Arts vol 1 12 by Arts Today Ezine

Vol 1.12 February 4, 2015

Tawanna Shaunteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

RECORDING ARTIST pg. # 44

View this and past issues from our website.

Dr. T. McCarthy Dark Girls/Light Girls pg. #26

Adelia Gujarat pg. #59

Buy Now

Gianis LalSandhu pg.#154

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

IN THIS

ISSUE:

IN THE NEWS The Last Word

1 OP/ED McCullough’s Re-election

VOLUTIO REVOL

HAS THE REVOLUTION ENDED? Bernie Hayes

BLACK HISTORY - JAZZ AT THE BISTRO Mary Stallings

N 104

UTION

FESTIVAL OF JOY - INDIA Adelia Parker

ASPIRE TO INSPIRE Ema Remtula

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LIVE / WORK / PLAY Nate Johnson

IN THE NEWS Annie Malone

46 DARK GIRL / LIGHT GIRL Dr. Tracey McCarthy

RECORDING ARTIST Tawanna Shaunte’

“. . . for u, the sky’s the “unlimit”...” Baba Sherman Fowler,

Griot and Poet

Established 2014 Volume 1.12 St. Louis, MO www.the-arts-today.com/ Layout/Design www.bdesignme.com

NOTE:

As the publishers of The Arts Today Ezine we take care in the production of each issue. We are however, not liable for any editorial error, omission, mistake or typographical error. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of their respective companies or the publisher.

This Ezine and the content published within are subject to copyright held by the publisher, with individual articles remaining property of the named contributor. Express written permission of the publisher and contributors must be acquired for reproduction.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

In The News

If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen this, please view it as soon as possible and help bring some clarity to the situation. Let us know what you think at artstodayinfo@aol.com?

http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/ watch/shocking-mistake-in-darrenwilson-grand-jury-364273731666

pg.

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Volume 1.12 1.11 February January 4, 2015

Mc Culloch’s re-election bid was broadly backed by mostly white lawyers, real-estate developers and unions

OP / ED SECTION

Lawyers, major real estate developers, corporations and labor unions comprised most of the financial backing for the re-election of St. Louis County prosecutor Robert P. McCulloch, according to campaign contributions reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission during the recent election cycle. McCulloch’s campaign committee collected roughly $393,000 dwarfing the little more than $19,000 raised by his relatively unknown challenger in the August 2014 democratic primary Leslie Broadnax, an African American attorney. McCullough faced no opposition in the Nov. 4 general election. Contributions from at least 100 lawyers and two dozen law firms from all over St. Louis and the metro east provided most of the cash for McCulloch’s re-election bid. Among the most notable donors were Hammond and Shiners Law Firm ($12,750), Stone and Alter Real Estate($6,000), University Square, Inc.($6,000), Husch & Blackwell law firm($5,500), The Law Firm of Thomas C. Antoniou($5,250), Robert D Blitz, Attorney ($5,250), home builder McBride and Son ($5,000), Murphy Equities Corporation($5,000), Carey & Danis, LLC($5,000), I.U.O.E. Local 513 Political and Educational Fund($4,500), Builders Bloc($4,500), Commercial Bank($4,000), Christopher D. Guinn, Attorney($3,500),Citizens for Steve Stenger($3,000), Stone, Layton and Gershman law firm ($3,000),Fred Weber Corp.($3,000), Thompson Coburn law firm($2,500), Enterprise Holdings Inc. $2,500), Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562 Political and Educational Fund ($2,500). These are just the largest individual donors. What the data reveals is that since first being elected as county prosecutor in 1991 24 years ago, McCulloch has become a political force in the region. With a population that is 70 percent white, 23 percent black and seven percent other, it is hard to ignore the stark racial contrast that colors the daily reality in St. Louis County. That glaring contrast could hardly go unnoticed as former St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley was ousted by primary challenger Steve Stenger, a democratic member of the St. Louis County Council from Affton, with substantial help from McCulloch. A close examination of the reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission, crystallizes the full extent of their collaboration. Combined, both the McCulloch and Stenger campaigns reported at least $370,000 worth of in-kind donations to Stenger’s insurgent candidacy. McCulloch may have also influenced donors to kick in a portion of the more than $2 million Stenger amassed to challenge Dooley. Some of the same contributors show up in both McCulloch’s and Stenger’s campaign reports. For example Murphy Equities Corp., a McCullough supporter, donated $41,000 to Stenger’s campaign; another McCulloch donor, McBride and Son Management, contributed $27,500 to Stenger’s campaign; The law firm of Stone, Leyton and Gershman, McCulloch donor gave Stenger’s campaign $20,000; Commercial Bank which holds the account for McCulloch’s campaign committee and also is one of his donors, wrote checks totaling $13,000 to Stenger’s campaign; John Bardgett and Associates donated at least $1,000 to McCulloch and at least $11,000 to Stenger. Several of the unions that donated to McCulloch also donated to Stenger. And while St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay publicly went on record supporting Dooley, his campaign fund Slay For Mayor wrote a $1,000 check to Stenger. Dooley for his part had a war chest of $1.4 million going into the August 2014 primary, $216,000 of which was donated by retired hedge fund billionaire Rex Sinquefield who is advocating the merger of the St. Louis City with St. Louis County. But in the end, it was not enough to beat back the challenge from the coalesced forces of St. Louis area lawyers, major real estate developers, corporations, labor unions and trust funds that financed retaining McCulloch as prosecutor and replacing Dooley with Stenger. By: George Jackson

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

IN THE NEWS CONT.

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Annie Malone CHILDREN AND FAMILY CENTER

The children and Staff of Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center are proud recipients of a much needed van. The generous donation was given by Annie Malone Board Member Alex Assfaw of Metropolitan Taxi Cab Corporation. Through Mr. Assfaw kindness the children of Annie Malone will ride in comfort for many miles to come. (picture included)

What Does Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center Do? Many of you know Annie Malone from the annual May Day PARADE but what you don’t know is that the parade is Annie Malone’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The revenue is raised from sponsorships, parade registrations and from personal donations. Each of these categories is critical to funding the agency’s programs and services. It is more than a parade. .. We NEED your Help everyday! Your donations are needed to keep our programs and services running 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Our four core programs are: Crisis Care & Emergency Placement  Provides a safe 24 hour environment for children birth to 18.  Provides shelter, food, clothing, educational needs, conflict resolution, medical attention, counseling, helps prevent child abuse & neglect Transitional Living Program (TLP)  Provides youth aging out of foster care necessary skills to transition to independent, productive adults through personal training and life skills development. (life skillsfinding a job, housing, banking, shopping)  Living arrangements include a supervised group home. Parenting Education  Promotes healthy relationships between parents and children.  Provide training to successfully raise and appropriately discipline children. Emerson Academy Therapeutic School (for grades K-12) Promotes successful learning behaviors and outcomes for student’s k-12 with Individual Educational Plans (IEP’s). Students that are successful with therapeutic programming will return to their regular school environment and excel to the next academic level. (They can graduate with us with a fully accredited diploma recognized through the SLPS. Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center has a legacy of taking care of ALL children. The cost of taking care of children come with a price. Each and every child that comes through our doors deserves a new beginning. Please help us march on to decrease youth homelessness.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

WATCH NOW!

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FOLLOW Missouri Citizens for the Arts invitesYOUto attendCitizens’ Day at the Legislature February 11, 2015 Jefferson City, Missouri It’s an ART-filled day of special speakers, musical performance, legislative visits, networking and awards---show Missouri’s legislators that the ARTS matter to YOU! Check out the day’s schedule below. Full details & registration at www.mo4arts.org

Bro. Shahid

CITIZENS’ DAY AT THE LEGISLATURE: FEBRUARY 11:

twitter.com/anthonyshahid1

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Registration

Governor’s Office Building

200 N. Madison Ave, Room 450 (across from City parking garage and Governor’s Mansion)

10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Legislative Briefing: *Special Guest SpeakerJay Dick, Senior Director of State & Local Government Affairs at American for the Arts (Washington, D.C.) provides updates on the national state of the arts, plus offers advocacy tips. *Legislative Consultant Kyna Iman discusses Annual Goals & Updates Governor’s Office Building 200 N. Madison Ave, Room 450 11:45 - 2:00 p.m. Legislative Office Visits Missouri StateCapitol 201 W Capitol Ave, Jefferson City, MO 65101 More Information on Legislative Visits Listed Below 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Special Musical Performance: Volker Brass * The University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory Graduate Fellowship Brass Quintet includes Charles Calloway & Alex Caselman, trumpets; Matthew Haislip, horn; Austin Peiffer, trombone; Brielan Andersen, tuba; with faculty coach Professor Thomas Stein. Missouri State Capitol Capitol Rotunda, 1st floor

2:00 - 3:30 p.m. Missouri Arts Council Award Ceremony Missouri State Capitol

Citizens’ Day for the Arts is a free event for all MCA members. Individual and organizational memberships are available. We will also accept membership dues during registration at Citizens’ Day. Non-members can attend for a nominal $10 fee.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

LIVE WORK PLAY

Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Nate K. Johnson ABR,CRS,GRI Broker/Owner Real Estate Solutions nate@livingstl.com www.livingstl.com

If you’re like me, you just can’t wait to dress up the family in their furry suits to celebrate Groundhog Day! Of course, there are plenty of other things going on this month in St. Louis. I’ve got a few suggestions for you. Hopefully you’ll join me in getting out and celebrating the last month of winter!

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Local Events

February

1 thru

February

Next week, we have blues, jazz, more jazz, and an 80’s style hairband thrown in for good measure! Monday, enjoy the heartfelt original songs from Blues musician, Brian Curran at BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups. On Wednesday, head over to the Touhill Performing Art Center for St. Louis Jazz Orchestra: A Tribute to Stan Kenton. For more jazz, check out the thrilling and technically spectacular music of Kenny Baron and Stefon Harris performing at Jazz at the Bistro. My sister and I used to belt out Tesla’s “Love Song” back in the day, and although we won’t be blessing the mic on Thursday night at The Pageant, I’m sure that Tesla will have a great show without us. You’ll find me at Urban Chestnut in Midtown on Thursday having a beer with the MS Center of St. Louis for the Dine to Donate event. 10% of all beer sales go back to the MS Center to search for a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. If you feel like taking the kids out, grab your tiaras and doubloons for Disney Junior Live On Tour! Pirate & Princess Adventure at Chaifetz Arena. On Friday, head over to the Touhill Performing Art Center for the fabulous Choral ensemble of Cantus, who will be performing their blend of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. You may also enjoy the powerful folk guitar riffs of Leo Kottke at The Sheldon Concert Hall in Grand Center. COCA Presents 2014-2015: Continuing the Legacy is on Friday as well. This incredibly moving performance uses dance, music and vivid photography as vehicles to take audience members on a powerful journey through black history - from slavery to the jazz era, through the civil rights movement, to modern times. Check out Create Space on Delmar for the Gallery Opening: Can I Sleep Here? The Journey of a Girl and Her Backpack. It’s an exhibit of paintings and illustrations inspired by a recent backpacking trip through Southeast Asia and Japan. Get up early on Saturday and head down to Soulard for the Mardi Gras STL - 5K Run For Your Beads. It’s a 5K run Mardi Gras style complete with beer, hurricanes, and beads & prizes! Afterwards, you can join me over at the Schlafly Tap Room for the Cod & Cask Festival. We’ll enjoy fish and chips and “real ale”, which is carbonated in the cask and hand pumped to the bar, purely authentic, purely delightful and only at The Tap Room. If eating fish and singing sailor songs with me is not your style, maybe you’d like to take the family to see the French conductor Stéphane Denève as he leads the amazing STL Symphony Concert: Dvorak 8. If you’re still hanging out in Soulard after the run, and your dog hasn’t had too many hurricanes, put him in the Mardi Gras STL - 22nd Annual Pet Parade. The parade steps off at 1:00 p.m. and the best dressed will be crowned as the King and Queen of Barkus! The party continues with a free concert afterwards! If you’re in the mood for a concert on Sunday, head over to The Pageant for Dark Star Orchestra. How about a play or two on Sunday? The classic Mamma Mia! will be on stage at The Fox Theatre, which will be fun for the whole family. Grown folks will enjoy a play like White to Gray at the Mustard Seed Theatre. White to Gray is a story of a man aboard a ship that must choose between duty to his country and love for his Japanese- American girlfriend during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

