)
NEW YORK(AP) – NBC’s comic institution “Saturday Night Live,” criticized recently for a lack of diversity, said on Monday that it was adding a Black woman to its repertory cast when new episodes start again later this month.
Sasheer Zamata, a recent University of Virginia graduate who has worked with the New York Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe, will join for the Jan. 18 episode, for which Drake is the host and the musical guest.
The 137 regular cast members who have been part of “Saturday Night Live” since its 1975 debut have been mostly white and have included only four Black women. The most recent was biracial Maya Rudolph, who left in 2007. Black men, including Eddie Murphy, Tracy Morgan and Chris Rock, have played more prominent roles.
The lack of a Black woman among the 16 regular or featured players became an issue this season when the two Black male cast members, Kenan Thompson and Jay Pharoah, commented publicly about it and made it known they would no longer dress in drag to portray Black women.
“SNL” turned the issue into comedy when “Scandal” star Kerry Washington was a guest host. Washington was portrayed as exasperated when she was asked to impersonate first lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé in the same skit. At the top of the show, an “SNL” producer apologized for the number of Black female characters Washington needed to play that night.
Behind the scenes, though, “SNL” founding executive producer Lorne Michaels was busy holding comedy showcases across the country, searching for a Black woman to join the cast.
“It’s not like it’s not a priority for us,” Michaels said two months ago. “It will happen. I’m sure it will happen.”
Saturday December 28th at the Jay Z concert at the BJCC, a young man, 13-year- old, Cortez Gulley had the best birthday a young man could ask for on stage with his Daddy’s favorite Rapper. Rico Gulley the father of Cortez, said, “It was a night he would always remember and share with everyone he know.”
Cortez caught the rapper’s eye during the encore of the Birmingham Magna Carter World Tour Stop. Jay Z eventually invited Cortez on stage for a touching moment that included a big Daddy hug. Gulley who came to the concert with his cousin and sister, made his way slowly to the front of the stage. Jay Z told the police to stand down. Cortez went to the front and got on top of the chair and up on the stage.
Cortez attends the Mount Moriah Baptist Church of North Pratt, Rev. Walter Solomon, Pastor. He is a student at Bottenfield Middle School, where he is the 7th grader quarterback on the football team, point guard on the basketball team and a member of Distinguished Gentlemen. “I always want to do my best in anything I do in life,” Cortez says.
(BLACK PR WIRE) – Gather your girlfriends, book club, church group, sorority sisters and claim the living room for a Girls’ Night In! Fourteen time Grammy Award-winning artist and HIV advocate, Alicia Keys, is joining with Greater Than AIDS to host a National Watch Party and Twitter chat about women and HIV/AIDS in America on Sunday, January 19 from 8-9 p.m. EST (5-6 p,m. PST). Ms. Keys is urging women and their loved ones to come together to watch and discuss “We Are Empowered,” an intimate and inspiring half-hour conversation she had with five women living with HIV in the U.S. Ms. Keys will be live tweeting throughout the hour #WeAreEmpowered. VH1.com will stream the “We Are Empowered” video, which will also be available along with a companion discussion guide on www.greaterthan.org/empowered. Of the more than 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States today, one in four is a woman. If current trends continue, it is estimated that one in 32 Black women will contract HIV in her lifetime. Keys is highlighting the power of women – as mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, partners and people living with HIV – to change the course of this disease through every day actions. For more information about Greater Than AIDS and the Empowered campaign, including for details about how to host an Empowered Watch Party & Discussion, visit: www.greaterthan.org/empowered.
AP Photo: This 1993 file photo originally provided by Columbia Pictures shows rap musician Tupac Shakur is shown in a scene from, “Poetic Justice.”
By Mark Kennedy, AP Drama Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — A musical inspired by Tupac Shakur songs is going to bring gangsta rap to Broadway.
Producers said Wednesday that “Holler If Ya Hear Me” will open at the Palace Theatre in June under the direction of Kenny Leon, who helmed the Broadway hits “Fences” and “The Mountaintop.” The new musical sets Shakur’s music to an original story.
Rapper and actor Shakur, who had multimillion-seller albums like “2Pacalypse Now” and “All Eyez on Me,” was known for his raw lyrics that drew on the rage of a coarse urban existence. No casting was announced.
The musical has a story by Todd Kreidler, who was a dramaturg for “Radio Golf” and “Gem of the Ocean,” and choreography by Tony Award-winner Wayne Cilento of “Wicked.” Afeni Shakur, the late artists’ mother, is producing.