LIVE WORK PLAY

February

thru

February

On Tuesday, the 10th, visit The Sheldon Concert Hall to see a mixture of Chicago and New Orleans style traditional jazz as the St. Louis Stompers put on a fabulous show. On Thursday, the talented alternative singer/songwriter Melanie Martinez, will be performing at Off Broadway. You might find me at the Old Rock House for the Waka Winter Classic! Five different local bands will be on stage as the Waka tour travels the United States looking for the best musicians, the one with the most votes at the end of the night will get to play at the Wakarusa Music Festival! For something a little different on Friday, check out the 15th Annual Rock, Mineral, Fossil, Gem & Jewelry Show at the Kirkwood Community Center. Also on Friday, you can enjoy special exhibits, carriage rides, cupcake decorating and more at the Missouri History Museum as you help celebrate St. Louis’ 250th birthday! There’s also a Valentine-themed event Friday night on Art Hill complete with live music, food and a fireworks display at 10:15 p.m. On Saturday, you might want to check out the Missouri Botanical Garden’s 2015 Orchid Show. I’m sorry. I don’t have much more to say about Orchids. Pretty flowers. Ok, moving on to the Mardi Gras festivities that start on Saturday morning with the Bud Light Grand Parade. The 1.5 mile parade features floats, marching bands, colorful masks and outlandish costumes. The parade steps off at 11:00 a.m. and the celebration continues post-parade with a fun-filled street-party featuring live music until the wee hours! You may want to get tickets to the Bud Light Party Tent. Admission to the tent entitles individuals to an all you can eat buffet from Joanie’s of Soulard, complimentary premium open bars, music and entertainment, bottomless vats of beads, and various Bud Light giveaways and promotional items. For a different flavor on Saturday, head over to Chaifetz Arena for the St. Louis Valentine’s Music Festival. Once again, I was asked not to grace the stage with my rendition of “My Perogative, and Don’t Be Cruel”, but Bobby Brown will be there to sing it, along with the talented KC and JoJo and Dru Hill. If that’s not your thing, you can swing by the St. Louis Art Museum in Forest Park for the Calligraphy in Chinese and Japanese Art Exhibit. Or, you can check out another play, Safe House at the St. Louis Repertory Theatre. Still not what you’re looking for? How about the St. Louis Ballet: Love Is In the Air at the Touhill Performing Art Center. After that show, head over to Jazz at the Bistro for Valentine’s Day with Erin Bode and her jazz infused angelic voice. Still not the ticket? How about the Bluegrass guitar styling of Jason Isbell at the Peabody Opera House. On Sunday, grab some dinner at Blueberry Hill and enjoy some lovely music from singer-songwriter and guitarist, Robyn Hitchcock. If you’re looking for some excitement afterwards, check out the Professional Bull Riders at Scottrade Center. The show features the top 35 bull riders in the world and the best bucking bulls in the business!

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February

thru

February

On Thursday, go see the new Humpback Whales movie playing at the Science Center Omnimax Theater. It’s an extraordinary journey into the mysterious world of one of nature’s most awe-inspiring marine mammals. Humpback Whales takes audiences to Alaska, Hawaii and the remote islands of Tonga for an up-close look at how these whales communicate, sing, feed, play and take care of their young. On Friday, check out the Avett Brothers playing at the Peabody Opera House. On Saturday, take the kids to The Magic House for Children’s China: Celebrating Culture, Character and Confucius. Children’s China transports visitors halfway across the globe to experience what life is like for children in China today - a country where timeless traditions endure amidst a modern lifestyle. Visitors will care for pandas in the panda reserve, participate in a Chinese New Year celebration with a Chinese dragon, explore a contemporary classroom, restaurant, park and more within this one-of-a-kind exhibit. Later in the evening, head over to Off Broadway for a performance by Jessica Lea Mayfield. On Sunday, visit the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park for the Missouri Immigrant Experience Exhibit. Through a mixture of historic and contemporary photography, this installation explores the immigration experience. Visitors will see the faces and learn the stories of immigrants from a variety of backgrounds. Nations of origin and assimilation experiences may differ, but the immigrants share a powerful commonality: they call St. Louis home. You may also want to check out the fascinating Toyin Odutola: Untold Stories at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. Nigerian-born artist Toyin Odutola presents some of her best character-and-text artwork, including original pieces designed specifically for the “Untold Stories” exhibit. Comparing elements like closeness and distance, figures and lines, and different types of media, Odutola impresses viewers with her bold approach. Afterwards, drive over to Powell Hall for STL Symphony Concert: From Bach to Rock to Hip Hop. Join PROJECT Trio and the STL Symphony on an interactive journey exploring rhythm and music with the William Tell Overture, Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, and more. Visit the Hoffman LaChance Fine Art Gallery in Maplewood to see artist Alicia LaChance’s new exhibit featuring patterns, bold colors, intricate shapes and imaginative styles. If you feel like getting out of the city for the day, head over to Hermann, MO for the Chocolate Wine Trail. You and your friends can sample delicious wine and chocolate pairings at seven wineries along the charming Missouri Wine Trail near Hermann.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

LIVE WORK PLAY

February

On Wednesday, hear the beautiful and imaginative works of Asia at The Sheldon Concert Hall. Asia is a large and diverse continent, and many classical composers have been influenced by its music, including Claude Debussy, Florent Schmitt and Dmitry Kabelevsky. On Thursday, just let it go and take the kids to see Disney’s Frozen on Ice, it might be cold outside, but the cold never bothered me anyway. On Friday night, grab some friends and check out the 7th Annual Centennial Beer Festival at Moulin. Beers from across metro St. Louis, the U.S. and the world available for tasting. If you enjoy ballet, Dance St. Louis presents the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet who will be performing at the Touhill Performing Art Center. If you’re ready for some fun afterwards, the multi-talented comedian and actor, Katt Williams , will be performing at Chaifetz Arena on Friday as well. You may also

enjoy St. Louis’s own, jazz pianist Peter Martin, as he brings jazz home to the Lou with an exciting series featuring Peter on piano along with special guests at The Sheldon Concert Hall. If that’s not your style, you can check out Celebration Day: A Tribute to Led Zepplin at The Pageant.

February

If you love the music of Louis Armstrong, or a smooth jazz trumpet in general, check out Byron Stripling performing at Jazz at The Bistro in Grand Center on Saturday. You might also want to stop by the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis to see the fascinating paintings of the Joe Goode exhibit. While you’re there, don’t miss the Barnaby Furnas: The Last Flood exhibit. On Sunday, head over to the Edison Theatre at Washington University for the searing thought provoking drama by James Baldwin, Blues for Mr. Charlie. You may be interested in the the Builders’ Home and Garden Show at America’s Center on Sunday as well. While you’re downtown, visit the Atrium Gallery to see their first spectacular exhibition of the new year, Wintry Mix . The show features work evoking the stillness, elegance, and mood of the winter season. Included will be a variety of pieces - paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture in an interesting and complementary mix creating a seasonal setting.

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Yes, it is certainly going to be another great month in St. Louis. I hope to see you out at some of these fantastic events throughout the month. Please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to let me know if there is anything that I can do for you. ~Nate

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Has The Revolution

ENDED?

by: Bernie Hayes I understand that many of our readers might be tired of hearing about and reading about Michael Brown, Eric Garner and the actions that erupted in Ferguson, New York and across the nation. What astonishes me is that so many forget what caused the outbreaks, and this is not the first time these actions have occurred. AfricanAmericans are still facing police brutality, racism and intolerance, limited healthcare, and education and housing opportunities.

There have been thousands more that are not recorded and there are some that are well documented, such as the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Project. During February we will remember the deeds and quotes of the countless who were considered ‘militants’, but a lot of us do not remember what was said and what actions were taken.

Stokley Carmichael AKA Kwame Ture said ‘Frederick Douglass said that the youth should fight to be leaders today. God knows we need to be leaders today, because the men who run this country are sick. We must begin to start building those institutions and to fight to articulate our position, to fight to be able to control our universities, to fight to control the basic institutions that perpetuate racism by destroying them and building new ones’.

REVO People must understand that we are in the midst of a revolution, and it has been predicted over the ages, and African American History Month is a perfect time to remind us of the origins of this present-day rebellion.

In 1739 there was The Stono Rebellion in South Carolina, the largest rebellion organized by enslaved AfricanAmericans in colonial America; and Nat Turner’s Rebellion which occurred on August 22, 1831 in Southampton County, Va.

On November 20, 1898, Reverend Francis J. Grimke, pastor of the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church of Washington, D.C., delivered a sermon in which he denounced those African Americans who called for traditionalism and accommodation. Grimke vowed that as long as African Americans were deprived of their full rights as citizens, they would continue to protest and agitate.

Marcus Garvey declared “the world ought to understand that the Negro has come to life, possessed with a new conscience and a new soul. The old Negro is buried, and it is well the world knew it. It is not my purpose to deceive the world. I believe in righteousness; I believe in truth; I believe in honesty. That is why I warn a selfish world of the outcome of their actions towards the oppressed”. Malcolm shouted “what you and I need to do is learn to forget our differences. When we come together, we don’t come together as Baptists or Methodists. You don’t catch hell ‘cause you’re a Baptist, and you don’t catch hell ‘cause you’re a Methodist. You don’t catch hell ‘cause you’re a Methodist or Baptist. You don’t catch hell because you’re a Democrat or a Republican. You don’t catch hell because you’re a Mason or an Elk. And you sure don’t catch hell ‘cause you’re an American; ‘cause if you was an American, you wouldn’t catch no hell. You catch hell ‘cause you’re a black man. You catch hell, all of us catch hell, for the same reason.”

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I would like to remind you again of Reverend Francis J. Grimke who declared “The Negro is an American citizen, and he never will be eliminated as a political factor with his consent. He has been terrorized and kept from the polls by bloody ruffians, but he has never felt that it was right; he has never acquiesced in it, and never will, as long as he lives. As long as there is one manly, selfrespecting Negro in this country, the agitation will go on, will never cease until right is triumphant. It is one thing to compel the Negro by force to stay away from the polls; it is a very different thing for the Negro himself, freely of his own accord, to relinquish his political rights. The one he may be constrained to do; the other he will not do.” Whether it is in Ferguson, Oakland, Chicago, or Atlanta, New York or anywhere on the planet, I believe the revolution will continue.

OLU REVOL

UTIO

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

pg.

HEALTH ■ MIND ■ BODY ■ SPIRIT ■ CULTURE ■ BONDING

Girls Holla Back!

St. Louis’ Award Winning Intergenerational Approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention Program for African American Females In an effort to reduce new cases of HIV/AIDS and drug use among African American females in St. Louis, the Missouri Institute of Mental Health (MIMH) developed a FREE series of prevention workshops complemented with fun-filled communications activities for girls ages 12-17 and one of their adult female family members. **Orientation & Health Fair:**

**March 7th 2015 from 10:30am - 3pm** Workshop Dates: March 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26

April 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 Workshop Times: 5:30 - 8:30pm (all sessions)

Location:

New Northside Conference Center 5939 Goodfellow Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63147 *To determine the effectiveness of the program, participants will be asked to complete one survey before the program starts; one on the last day; and one 3-months after the program has ended. *Sponsored by the Missouri Institute of Mental Health through funds from the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

Girls Holla Back! Registration Mailing Form March - April 2015 (Please Print Clearly)

Date:____________________

Name of Female Youth:_______________________________________________________ Age:_____________

Name of Female Parent (Guardian):_______________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________ City:________________ State:_______ Zip:______________

*Phone:(_______)___________________________ *Alt Phone:( ) *Email:______________________________________________ How do you prefer to receive program information? [ ] Mail or [ ] E-mail [ ] Phone *How did you hear about Girls Holla Back? [ ] Radio (Station?______________) [ ] Bus/Billboard [ ] E-Blast [ ] Website [ ] Facebook [ ] Twitter [ ] Friend/Former Participant [ ] Other (_______________________) Mail To: Girls Holla Back!, c/o MIMH, 4633 World Parkway Circle, St. Louis, MO 63134 or fax to (314) 516-8405. For more information, contact us at (314) 516-8487 or girlshollaback@mimh.edu.

**You may also register online by visiting www.GirlsHollaBack.org**

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

pg.

Community Women Against Hardship, Inc. CONTACT: Gloria Taylor 3963 West Belle Place Phone/Fax: (314) 289-7523 St. Louis, Missouri 63108 Website: www.cwah.org

NEWS RELEASE Community Women Against Hardship, Inc. (CWAH) is delighted to welcome the return of premier Jazz vocalist Mary Stallings to headline their annual Jazz Celebration in Black History at Jazz at the Bistro, on Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 6:00p.m. (Doors open at 5:00p.m.) This charitable benefit concert is sponsored by Centene Corporation). Ms. Stallings will be joined by outstanding pianist David W. Udolf and virtuoso musicians Jerome “Scrooge” Harris – drums, Eric Slaughter – guitar and Jeffrey Anderson – bass. Their resumes total approximately a century of performance experience, throughout the U.S. and beyond. Jerome is a superb percussionist whose skills are marked by exceptional taste, timing, sensitivity and a unique balance of soloing and support. He has played everything from avante garde to Blues to Bebop all around the region and in New York. Eric has wowed audiences on cruise ships in Jazz venues and concert halls throughout the country. His endearing solo work – ranging from lyrical ballads to fiery, joy filled interludes -- keeps audiences in rapt attention. Jeffrey has also played on cruise ships, with R&B stars and Jazz giants alike. He has played in the U.S. and Senegal, West Africa. A thoughtful, confident soloist, he provides a solid, warm foundation guiding and empathizing with his musical peers. All three have combined their musical gifts with others in groups of various sizes in diverse contexts. Ms. Stallings was called “The Best Jazz Singer Alive Today” by the New York Times.” Her extensive career includes an early stint with Count Basie, and later work with Ben Webster, Cal Tjader, Earl Hines and Dizzy Gillespie. Her suave, alluring vocals have won her both rave notices and a lasting following among lovers of Jazz vocal stylings. There will be a special performance by students of CWAH’s Institute for the Advancement of Jazz Study and Performance, beginning at 5:15p.m. And please remember that this event is much more than a celebratory evening of wonderful music; it is also a golden opportunity to support the deserving, underserved clients, giving them ‘a Hand Up, rather than a Hand Out.’ All Proceeds benefit CWAH’s Programs and Services. All tickets available via the Jazz St. Louis Box Office, 3536 Washington, St. Louis, MO 63103 – (314) 571-6001 Box Office is open Mon. – Fri., 10a.m -- 5:00p.m.. and Saturdays, 2p.m. – 10p.m. Or online by visiting: www.jazz stl.org. Checks can also be written to Jazz St. Louis

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

“Dark Girls” and “Light Girls”

The Truth and Devil are in the Details “Dark Girls” & “Light Girls”: The Truth and the Devil are in the Details by Dr. Tracey McCarthy, Psy.D., DCFC, J.D., M.A. Psychologist, Attorney, Educator Webster University - Legal Studies Department www.drtraceymccarthy.com

Delusion and Denial

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 Communicating about so-called “race” and racism is like being in George Orwell’s

1984, talking and thinking in doublespeak. There is a constant demand to distort, disguise, or reverse the actual meaning of words (and actions) to transform an ugly truth into something a bit more palatable. War is peace and hate is love. Ambiguity is key and lie masquerades as certainty and veracity. That, alone, makes exploration and deconstruction of the concepts exhausting and largely inane. When one has to process “dominant” as “recessive” and “recessive” as “dominant” or linguistically transform mathematical “majority” into mathematical “minority,” one knows one has ventured into a world of collective cognitive pathology and collusive delusion. When one has to rearticulate “racism” (and its internalization) as its politically correct nouveau cousin “colorism,” one is teetering on the verge of utter absurdity. The fact that “Whites” frequently deny racism exists and the fact that “Blacks” generally collude in its “non-existent” proliferation make the examination of the antecedents and sequelae of racism often circuitous at best. Racism (and its “White” supremacy offspring) is a psychologically and spiritually hideous and revolting dynamic that many people hesitate to explore unless they can come out on the other side looking and feeling oh-so-pretty. It is, however, impossible to emerge from such an exploration looking pretty and unscathed, whether one is the oppressor or the oppressed. The recently released documentaries Dark Girls and Light Girls that touched on the intersectionality of “race,” sex, and gender demonstrated just how difficult the topic is to engage, even by those adversely impacted. While Dark Girls and Light Girls addressed issues related to skin color and biases related to skin color, both presented like starting a book in the middle - near the end - by talking about the byproducts of “White” supremacy without ever fully examining the paradigm, itself, and its related practices. Neither of the documentaries directly touched on the “White” imperialism and colonialism undergirding the current worldwide race-focused culture that holds “White” skin and physical features on par with divinity.

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Roots of White Veneration and Dark Denigration The global system of “White” supremacy is constructed upon human antagonism, hostility, opposition, and war and requires the violation of basic human rights. Our individual and collective human self-esteem does not seem to be satisfied by simply doing our best, by simply living our lives fully, and by contributing to the welfare of others and the environment. Instead, there is a human tendency to favor competition over cooperation in our social relationships, as if there must always be a conqueror and a conquered, a victimizer and a victim, an oppressor and an oppressed. In the winner-loser social paradigm, it is the “winner” who gets the economic, social, and political spoils, while all others take the remnants and waste. As this has historically been seen as an inevitable, viable, and “desirable” manner of human operation, systems of social domination usually meet with revolution from those on the deprivation end of the social arrangement seeking relief. This reality requires that there be structures and processes in place to maintain systems of supremacy and subservience, through social constraint and victim collusion. Though highly normalized and revered, systematic oppression of others is a human pathology that tends to be rooted in the psychological and spiritual malevolence of haughtiness, egotism, pride, conceit, condescension, deceit, fallaciousness, envy, insatiable greed, bitterness, desire, covetousness, and spite. One human-manufactured hegemonic system is that of supposed race-based primacy, preeminence, control, and power. (The term “race” is, itself, denoted as “competition.”) Such a “race” system necessitates that humans be divided into subgroups based upon common heredity and supposed distinct features such as skin color. After these divisions, human “value” is assigned. Racial groups are determined more or less human and worthy of human regard based upon their proximity to whatever empowered racial group happens to be foisting their narcissistic determination of value onto the others. We currently operate in, and co-create, a world system of race-based division, competition, and hierarchy wherein those who are classified (or who classify themselves) as “White,” Caucasian, or European have assumed dominance, authority, ascendancy, supremacy, and the “competitive” upper hand. The arbitrarily-defined “White” race also has within its social operating system a parallel system of sex-based advantage, power, control and dominance, wherein those who are classified (or who classify themselves) as biologically male have taken on the competition–based role of dominator, leader, and subjugator. Hence, the central social operating system in the world is one of race and sex-based power and control where “White” males are considered focal, predominant, significant, and supremely valuable and influential.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Dark Girls/ Light Girls cont.

With all of the emphasis on social primacy, omnipotence, preeminence, reign, and control, “White” male dominance systems, by functional definition, appear as in direct and decided competition with what, and who, many understand as God. Due to the necessity of polarity and opposition in social systems of domination and subordination, a polar opposite is always necessary to determine gradations of superiority and inferiority. In a race and sex-based world system of social domination focused on “Whiteness” and maleness, the clearly determined antithetical to “White” male is “Black” female. She is, therefore, seen as the ultimate social adversary in greatest need of subjugation. The structure of this type of polarized social system, then, defines the humanity and power of all human beings based upon their proximity or remoteness to what are classified as the “whitest” of “White” male and the “blackest” of “Black” female. Hence, being classified as either “non-Black” or “non-female” results in varying degrees of power compared to, or contrasted with, that of the “whitest” “White” male or the “blackest” “Black” female. In a race and sex-based competitive social system, such as the one in which we currently co-exist and co-create, those who are closest to the darkest female are the most socially marginalized and subjugated. Those who are unquestioningly entrenched in the system are often so occupied with trying to find a way to avoid being on the bottom that they seldom, if ever, really stop to examine the deep psychological lunacy and spiritual depravity of such a system. Caught in the Middle Filling the space between the “whitest” of “White” males and the “blackest” of “Black” females are males and females of varying pigments. In our race and sex-based social system, their “White” male-determined human value and power are predicated on their closeness to “whiteness” and “maleness,” with those of relatively lighter skin being assigned higher value than those with relatively darker skin. In the United States, this generally translates into lighter skinned males and females having relatively more assigned power and assigned value than darker skinned males and females. In African American and Caribbean cultural groups, this transforms into individuals being assigned valued based upon the degree of brownness in one’s skin. It also translates into higher value being assigned based upon hair texture, hair length, eye color, and facial features which are perceived as closer to those classified as “White.” The ultimate result of such a system is that African American and Caribbean females with darker skin are socially classified as those of lowest human value and the least worthy of human regard and power. As those caught in the middle are busy not being caught on the bottom, there has been little attention paid to the lived realities of darker females in both African American and

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Caribbean communities. That is, until director, producer, writer, and actor Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry released the 2012 documentary Dark Girls, which detailed latent and manifest social biases and attitudes regarding skin color and the impact on dark skinned women, both inside and outside of African American culture. Deceptive Debasement

Dark Girls detailed what has happened to many African American women and girls who have been force fed a steady diet of lying devaluation, disregard, debasement, and degradation based solely upon their chocolate, chestnut, and coffee skin color. In the dark eyes of the “Dark Girls,” you see the internalization of the deceptions regarding the interpretation of their skin color and, by extension, their very worth as human beings, as little girls, and as women. In their eyes, you see the pain of a billion saltfilled tears that could give an ocean’s volume competition. In their words, you hear the perplexity of their predicament as simultaneously deeply desired and derided. Their verbalized pain is palpable as they relate their experiences as supposed entities of inferiority in a deceptive social system that perpetuates a fallacy of color-based superiority where one is most valued and desired dependent upon having the least amount of naturally occurring melanin, iron, and copper evident in their skin. Their human value, based upon this system of human pathology, is considered less because they are, pigment-wise, more. This is an almost global mindset where, although all human skin is some variation of brown, one’s human value and one’s female value are increased in direct proportion to the relative decrease of naturally occurring brown skin pigment. The “White” male dominated and orchestrated social system in which “Dark Girls” are implanted involves strategies of pigment-based valuation and devaluation and the creation of a false narrative about the inhumanity of “Dark Girls.” Supportive of this system are media tactics that manipulate “Dark Girls” and others into seeing “Dark Girls” as the antithesis of what is humanly ideal. This is done to encourage others to see “Dark Girls” as inherently least and lowest, contrasted with “White Boys” who are depicted as utmost and supreme. The “White” male dominated world system is a highly narcissistic one that involves a heavy mix of illogical and pathological “White Boy” pride, advantage, self-importance, pretense, greed, bitterness, desire, covetousness, spite, and resentment, wherein “Dark Girls” maximally suffer as decisive collateral damage. There is, clearly, something more than skin color and slavery roots at work in the interactional mayhem that is “White Boys” and “Dark Girls.” Psychologically, this bizarre social system appears to be one that is heavily grounded in the psychoanalytic construct of “envy.” Psychoanalytically, envy is jealousy coupled with the desire to destroy the “object” which fuels the feeling of resentful desirousness. Surely, it should strike many as odd that a worldwide system of human dominance and subordination is founded upon nothing more than arbitrarily determined demarcations in

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Redefine the Life in Your Lifestyle

I know that it’s been a while since I’ve e-mailed you, I truly hope that all is well! Redefine the Life in Your Lifestyle I also hope that you’ve been able to stay up to date with all the happenings via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Between my recent trip to Mexico and the latest additions at the Meditation Lounge, there’s been way more to share than there is time, but I do the best I can!

I Healing know thatSpa it's been a while since I've e-mailed you, I truly hope that all is well! is Back! I also hope that you've been able to stay up to date with all the happenings via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Between my recent trip to Mexico and the latest additions at the Meditation Lounge, there's been way more to share than there is time, but I do the best I can!

So I want to tell you quickly that right after Journey Meditation this Sunday, the Healing Spa starts at 5:15pm! I haven’t offered this experience since October so I know that many of you are super excited about this. If you haven’t yet been, it’s a beautiful experience... You will be in a group setting with soothing, healing music to help you relax while you focus your intentions on the clarity or healing you seek. I’ll spend 15-20 minutes per person laying hands and sharing the spiritual insight that I receive for you. Please Register in Advance Our standard classes no longer require advance registration, however due to the nature of this experience, I’ll need to limit how many people attend so advance registration is required in order to attend. You can sign up online HERE or call 314-441-6929 to get signed up over the phone.

www.selenaj.com

Classes Offered 5 Days a Week In case you’re out of the loop, we now have meditation and yoga classes at the Meditation Lounge 5 days a week and our rates are still in the introductory phase! A single class is $10, but you can save by signing up for a Monthly Membership (starting at $35 p/m), or Pay-As-You-Grow Class Passes (starting at $40) - either way you save! Check out all of your options and view the class schedule and all of the services that we’re offering at www. selenaj.com! I’m looking forward to seeing you in classes this Sunday!

Peace, Love & Light, SJ

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skin color. Such is all the more peculiar when those in “dominance” ritualistically seek to temporarily cross the lines of color demarcation. Desire May Breed Disgust

“They'll either want to kill you, kiss you, or be you.” ― Suzanne Collins The colonialized and imperialized world’s relationship with dark brown (ebony, chestnut, russet, smoky topaz, raw umber, burnt umber) skinned women, the world over, is one of those relationships historically rife with malice. While “Dark Girls” are, undoubtedly, the subjects of much “White Boy” focus and “gaze,” they are concomitantly much despised, hinting at a potential dynamic of perversion versus intermittent penchant. Though her skin color is that of dark and milk chocolate and dark roasted coffee, and she has the velvety skin texture that many secretly long for and savor, the “Dark Girl” is told both manifestly and latently, from birth, that she is the least valued, the least desired, and the least human among the human family. This is in the face of scientific knowing that from the “Dark Girl” all ranges of human skin color, hair texture, and eye color emerge. This is also in the face of the logical realization that from her “Dark Girl” existence all races and ethnicities of the world are born. Even without “swirling,” she can give birth to anything from ebony to ecru and everything in between, with eyes of pink, ice blue, or black coal, and hair of fire red tight coils or stick straight blondness. If that is not profound creative power, then what is? Regardless of where you are on earth, when you look down and around, you see the predominance of the color dark brown, hinting at the probability that God saw its merit. It is the very color of the earth and the trees that emerge therefrom. The devaluing and debasing of dark brown women is also in the face of knowing the visual psychological experience of brown as stable, supportive, down-to-earth, strong, loyal, serious, comforting, quality, simplicity, practical, grounded, moderation, safety, hardworking, reliable, strength, genuine, warmth, maturity, wholesomeness, and the life sustaining earth. With all of its simplicity, inherent power, and life giving beauty, dark brown is anything but pretentious. Formed from the very essence of the earth, brown is the Biblical color from which the first human was made. So dark brown that she was called “black, but comely” was the woman most adored by the wisest male Biblical figure, Solomon. She explained that she was “black” because she was much-kissed by the sun...and she was comely. In other words, she was pleasing in her appearance and far from plain or homely. In her black comeliness, she was that which was both fine and glorious. As women go, she was “black” and beautiful, delicate, and exceptional. She was magnificent and that which was splendid.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Dark Girls/ Light Girls cont.

Solomon’s beloved was close to the color of the most popular Girl Scout cookie...the highly desired Thin Mint. Her skin was the hue of Belgian Godiva’s sweetest and most indulged creations. Who has ever looked at a gourmet truffle, a Hershey’s Kiss, a Dove bar, a chocolate chip, a creamy fudge, or a cup of Lake Champlain’s hot chocolate with disdain? Yet, the woman with chocolate colored skin looks into the eyes of the world and the deceitful and haughty mirror of colonized valuation and sees her smooth, light reflecting, creamy, coffee colored skin as that which is worthy of scorn, abuse, contempt, derision, disregard, condescension, disparagement, and disrespect. Really? Worse than telling a lie is the believing of one. Why? The liar knows the truth and the one believing the lie does not. Perversity of Unearned Privilege and Power Systems of imperialism and domination are psychopathic in nature and tend to have at the core underlying systems of deception, delusion, disgust, debasement, desire, and denial. Such systems also require schemes of social stratification, where individuals and groups receive unearned privilege and undeserved oppression. Hence, “Dark Girls” exist in a pathological, race and sex-focused, stratified, social system where they are undeservedly oppressed and “White Boys” are equally and unjustifiably sexually and racially privileged. How do privilege and oppression operate? Lockstep. “Privilege” derives from the Latin “privilegium” which relates to “private law.” It is, therefore, rooted in a construct of “secret law,” “restricted rules,” and “exclusive or reserved systems of social order.” Derivatively, in today’s common vernacular, “privilege” is easiest understood as an individual or group of individuals being exclusively afforded a benefit, access, advantage, immunity, resource, opportunity, or right that is denied or unequally meted out to others. In the world of social and class privilege, benefits, accesses, advantages, resources, and rights tend to be unearned and unfairly allocated. Privilege is also associated with receipt of varying degrees of honor, inappropriate entitlement, and superior positioning. In other words, the privileged individual or group (e.g. “White Boys” in relation to “Dark Girls”), has done absolutely nothing of human merit or esteem to warrant receipt of the special benefits, rights, resources, opportunities, immunities, accesses, or power. Unearned and invisible privilege results in “White Boys” envisioning that their achievements and accesses have been predicated solely on their diligence, unique brilliance, and hard work. In the biosphere of privilege, value is assigned according to arbitrary classifications that have the ability to change with the mere blowing of the wind. All one has to do to

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receive unearned privilege is belong to the arbitrarily defined group or be perceived as belonging to such a group. Consequently, one can actually be a “White Boy” to access “White” Privilege or simply be perceived as belonging to such a social group. The construct of colorism is highly integral to “White” Privilege. It serves as a nouveau way to discuss the pathologies of racism and “White” supremacy, and the equally pathological internalization of such by those who are victim. Colorism in any social or ethnic demographic has as its unspoken aim the proliferation of social stratification and human hierarchies which erroneously seek to place human value on individuals and groups based upon colorized group membership. Clearly, “White Boys” are positioned at the top of our color-based system of social stratification that is directly tied to having superior access to economic, political, and social power. The stratification system is also linked to capitalism, which requires the creation of bottom-feeding frenzies between those at the bottom of the social ladder and those on the middle rungs. When those below “White Boys” are fed a steady diet of ascendency delusion, they are happy with the crumbs from the master’s table as such suggests the possibility of one day acquiring the whole meal. This fantasy has served as a time-tested and historically efficacious panacea for many “Poor and Middle Class White Boys,” “Light Boys,” “Dark Boys,” “Poor and Middle Class White Girls,” “Light Girls,” and “Dark Girls.” Colorism and Casualty Collusions A major tool in the social stratification armament includes the inducement of manipulated levels of high and low self-esteem among those lower on the stratification ladder. These manipulations are based upon well-developed, predictable, and highly systematized processes of arbitrary valuing and devaluing of human attributes and affiliations. The most powerful weapon in the colorism arsenal, however, is that of the internalization of “White” supremacy colorism by its victims. When colorism/racism is internalized by “Dark Girls,” they accept the colorism delusion as an internal truth and their self-esteem suffers. In the colorism system, “Dark Girls” and those with relatively higher levels of melanin are constantly bombarded with devaluing messages and experiences regarding their skin tone. When high melanin individuals embrace these messages as internal reality, they can be expected to act accordingly. When the system works the way it was designed, as the first teachers, “Dark Girls” will pass this pathology onto their children. In order for the colorism process, which places “White Boys” at the top and “Dark Girls” on the bottom, to function well into perpetuity, those who are in receipt of unearned privilege have to be convinced that they, somehow, are actually “deserving” of whatever unearned advantages, resources, benefits, or accesses they have acquired as a result of their arbitrary group membership. This usually involves privileged groups

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Dark Girls/ Light Girls cont.

being led to believe that they earned their privileges through collective hard work, unified brilliance, equal opportunities, incredible communal creativity, remarkable group talent development, or some other group-related meritocratic fantasy. It is, in fact, very difficult to convince a privileged person that their station is life is tied to unearned privilege and racism or colorism if their self-esteem is built on believing otherwise. Generally, any such attempt at reality checking is met with a full on battle. While colorism seems to be a blatant reality to many, part of its power is in its apparent secrecy and in the taboos associated with bringing its truths and its consequences to the light of day. Those who benefit from it most profit from the collective silence which fosters its proliferation, unquestioned. The pervasiveness of “White” Privilege around the globe translates into colorism being a phenomenon that transcends African American culture and pervades all cultures touched by “White” imperialism. South Africa is an incredible example of systematized colorism outlandishness. Cultures entrenched in pigment pathology, use skin color as a tool of cognitive and social dominance and degradation. This means that even apparent “White” individuals are under the oppressive and self-hating dynamic of colorism. When this occurs, even Europeans are encouraged to value wispy haired, towhead children, with crystal blue water eyes over siblings and cousins with olive skin, curly auburn tendrils, and greenish brown pupils. Privilege is insidious and colorism is a deep social and spiritual malevolence that is rooted in narcissistic human operations which seize upon the fragility of one’s sense of inherent human worth. This vulnerability fosters the human propensity to embrace socially constructed dehumanizing systems of social relatedness if such present any possibility of elevating one’s internal self-appraisal or one’s externally reflected selfappraisal. The viciousness of colorism, along with just about every other ism, is founded upon the narcissistic idolatry of the self and it thrives on triggering lethal human emotions and “cardinal sin” behaviors related to pride, envy, greed, wrath, sloth, and lust. Accordingly, it needs to be examined and responded to as such.

Light Girls and Little Light Lies “The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma.” ― Judith Lewis Herman While Bill Duke was clearly poised to provide this deeper examination of privilege and colorism in his continued exploration of race and color in African American culture, he chose not to do so in his 2015 documentary Light Girls. Instead, he provided an entourage of “Light Girls” in the sequel documentary to Dark Girls, who functioned to downplay the long standing socio-cultural issues of privilege and oppression presented in Dark Girls.

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In contrast to Dark Girls, Light Girls went on a largely discursive table turning tirade regarding how “Dark Girls” are not the only ones suffering at the altar of imperialism. According to the 2015 documentary, “Dark Girls” are not alone in their travails and traumas. They were presented, instead, as the clear catalysts for the social colorism oppression of “Light Girls.” Really? Even before seeing the documentary, its title was somewhat bewildering. In a world replete with racism and colorism, there was just something a bit odd and mendacious about the creation of a documentary called Light Girls on the heels of a documentary focusing on the lifelong pain and trauma of Dark Girls, within the African American community and in communities across the globe. Why, exactly, did a diverse group of “Light Girls” need a platform to talk about intra ethnic colorism?

Light Girls felt strangely like an “apology” by “Dark Boy” Bill Duke for his previous highlighting of the intra-ethnic and global challenges faced by “Dark Girls” that vary from the challenges faced by every other subgroup of African Americans. In fact, an underlying message seemed to be that “Dark Girls” need to not only suffer in silence but that, in a new political correctness, “Dark Girls” need to empathize with the pain of the very “Light Girls” who may have served as the intra-racial catalysts for the suffering of “Dark Girls.” Along with “Dark Girls” being, now, publicly called to empathize with the plight of “Light Girls,” the documentary suggested that “Dark Girls” need to remorsefully shoulder the responsibility for the suffering of “Light Girls” and show regret for complaining in the first place. While “Light Girl” Soledad O’Brien infused a reality check into the Light Girls biopic, she was almost a lone voice of reason in the wilderness and her offerings were drowned by the combined ridiculousness of Hope Flood and James “Talent” Harris. Arguably, the documentary offerings of Light Girls seemed suggestive of competition over who, between “Light Girls” and “Dark Girls,” was most abused in the schoolyard because of pigmentation. In this rivalry, many “Light Girl” reflections evidenced detrimental ignorance of the sociopolitical “Light Girl” histories in the United States, commencing with slavery. Many have expressed their disappointment and surprise regarding the focus of the documentary, while many “Light Girls” have expressed relief at finally being heard and having their “Light Girl” pain honored. At no point did the “Light Girls” communicate as if they had any deep collective awareness of the issue of Light Privilege, its relationship to “White” Privilege, or their role in such. Various “Light Girls” seemed oblivious to the history of slavery and the perverse, immoral, and race-based sexual and human degradation and violation of “Dark Girls” by “White Boys,” which resulted in countless numbers of “Light Girls” and “Light Boys”

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Dark Girls/ Light Girls cont.

who were often privileged beyond the “Dark Girl” mothers who bore them. The divisive, Light Privilege history of paper bags, blue vein tests, and the like, appeared to have escaped the conscious historical awareness of many “Light Girls.” Numerous “Light Girls” presented as having no cognizance of the manipulative and pervasive social messages that work to suggest that “Dark Girls” are less than “Light Girls.” This was while they, simultaneously, cried foul regarding the racism they have endured. They were presented as, somehow, aware of highly individualized and discrete experiences of Light Oppression, while having no appreciation for the worldwide racism/colorism that almost ubiquitously plagues the lives of “Dark Girls” from birth to death. Surely, many have wondered whether the “Light Girls” had any awareness of the fact that they were flipping the colorism script and table turning to illogically paint themselves, collectively, as the true societal victims in the racism/colorism game.

“Privilege is not knowing that you're hurting others and not listening when they tell you.” ― DaShanne Stokes The “Light Girl” assertions of oppression sounded strangely akin to a cry of “reverse colorism” which is an offshoot of cries of “reverse racism” and “reverse sexism” frequently argued by “White Boys.” So similar were the arguments that “Light Girls” alluded to the possibility that “Light Privilege” does not exist if they have never experienced the visible benefits of such. This was coupled with “Light Girls” going so far as to suggest that they have suffered even more than “Dark Girls” because of their lighter skin. Really? “Light Girls” complained that they had been ostracized by “Dark Girls” because of their lighter skin tone and, to the utter amazement of many, there was an asserted belief that “Light Girls” were more frequently subjected to child sexual abuse because of perpetrator preference for lighter victims. In essence, several “Light Girls” sought to turn the issue of Light “Privilege” to one of Light “Oppression” at the hands of those who have been historically and globally most oppressed. In recasting Light Privilege as Light Oppression, “Light Girls” made the preposterous assertion that they have actually suffered for their privilege, which has cut them like a double-edged sword. The denial of Light Privilege became even more convoluted with the inclusion of biracial “Light Girls” who suggested that they are even more marginalized than the average “Light Girl.” This increased social marginalization was complained of in spite of the fact that biracial “Light Girls” have almost direct access to “White” Privilege via the “White” parent’s privilege, which can be accessed for the child and passed down to the

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child. This occurred during slavery and immediately following slavery and persists to date. Some “Light Girls,” both in and out of the documentary, appear to be playing the reverse oppression “card.” This card functions to deny the authenticity of the charges that they, themselves, have been active participants in the colorism game that affords them the invisible social and political privilege they have not earned. In an attempt to legitimize their privilege and turn attention away from the roles they may have played wittingly or unwittingly in the privilege game, “Light Girls” have argued that their individual experiences of Light Oppression, somehow, abrogate the global and systematized processes that seek to deny the very humanity of “Dark Girls” as a marginalized collective. There has, also, been the suggestion that because “Light Girls” have not been able to shake off all of the shackles of every form of oppression that they have not, indeed, been the useful recipients of Light Privilege or “White” Privilege related to their skin tone or that of the parent’s. As with poor “White Boys” and “White Girls” who cannot seem to see their invisible “White” Privilege and “Dark Boys” and “Light Boys” who cannot see their invisible Male Privilege, “Light Girls” seem to be struggling to see their color-based Light Privilege. In the documentary, many “Light Girls” communicated as if they were oblivious to the basic meaning of “privilege” and how such operates in the African American community and the world. Privilege is, by its very definitional base, secret, clandestine, subtle, and obscure. Hence, it does not arrive with glaring lights and sirens announcing its existence. The Incredible Lightness of Being “Privileged” MAC Cosmetics, which is much used by “Dark Girls” and “Light Girls” has recently launched a campaign glorifying “Lightness.” The visuals and even the names of some of the products demonstrate the insidious nature of “Light” glorification and privilege. Because of the general system of racism in which we co-exist and co-maintain, many seem to be confused regarding the possibility that one who is African American might, also, be privileged. This happens frequently with African American males not recognizing their male privilege and, now, appears to be an issue with females of lighter pigmentation. Lest there be any further confusion, “Light Girl” privilege is when a “Light Girl” can see more of those that look like her, locally and around the world, in positions of power and in positions which garner significant social capital. Privilege may be manifested in not only seeing oneself reflected in power roles but in seeing oneself reflected in roles suggestive of ideal standards of beauty. Ideal standards of female beauty are reflected in the creation of dolls, the selection of on-camera news media personnel, the selection

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Dark Girls/ Light Girls cont.

of models for advertising, the use of music video dancers, the selection of romantic partners by men deemed highly desirable, and the casting of characters in television and film. In the African American community, Light Privilege is manifested in the biological attributes of “Light Girls” being lauded as the desired or ideal standard by those who have power to determine and proliferate standardization. Privilege is not only when you get to create “reality” for yourself, but when you positively benefit from the creation of a biased social “reality.” “Light Girls” might argue that being called color-based names (e.g. “high yella,” “red bone,” “light-bright-and-damn-near-white,” “white girl,” “yella gal,” and “banana”) qualifies them as intra-ethnic victims of colorism. This may be bolstered by “Light Girl” suffering of individual attacks in childhood by “Dark Girls” related to their “Light Girl” skin tone, hair length, or hair texture. Such a contention appeared to be a sub-thesis of the Light Girls documentary. This argument, however, demonstrates a failed understanding of how both racism and colorism systematically operate. Schoolyard “Dark Girl” name calling of “Light Girls” has historically involved a keen “Dark Girl” awareness of the operation of racism and its insidious and disproportionate impact on “Dark Girls.” Notwithstanding, the dynamic is a misguided retaliatory response to pains and traumas “Dark Girls” have endured at the hands of “Dark” and “Light” parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers, aunts, uncles, desired romantic partners, so-called friends, media makers, and random strangers on the streets. Egregious Errors in Elucidation The 2015 documentary could have done much to provide a scholarly elucidation on the issue of Light Privilege, but it did not. While the presentation of anecdotal stories of popular “Light Girl” figures may have been a creative goal of the Light Girls documentary, there needed to be a more scholarly analysis of the color-based treatment of “Light Girls” in relation to “Dark Girls” and “White Boys.” We should have heard from those well-studied in the dynamics of color-based reality creations. At some point in the documentary, it would have been beneficial to have been exposed to the critical “Dark Girl” voice of ethnographer Dr. Yaba Blay, whose work has centered on the interconnections of body politics and racial identity. Given that “Dark Girl” law professor Kimberly J. Norwood recently published Color Matters: Skin Tone Bias and the Myth of a Postracial America, it would have been equally useful to have been availed of her scholarly insights on the lived realities of “Light Girls” in contrast to the lived realities of “Dark Girls.” Prominent “Light Girl” blogger going by the moniker of Jouelzy also tends to have keen insights into the body politics of skin color and hair texture that could have well-served the Light Girls conversation.

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Table turning is the very reason why it is nearly impossible for one who is oppressed to heal in the context of one who oppresses. One who oppresses will, generally, find a way to turn the pathology of oppression table into a problem of the oppressed. In the case of colorism, there will be a tendency to find benign justification for the oppression of “Dark Girls.” The justification will always recast “Dark Girl” victims as the victimizers or the ultimate problems requiring vanquish. A “Dark Girl” even bringing up the issue of racism, colorism, or her experience of abuse with any of those who benefit from such will, likely, meet with table turning by “White Boys” and all those “Boys” and “Girls” caught in the middle. Heal Thyself

“We can go on talking about racism and who treated whom badly, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to wallow in that or are you going to create your own agenda?” -Judith Jamison When people have been victimized, as “Dark Girls” have systematically been, there is a deep desire to have the perpetrator of the abuse authentically acknowledge the abuse, express regret, and repent. The psychopathology of racism, colonialism, and imperialism that has “Dark Girls” as the ultimate global targets of victimization, however, will not allow for the wholesale “White Boy” acknowledgement of “Dark Girl” abuse. It will, also, not support collective “White Boy” expression of authentic remorse or repentance. So, what should “Dark Girls” do while leaving the systematic, deep, excavating soul and spirit work of “White Boys” to God? Clearly, oppressed social groups cannot simply wait for those who benefit from their oppression to have a change of heart. “Dark Girls,” therefore, cannot wait for their oppression benefactors of “Dark Boys,” “Light Boys,” “Light Girls,” “White Boys,” or “White Girls” to validate their humanity, their intelligence, or their beauty. As we operate in a system of color-based stratification, “Dark Girls” need to create their own self-preserving agendas. They cannot sit on the sidelines allowing others to determine their realities, their stories, their greatness, their beauty, or their humanity. They cannot wait for the system of “White” supremacy to come to its senses or for those who benefit, directly or indirectly, from such a system to come to theirs. It will not be happening any time soon.

“When you give another person the power to define you, then you also give them the power to control you.” ― Leslie Vernick

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Dark Girls/ Light Girls cont.

While “Dark Girls” may join in communal conversations seeking to address racism and colorism, the most important conversations need to be the intimate ones with the “Dark Girl” self, individually and collectively. 

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Although elevated self-esteem, alone, cannot remedy the vestiges of slavery or eradicate “White” supremacy systems, “Dark Girls” need to begin having healing conversations and engaging in healing activities between themselves and within themselves, with no concern for how such exclusionary processes may impact “White Boys,” “Dark Boys,” “Light Boys,” “Light Girls,” or “White Girls.” “Dark Girls” must learn to drown out the voices of those who do not affirm their humanity, their human value, and their human potential. “Dark Girls” need to turn away from media images and messages that promote their degradation. This includes degrading music, film, advertisements, social media comments, and interpersonal media in the form of individual and/or group conversations. “Dark Girls” must endeavor to identify their strengths and their God-gifted human potential and actuality. “Dark Girls” cannot wait for “Little Boys” to deem them worthy of love. They must begin, immediately, to identify what authentic love looks like in concrete action and give such to themselves, while accepting nothing less from close others, whether such are parents, teachers, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends, romantic partners, or spouses. “Dark Girls” need to begin having deep, reflective, and challenging conversations regarding the sociopolitical, psychological, economic, and spiritual dynamics underlying the system of “White” male supremacy in a world where “Brown” and female are actually more predominant. “Dark Girls” need to investigate the psychology of “envy” to better understand their individual and collective plight in the global system of “White” and male supremacy. “Dark Girls” need to intellectually question why we, as humans, have a need to make others feel “less than” in order to feel a sense of self-acceptability and self-worth. “Dark Girls” need to examine how and why we, as humans, willingly embrace social constructions which defy our very sense of self-preservation. “Dark Girls” need to investigate the underlying human issues of narcissism and greed which function to fuel systems of dominance and oppression. “Dark Girls” need to, individually and collectively, delve into the internalization of imperialism that serves to undergird racism and colorism, while examining their possible individual collusion in their systemic oppression. “Dark Girls” need to explore how they can best survive in a world system wherein they are considered the greatest spoil and the most paramount foe. “Dark Girls” need to look honestly at the extent to which “Dark Girls” actually desire to eradicate the isms of the world, of which racism/colorism and sexism

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 

are only two. If we, as humans, embrace any form of human oppression, we proliferate, directly or indirectly, or own oppression- based suffering, as no one suffers alone. “Dark Girls” need to avoid conversations regarding meeting the objectification and gaze demands of “Little Boys,” whether they be “Dark,” “White,” or otherwise. “Dark Girls” would do well to incorporate the writings of sociopolitical theorist and historian bell hooks into their conversations about their relationships with “Dark Boys” and “Light Boys” who may devalue and discard them. bell sheds light on the mindless Light Girls documentary musings of facile “Dark Boys” and “Light Boys” pontificating about “Light Girl” trophies and “Dark Girl” movie popcorn fetching, and she puts such in very clear perspective. In her treatise, Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism, hooks explains that as long as “White Boys” are positioned to dictate desirability based upon what they “possess,” “White Boys” will be positioned to prescribe that which is desirable not only for “White Boys” but, by extension, for “Dark Boys” and “Light Boys” with low self-esteem. In her weighty and intense text, she basically asserts that if “White Boys,” who collectively benefit most from racism/colorism and sexism, suddenly announced that Purple Girls were, in fact, to be considered the most desirable among females, “Dark Boys” and “Lights Boys” of high suggestibility and low consciousness would be in a death race to acquire every purple, boysenberry, amethyst, violet, aubergine, byzantine, mauveine, orchid, lavender, periwinkle, heliotrope, and lilac-hued woman to be found under the sun.

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“Dark Girls” need to keep their focus, from the cradle to the grave, on “That of God” which is within every fiber of their being. “Dark Girls” need to cognitively, emotionally, and spiritually rise, and when they are pushed or fall – determine to RISE... again, and again, and again... Dark Girls...“Be aware of what you’ve got. A grateful mind is a powerful mind.” -Kahouly Nicolay Sereba & Vincent Dery (Nico & Vinz)

View Documentaries here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9afEX1n6y4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9Qe6XOB00E

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Tawanna Shaunte’ Tawanna Shaunte’, Musical Freedom Agent (Ojah Media Group)

(i.e. cash, cars and clothes) seem to dominate today’s musical landscape.

By Charlie R. Braxton

In his seminal book, Blues People, Leroi Jones (AKA Amiri Baraka) indicated that at any given time in history you can tell exactly what’s going on in the African American community by listening to its music. This observation was written back in 1963 when Black music was still subject to the musicians who drew much of their inspiration from life experiences, creating soul-stirring music that connected listeners on various levels. On a visceral level, music served as a form of primal therapy that allowed the African American community (particularly the poor and working class element of the community) a much needed chance to relieve the stress of living in a world hostile to its existence. On a cerebral level, Black music was a form of communication connecting various groups of people to one another and re-affirming their life-experiences by telling their stories through notes and vocal intonations that produce a catharsis. In a sense, the music becomes the ultimate witness to our plight in the emotional court of human drama. As the music industry began to see huge profits in the 1970s, it changed the way the music business operated by taking on a corporate outlook. In the early days, a good number of record execs and A & R reps had a genuine passion for music despite the fact that they were exploiting the musician and by extension the African American community as a whole. Not anymore. The music industry became dominated by huge multi-national corporations such as Vivendi and Sony Corporation. Gone are the days when record execs signed acts because they believed in them and their music. Right now, the business of music is just that, business. Today records are no longer released based solely on artistic merit. They have to appeal to a certain “target demographic” with their look and sound. This is why so many records sound alike, why so many artists look and sound a certain way and why they address the same subjects in their songs. It is also the reason there is a dearth of socially conscious recording artists like Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Nina Simone, Gil Scott-Heron et al. Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in today’s commercially available music, where the current topical trends of misogyny and materialism

Listening to the majority of contemporary Black music on the radio (regardless of the genre) would lead people in and outside of the African American community to believe that all is well with us. There is no racism/ white supremacy (can you say post-racial America), no income inequality and no homophobia or gender issues for us to deal with. And of course the police are our friends –they don’t racially profile us; nor do they kill unarmed African American men and women and get away with it. Instead, we are either fly and fancy folk who ride big cars, live in palatial mansions, wear expensive jewelry and drink expensive liquor or we’re all big time criminal masterminds who move tons of drugs, murder our adversaries (who, incidentally, are never our oppressors) all the while avoiding the clutches of the judicial system. These are the falsehoods that the corporate music industry perpetuates to the world and it is part of the reason the world continues to view us through jaundiced eyes. It also perpetuates the racial hatred that lies at the root of some America’s racial psychosis. Needless to say, there are a few musical gems on major labels that manage to make it to the public’s ears, but these artists are few and far between. Sadly, the acute scarcity of conscientious artists only serves to re-enforce the problem. And if, by chance, they become too popular and/or radical then they suddenly find themselves slowly taken off the air and driven off into the musical sunset where a five o’clock shadow descends on their career. The demise of their career serves as a warning to future artists trapped on major labels – get too out of line and this could be you. This is why discerning music fans would do well to look to smaller independent record labels like the Mississippi based Ojah Media Group for quality Black music such as Tawanna Shaunte’, whose forthcoming elective debut LP Freedom Agent offers listeners a breath of fresh air. Ojah Media Group is the brainchild of Mississippi natives Rhonda Richmond, a singer/ songwriter whose music merits a wider audience and Grammy Award winning chanteuse Cassandra Wilson. According to the label’s website, Ojah Media Group is a company that is “dedicated to the presentation, pres-

ervation, and propagation of Mississippi and the region’s rich and vibrant cultural heritage.” The label boasts a small roster consisting of Richmond, Wilson and Tawanna Shaunte’, the fledging label’s latest signing.

Being the youngest artist signed to a label that boasts the likes of Jazz legend Cassandra Wilson can be a daunting task for any artist, especially for one who is about to drop her solo debut LP on the heels of the 20th Anniversary of Wilson’s magnum opus, Blue Lights Till Dawn. Rest assured that this is a point not missed on the newcomer or the fact that she has one of the world’s most acclaimed Jazz singers as a CEO and guide. “Cassandra Wilson has also been instrumental in that she saw in me potential which led to my signing with her label Ojah Media Group,” says Tawanna Shaunte’. “She mentors with tough love. Also her being from Mississippi is important since we both understand growing up as a Black woman in the South. Her body of work inspires me to always be true to myself.” Needless to say, Tawanna Shaunte’ has some giant footsteps to follow, but given the Central Mississippi native’s talent, experience and confidence, she seems more than capable of following in the tradition of her musical ancestors (e.g. Nina Simone, Miriam Mekeba and Mahalia Jackson), whom she has looked to for inspiration throughout the span of her career. This trinity of women, not only speak to her soul via their timeless music, they also give her the courage and conviction to forge her own unique musical path to speak truth to power. “I chose [Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba and Mahalia Jackson] because of the sacrifices they made to stand up against social injustices and how they used their platforms as artists to elevate social and spiritual consciousness.” Elevating social and spiritual consciousness is precisely what Tawanna Shaunte’ does with Freedom Agent, whose title is derived from a conversation she had with her son who asked her what powers she would want to possess if she were a superhero and what name she would give herself. She thought

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about all of the “heroes and sheroes” before her who sacrifice their time, energy and in some cases their lives for the greater good – freedom, which the reactionary forces in the ruling class seem to be hell-bent of rescinding. (But that my friend is another essay, to be written at another time). In Tawanna Shaunte’s world of superheroes, our heroine does not give in to the nebulous forces of evil. Instead, she uses her powers to break down barriers and foster love and justice. Instantly, the name Freedom Agent came to her mind. Thus, the title for the song and the LP was born. It’s also interesting to note that the title tune also echoes the terms freedom fighter and freedom rider, also used to denote agents of social change. Built around a slinky bass vamp that (oddly enough) evokes Finesse and Sequence’s classic hip hop tune “Funk You Up” and augmented by a jazz inspired keyboard arrangement and African percussions, the song wraps itself around your ears and seductively pulls your spirit into the LP while the poignant lyrics help set the overall tone for the album by announcing that this sister of the South definitely has something important to say. “Believe” is another song that stands out on Freedom Agent. It serves as the LP’s lead single. “Believe” has a very beautiful melody that is extremely catchy, but when you combine that with the change that occurs when you get to the bridge, the song becomes spiritually transformative in the same way a good gospel or a down home blues tune moves your soul from one place to another via catharsis. “Believe” encourages listeners to believe in their ability to affect change while encouraging them to push forward. “What you give, you will receive” is the theme of the song,” explains Tawanna Shaunte’. “It is important that you have sincere motives so that your work will impact not only you, but others.” “You Say” is a powerful blues-based tune dedicated to her fellow Mississippian, the late great Howlin’ Wolf. The song sharply worded lyrics evokes the Blues ethos to address our nation’s social ills such as our failing education system and its relationship to the rise of the prison industrial complex and the hypocrisy of our national financial crisis.

Yet another one of the great songs on Freedom Agent includes “New Plantation,” a hauntingly beautiful tune that yokes the spirit of John Coltrane’s version of “My Favorite Things” to address the perils of the prison industrial complex, which Tawanna Shaunte’ sees as nothing more than a modern day slave plantation. “Can We Get Together” is a beautiful tune dedicated to her husband, whom she says inspires many of her more romantic tunes. Like Wilson, Tawanna Shaunte’s music is difficult to pin down into a neat little category. It is a musical gumbo that is part Jazz, part Blues with a little Afro-Latin and NeoSoul thrown in for extra measure and it is damn good. But I can hear many bewildered music

WATCH NOW!

critics wrestling with the difficult

task of what to call her music. Many may even say it isn’t quite jazz or pure Mississippi down home blues. Unfortunately for them, her diversity may pose a problem, for me, it doesn’t. Artists that are brave enough to traverse musical genres the way Tawanna Shaunte’ does generally tend to create their own space in this industry. And for people out there with discerning ears, that is a good thing.

“You say you love me but you don’t. Bailed out them banks and left me to accept the lost.”

Complete with Wolf’s signature guttural growl, Tawanna Shaunte∙ sings with the passion of a seasoned blues singer, one her Mississippi ancestors can be proud of. Copyright © 2014 - All rights reserved.

http://www.reverbnation.com/tawannashaunte

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ArtsTODAYYour Source for Vol. 1.5 June 27, 2014

r Source for Art Appreciation.

NEWSZINE

T DAY NEWSZINE

Have a story idea that you would like for us to cover? ~ Contact us Today! ~

TL W

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ORCH

Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club Beginning Knitting Class Interested in it? n k o t w o h g n learni

“Knit to be Tied” 10-Week Session

Dates February 7- April 18, 2015 (No class Easter Weekend, April 5, 2015)

Time Saturdays 10:30-12noon Location Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club 4245 North Kingshighway St. Louis, MO 63115 Ages 8 years and older, parents / guardians welcome to participate Cost $25.00

Membership Required Contact Membership Dept. for information about Special Discount and promotions at 314.382.5952

For additional information contact : Cheryl Holland at cholland@wustl.edu or 314.935.6626 LaJuan Williams, Cultural Arts and Health Department 314.382.5952 ext. 242

pg.

“Acting White”

Share your Story Dear friends: I have been asked to write a chapter in a book that will address colorism in education. My chapter will focus on “acting white.” Specifically, when I was growing up, I was a “smart” student. My top performance in school, doing homework, raising my hand to answer questions, etc. often drew the accusation from my African American classmates and friends that I was “acting white.” Now, I know there are psychologists out there who say this is not true and does not exist. But alas, it was absolutely true for me. I have written about this in past works. I will do so again for this new book. I do know that many young folks today who continue to have such allegations hurled at them so feel free to share this email with whoever and have folks email me directly. I did a survey on this very question about 7 years ago and the results were consistent with my experiences decades ago. I’d like to update my earlier survey. I would love to hear from anyone out there who has a similar/related story either involving yourself or someone you know. I would like to include your story in the chapter. I will conceal your identity if you request. Do you have a story to share? If so, please email to me at: norwood@wulaw.wustl.edu. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead Kimberly Norwood , Professor of Law | Washington University School of Law Copyright © 2014 - All rights reserved.

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THE BLACK REP Presents

STICK FLY

By Lydia Diamond

Acceptance, Denial, Bourgeoisie, Totally American, Juicy, Deceptive, Truthful, Love, Sexy, Family... Some families need dysfunction to function. #itscomplicated When the LeVay family opens its house for a weekend visit, they end up airing more than the drapes. Tensions flare as race, class and family become prime conversation topics. Tickets are on sale NOW! To purchase tickets call The Black Rep Box Office, 314 534-3807 or visit theblackrep.org pg. 54 t

February 4-22, 2015 Emerson Performance Center, Harris Stowe State University

S.L .A .M.

St. Louis Art Museum

ART COLLECTIONS

Admission to the Museum is free every day. Hours:

Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm

EXHIBITS

Friday, 10:00 am–9:00 pm

EVENTS Closed Monday

Check out Nick Cave’s Exhibit Going on now through March 8, 2015. For more information CLICK HERE.

w w w. s l a m . o r g One Fine Arts Drive - Forest Park, St. Louis, MO 63110-1380 314.721.0072

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John Jennings Associate Professor Visual Studies SUNY Buffalo tumblr: http://jijennin70. tumblr.com/

pg.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

(Part I) The legacy of the Organization of African American Unity and the Coming Post Obama era.

Guest Speaker

Reverend Andrew Rollins III,

Pastor of Saint James AME Church San Jose CA, former member of the Kansas City Black Panther Party.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015 7 p.m. HGA Main Auditorium pg.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Can We Talk About Race? TheVillageCelebration

In the most well-known pocket of affluence in the St. Louis area, there is a robust conversation underway about race. It started days after a white police officer shot and killed Michael Brown. Almost six months later, the dialogue in Ladue is adding voices and opening minds. “It really resonated with Megan and me. We both felt strongly about the injustice that was done to Michael Brown, his family, and his community. We wanted to do something, ” says Lynn DeLearie. DeLearie and Megan Frank readily agree that they are not the most obvious candidates for civil rights activism. Both are white, in their 40′s, and not inclined to “join a protest, carrying a sign.” But these two mothers, who met when their daughters were kindergarten classmates seven years ago, have started a group called Ladue Change Agents for Racial Equity or LadueCAREs. Frank says, “We get hung up on how to talk about race so we don’t talk about it. Our kids are more comfortable having the conversation, and we need to be aware of how we’re modeling for them.” Motivated by their anger and frustration following the fatal shooting of Brown, the two met and decided to take action. Frank read an article about her high school principal who was “intentional about bringing black and white people into his home to have candid conversations about race.” She and DeLearie called Franklin McCallie, who now lives in Chattanooga, and he urged them to start talking. Both women rounded up their considerable contact lists and began reaching out. Frank is the owner of an advertising agency, and DeLearie works in fundraising with non-profit organizations and recently at De La Salle Middle School, located in the historic African American neighborhood known as the The Ville. They used their combined clout and creativity to bring a group of blacks and whites together to talk about the shooting. The first meeting occurred before the grand jury decided not to indict the officer who killed Brown. They met at Frank’s home where the group watched the movie, “White Like Me: Race, Racism and White Privilege in America“, to jump start the conversation. They describe the evening as “amazing.” DeLearie adds, “You would have thought we had known each other. There was a lot of vulnerability.”

about such an emotionally charged issue. “I may not be completely aware, but I know what white privilege is. Now that I see the injustice, it is irresponsible of me not to do anything about it,” she says. The meetings are “very productive” says Erick Falconer, one of the African American members of LadueCAREs. “What keeps us coming together is trying to find a way to improve the environment for our children…to buffer our children so they don’t grow up in an area polluted by things that have happened historically and a lot of things they don’t really understand,” he states. Falconer is the father of two sons, ages eight and 12. He says, “Lately, we have come together to see what we can do to foster healing and educate each other about what creates this proliferation of separation.” LadueCAREs meets the second Monday of the month. Frank and LeDearie say there has been a “different dynamic” each time. The group addresses only the relationship between blacks and whites, expressing a desire to “be effective, but we can’t do everything.” They have harnessed their influence and count the school district among LadueCAREs’ supporters. “A lot of this is at a policy level…judicial and educational,” DeLearie says. “People in this school district know a lot of people uniquely positioned to educate, raise awareness and influence people.” Vincent Flewellen, an African American teacher at Ladue Middle School says, “It’s great that families of privilege…in class and race…are having these difficult conversations of racial inequities and working to become active agents of change by using their privileges and voice.” Flewellen told Dr. Tiffany Taylor-Johnson who is also African American and the 7th grade associate principal at the middle school about the group. Taylor-Johnson speaks excitedly about the meetings which foster “comfortable discussions.” She underscores that “conversations about diversity and race can be challenging, but this group has done an outstanding job facilitating meaningful dialogue in ways that I am certain will make a difference.” In the coming months, Frank and DeLearie plan to engage the broader community. They are looking for ways to move the conversation past just talk. But, talk is often the gateway to progress.

Frank concurs, adding the caveat that both went into the meeting understanding there could be barriers to an authentic discussion pg.

Celebrating the

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Festival of Joy: by Adelia Parker - February, 2015 fine art photographer & storyteller

PREFACE Uttarayan, as Makara Sankranti is called in Gujarati, is a major festival in the state of Gujarat in northwestern India which lasts for two days; the first day, usually January 14th, is called Uttaraya; the second day is January 15th it is called Vasi- Uttarayan(Stale Uttarayan). Gujarati people eagerly await this festival to fly kites, called ‘patang’. Kites for Uttarayan are made of light-weight paper or plastic sheets and bamboo shavings and are mostly rhombus shaped with the bamboo creating a central spine and a single bow. The ceramic coating of the kite string often contains abrasives like crushed glass, affectively used to cut other people’s kite strings during kite flying play. In Gujarat, from mid-December through to Makara Sankranti, people start enjoying Uttarayan by frequently preparing undhiyu (spicy, baked mix of winter vegetables) and sweets called chikkis (made from til (sesame seeds), peanuts and jaggery ). These festival recipes are prepared and eaten especially on this day. In the major cities of Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot , Ahmedabad, and Bhavnagar the skies are filled with thousands of kites as people enjoy two full days of Uttarayan up on their terraces and roofs. When people cut any kites they often yell in Gujarati “kaypo chhe”, “e lapet”,”phirki vet phirki” and “ lapet lapet “, turn their ‘boom boxes’ up very loud, and dance energetically to the pop music reverberating through giant speakers. Uttarayan is a Hindu festival celebrated in almost all parts of India and Nepal in a myriad of cultural forms. It is a harvest festival, celebrating the arrival of new crops, as it marks the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign of Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. The day is also believed to mark the end of winter and the arrival of spring in India, celebrated as a traditional event. Uttaran, apart from a harvest festival, is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture, the ‘holy phase of transition’. It marks the end of a phase which according to the Hindu calendar begins around midDecember. It is believed that any auspicious and sacred ritual can be sanctified in any Hindu family, this day onwards (an example: wedding season stops around December 15 and will not begin again until January 16, no weddings are performed during this sacred period). All over the country, Makar Sankranti is observed with great fanfare and in the northern and western states with special zeal and fervor. The importance of this day has been signified in the ancient epics like the Mahabharata. So, apart from socio-geographical importance, this day also holds a historical and religious significance. It is the festival of Sun God, Lord Surya, he is regarded as the symbol of divinity and wisdom. pg.

Uttarayan, in Varodara, Gujarat, India

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Gujarat Uttarayan, as Makara Sankranti is called in Gujarati, is a major festival in the state of Gujarat which lasts for two days.

Gregorian calendar. However, precession of the Earth’s axis (called ayanamsa) causes Makar Sankranti to move over the ages[citation needed]. A thousand years ago, Makar Sankranti was on 31 December and is now on 14 January[citation needed]. According to calculations, commencing the year 2050.

14 January is Uttarayan

Makar Sankranti is a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India. Makara Sankranti commemorates the beginning 15 January is Vasi-Uttarayan(Stale Uttarayan) of the harvest season and cessation of the northeast monsoon Gujarati people keenly await this festival to fly kites, in South India. The movement of the Sun from one zodiac sign called ‘patang’ in Gujarati. Kites for Uttarayan are made into another is called Sankranti and as the Sun moves into the of special light-weight paper and bamboo and are Capricorn zodiac known as Makara in Sanskrit, this occasion is mostly rhombus shaped with central spine and a single named as Makara Sankranti in the Indian context. bow. The string often contains abrasives in order to cut down other people’s kites. Makar Sankranti, apart from a harvest festival is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture. It In Gujarat, from December through to Makara is said as the ‘holy phase of transition’. It marks the end of an Sankranti, people start enjoying Uttarayan. Undhiyu inauspicious phase which according to the Hindu calendar (spicy, baked mix of winter vegetables) and chikkis begins around mid-December. It is believed that any auspicious (made from til (sesame seeds), peanuts and jaggery) and sacred ritual can be sanctified in any Hindu family, this day are the special festival recipes savoured on this day. onwards (an example:wedding season stops December 15 and In the major cities of Vadodara, Surat,Rajkot, will not begin again until January 16). Scientifically, this day Ahmedabad, and Bhavnagar the skies appear filled marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the with thousands upon thousands of kites as people nights. In other words, Sankranti marks the termination of winter enjoy two full days of Uttarayan up on their terraces. season and beginning of a new harvest or spring season. When people cut any kites they used to yell with words All over the country, Makar Sankranti is observed with great like “kaypo chhe”, “e lapet”,”phirki vet phirki” and “lapet fanfare. However, it is celebrated with distinct names and rituals lapet” in Gujarati language, and turn their ‘boom boxes’ in different parts of the country. In the states of northern and up louder and dance on the veranda. western India, the festival is celebrated as the Sankranti day with special zeal and fervour. The importance of this day has Makar Sankranti is a Hindu festival celebrated in been signified in the ancient epics like Mahabharata also. So, almost all parts of India and Nepal in a myriad of apart from socio-geographical importance, this day also holds cultural forms. It is a harvest festival. a historical and religious significance. As it is the festival of Sun God, and he is regarded as the symbol of divinity and wisdom. Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into Makar Sankranti and the Winter Solstice the zodiac sign of Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. The day is also believed to mark the Many Indians conflate this festival with the Winter Solstice, arrival of spring in India and is a traditional event. and believe that the sun ends its southward journey (Sanskrit: Makara Sankranthi is a solar event making one of the Dakshinayana) at the Tropic of Capricorn, and starts moving few Indian festivals which fall on the same date in the northward (Sanskrit: Uttarayaana) towards the Tropic of Cancer, Gregorian calendar every year: 14 January, with some in the month of Pausha on this day in mid-January. exceptions when the festival is celebrated on 13 or 15 There is no observance of Winter Solstice in the Hindu religion. January. Further, the Sun makes its northward journey on the day after winter solstice when day light increases. Therefore, Makar History Sankranti signifies the celebration of the day following the day of According to the Hindu calendar Makar Sankranti is a winter solstice. festival celebrated at Magh 1st of Hindu Solar Calendar for the happiness of getting new crops for farmers. It Scientifically, currently in the Northern Hemisphere, winter also symbols the end of the winter solace which makes solstice occurs between December 21 and 22. Day light will the day last longer than night begin to increase on 22 December and on this day, the Sun will Date and significance begin its northward journey which marks Uttarayaan.[2] The date of winter solstice changes gradually due to the Axial precession Makar Sankranti has an astrological significance, of the Earth, coming earlier by approximately 1 day in every 70 as the sun enters the Capricorn (Sanskrit: Makara) years. Hence, if the Makara Sankranti at some point of time did zodiac constellation on that day[citation needed]. mark the day after the actual date of winter solstice, a date in This date remains almost constant with respect to the mid-January would correspond to around 300CE. pg.

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Gujarat Chapter 1

January 10, 2015 Varodara, Gujarat, India.................................. While visiting cousin Jignesh Vyasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family I am invited to their veranda by the youngest member, Vraj, to practice kite flying before the sun goes down. He is very skillful at tying the ceramic and glass coated kite string to the bamboo and paper kite before we coax it into the early evening sky. At this time of day in winter, there is little wind to help us along. However, the neighbors across the way seem to have a handle on the task and their kites dot the sky.

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Chapter 2 January 14, 2015 -

Uttarayan Varodara, Gujarat, India................................................................................. Plans were, for this extended stay in India, to photograph the Ahmedabad, Gujarat kite flying festival. It is rumored that the sky is covered with kites so, that light is not visible, a site to behold indeed. It is the place where travelers from around the globe gather to share their kite flying skills and the revelry goes into high gear for two days. However, my family refutes that rumor and insist that festivities here in Old Town Varodara are far more exciting and that I should stay here to celebrate this most auspicious time. With that invitation, I open myself to the magic that was about to occur. Early morning & early afternoon was spent with Momaji preparing the salad for lunch which would include a new ‘favorite food’, Undhiyu, a Gujarati mixed vegetable dish that is a regional specialty of Gujarat, India. The name of this dish comes from the Gujarati words “matlu” meaning earthen pot and “undhu” meaning upside down since they have been traditionally cooked upside down underground in earthen pots fired from above. The dish is a seasonal one, comprising the vegetables that are available on the South Gujarat coastline during the winter season, including (amongst others) green beans or new peas (typically used along with the tender pod), unripe banana, small eggplants, muthia (dumplings/fritters made with fenugreek leaves and spiced chickpea flour, and either steamed or fried), potatoes, and purple yam, and sometimes plantain. These are spiced with a dry curry paste that typically includes cilantro leaves, ginger, garlic, green chili pepper, sugar and sometimes includes freshly grated coconut.[1] The mixture is slow cooked for a long time, with some vegetable oil and a very small amount of water sufficient to steam the root vegetables. The finished preparation is dry: individual chunks of vegetables are coated with a thin layer of spice and oil but retain their shape: the contents of the dish must therefore be stirred relatively infrequently during the cooking. Crisp vegetables such as bean pods must ideally retain a little of their crunchy texture. To ensure that no individual component is overcooked, the vegetables may need to be cooked in stage: the root vegetables and eggplant are half-cooked before adding the quick-cooking bean pods and ripe plantain. The finished dish is garnished with chopped cilantro leaf and lemon or lime juice before serving. (Wikipedia) While she said her prayers, I found my way to our veranda, climbing up to the very top to stand next to the water tank for the best photographic view of our kite flying neighbors. There were small families, large groups of friends and family, and solo kite flyers out basking in the warm winter sun playfully trying to cut each other’s kites out of the air. I knew magic was in the air when the big purple kite flew by. pg.

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Chapter 3 January 14, 2015 -

Uttarayan Varodara, Gujarat, India................................................................................. Late that morning, my Indian nephew, Utkarsh invited me to ride with him to Old Town Varodara to spend the day with his new bride’s family on the veranda of their family’s home (built by her father, Jayesh Thakkar, upon completion of his engineering studies at M.S. University in Varodara). At that time I wasn’t up to spending the whole day up on the veranda flying kites, eating, dancing, and shouting. I told myself, after all, wasn’t I there to visit with Mamaji (Rama Vyas)? The phone rang early afternoon, just as Mamaji and I were settling in for our afternoon rest period (I was really getting into the afternoon naps). It was Kesha, Utkarsh’s bride, the newest member of our family calling to ask why I was not coming and insisting that I was to get ready because her parents (Jayesh & Neeta Thakkar) were on their way to pick me up. She told me that her dad had said to “be on the look out for a small white car.” I didn’t want to refuse their invitation a second time, so with Mamaji’s encouragement, got dressed for the visit, and prepared snacks as my offering of food for the festivities. A few days earlier I had stopped a street vendor as he pushed his cart of roasted garbonzo beans, roasted dal, and roasted peanuts. I bought one kilogram of each to bring back to St. Louis and to share with my family there. Mamaji said Papaji (Mulshankar Vyas) bought snacks from this particular vendor all the time, he was his favorite, and that he liked him very much. For me, this meant that the magic had already begun. It felt like Papaji, who had passed away a few years earlier, was with me and had given me his blessings, again. I don’t like to visit friends and family without taking something to share, and now I was prepared to share, in a special way, with the Thakkar family during this auspicious time, Uttarayan Festival, and it felt good. Neeta and Jayesh arrived shortly after Kesha’s call, jumped out of the car to offer a brief greeting to Moma ji and back to the car again to drive swiftly to the festivities. It was a short distance to Old Town Varodara. We drove over the new bridge that had been gifted to the city of Baroda through a family trust by its benefactor Maharajaji Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the former ruler of Baroda State (Varodara) of the royal dynasty of the Marathas. We could see the palace in the distance. Members of the family still occupy some of the palace, the other part of it is open to the public as a museum and the gardens are sometimes rented for social affairs.

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Chapter 4 January 14, 2015 -

Uttarayan Festival Varodara, Gugarat, India............................................................................. The kites danced around the Jain Temple, sometimes landing on one of its spires, encouraging other kites to do the same. I wondered if the birds were confused, thinking that the kites were one of them as they flew in swarms high above our heads. The city had prepared for caring for the injured birds, the ones damaged by the kite strings. Like each family that surrounded us, Keshaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family had their stack of kites to send soaring through the heavens and each one helped the other keep their kites in the air. Karin, Keshaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s twin brother stayed on the highest part of the veranda all day, getting his fill of the Uttarayan spirit. The newly weds, Utkarsh and Kesha took turns holding the spool of ceramic thread, while guiding their kite through the mazes of thread in the sky. Occasionally, a kite would find itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way back home, the Indian Flag was often a favorite. There were Modi and Obama kites too, but I was unable to get one. I just wanted to bring it home for a souvenir. The family gazed in wonder at the kites dance in the sky,and then received refreshing chai and bhel snacks to keep up their strength, as the evening approached. They tell me that after the sun goes down, there is more fun to come.

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Chapter 5 January 14, 2015 -

Uttarayan Festival Varodara, Gugarat, India............................................................................ The sun began to set. The kites and now, balloons continued to dance in the sky. We remained on the veranda listening to the waves of music floating across the verandas from refrigerator sized speakers mingled with joyous shouting as another kite, freed from its string, gently floated to earth once again. We also watched fireworks, an integral part of the celebration, bursting across the sky all around us. One by one, paper lanterns were held with gentle helping hands, candles lit inside each to fill it with the heat that causes it to rise and light the darkened sky. Most of them filled the sky like stars in the Milky Way. Every once in a while, one of them would falter, and float back to earth to burn itself out.

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Chapter 6 January 14, 2015 -

Uttarayan Festival Varodara, Gugarat, India.............................................................................. The second auspicious day of Uttarayan Festival is called Vasi Uttarayan, a day of Thanksgiving, dedicated to Sun God, Lord Surya, king of the planets. He is responsible for controlling all planetary movements, life giver, sustaining all life on earth by providing all radiance and energy, nurturing our lives. The main day of Uttarayan (Festival of Joy) all federal offices and all businesses are closed. I asked Utkarsh what happened on the second day. He told me on the second day all city and federal offices remain closed and most people remain home with families continuing the celebration, but he would be returning to his office, to work as he was employed by an American based multi-national corporation. The kite runners are busy both days. While our families are usually so busy looking up at kites from our terraced verandas, we often miss the sight of them unless we are looking down into the street to locate kite vendors or to purchase found kites from the runners. On this day I was home sitting on a traditional swing talking with Mamaji, but I had my camera in hand, as there were kites still flying and little kite runners collecting the downed kites from trees and helpful neighbors.

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Chapter 7 January 15, 2015 -

Uttarayan Festival Visa Uttarayan Varodara, Gujarat, Indiaa............................................................................

Throughout both days of this auspicious celebration of the first days of spring in India, I watched kites soaring, dancing in the breeze, often falling to earth to final resting places on roofs, verandas, electric wires, and trees. There wasn’t much wind on the first day, but Smita assured me that it would arrive on the second day, “It always does”, she said. Sure enough, Visa Uttarayan was a windy day. Chaitanya informed us that the following Monday the electricity would be shut off in the entire community so that workers could climb ladders to remove kites and kite string from the wires safely. As I sat quietly with Mamaji, I felt the breeze that Smita said would come, and marveled at the way the kites clung to the electric wires and trees on those two joyful days. They reminded me of the last leaves of autumn, clinging to branches, dancing. In my childhood, at the beginning of the school year, we sang the tune, “Autumn Leaves;” this was a happy memory, because our concert choir presented to the community our Fall Concert and we had to dress up in beautiful formal gowns. My favorite gown was lilac in color, and the fabric felt like a warm spring breeze. The electric wires looked like lines on a sheet of music paper, the kites, notes in a musical composition. While photographing the Uttarayan Festival, often times it was difficult to capture the event without electrical wires being a part of the composition. As I reviewed these images, each became segments of a score, a composition written by the radiant energy of the sun. The notes/kites were placed on, above, in-between, and below each line of each stanza by the wind. The electrical post, sparking and crackling, and periodically exploding shutting off the electricity to our home, supported the wires, and became the bars and clefs that directed the tone of the music.

It has never taken me two weeks to wake up fully from a good winter’s sleep until now, so this experience must have been the magic that the purple kite announced on the first day of Uttarayan. The sun and wind in spring compose a beautiful song. Kesha and Utkarsh were right when they said that the celebration would be much better in Varodara. A large crowd and a sky with the sunlight blocked by kites would never be as satisfying as the love shared on the verandas of our three homes and in the dust on our feet from the streets of Varodara.

Adelia

adeliaparker@sbcglobal.net

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REFERENCES 1. Makar Sankranti 2015 Wikipedia 2. Makar Sankranti Festival 2015 http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/makarsankranti.html 3. Sankranti Calendar http://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/sankranti/sankranti-calendar.html 4. Hindu Festivals http://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/hindu-festivals.html 5. What is significance of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Uttarayanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;? http://kids.baps.org/thingstoknow/festival/7.htm 6. Smita Vyas - Undyu lecture with demonstration and recipe 7. Kesha Vyas - Chikki recipe and treats 8. Neeta Thakkar - Bhel & Chai, snack and drink

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Adelia (Brookins) Parker was born at Homer G. Phillips Hospital, St. Louis, Mo. and spent her childhood in Montgomery City, Mo. This small county seat setting provided the backdrop for a lifetime of exploring the cultures of her neighbors. While visiting with extended family living in Varodara, Gujarat, India, was frequently reminded by Momaji, our family matriarch, that, “each household has a different culture no matter where they live”. Yet, a passion for love, life, and family relationships has revealed itself in much the same way in each culture Adelia has ever visited. She began her journey to India during her World History class under the tutelage of Mrs. Obersmith, while a sophomore at Montgomery County RII Jr. - Sr. High School. Upon completion of her MFA in Studio Art from Lindenwood University, visited India for the first time, December 1998-January 1999. It was during this visit that she had had her first encounter with the Uttarayan festival was in Gandhinagar, about 20 miles outside Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Adelia has captured images in the South Paific while attending the Tenth Annual Festival of Oceanic Culture and Arts; Northwest Africa including Senegal; Gambia; Morocco; India (extensively); Canada; Hungary; Upper Peninsula of Michigan; Montana; Montgomery City, Mo. and St. Louis, Mo. Throughout her entrepreneurial teaching artist career, Adelia Parker, deemed principle photographer for the 10th anniversary issue of the St. Louis Black Pages; has taught photography to elementary and high school students through the Young Audiences of America-St. Louis chapter,; the Missouri Arts Council; the St. Louis Art Museum Community Arts Program; North Side Arts Council visiting artist and drop out prevention programs; Regional Arts Commission; Houghton-Hancock School District; Michigan Tech. University Summer Youth Program; Taproots School of the Arts, Holter Art Museum’s Multicultural Art Program; parents and older adults community programs; Southwestern Illinois College, Belleville, Ill. and University of Missouri, Adjunct faculty. She has also served her community when appointed to the University City Commission on Arts & Letters of the City of University City for 8 year and 4 months. While serving on committees and as president of said Commission during her tenure involved educating community, general fund raising and fund raising for collaborative community project with Washington University-St. Louis. She is a member of Zuka Arts Guild, St. Louis Artist Guild, Art St. Louis, Missouri Fiber Art Association, and the National Society of Arts and Letters, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibition throughout the United States, Africa, Japan, Taiwan, and Russia. Her work can be found in collections at Lindenwood University, Logo School Musee’ de St. Louis, Senegal, Africa, and in private homes here in the USA, Italy, Africa, and Hungary. Adelia

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FEBRUARY 21, 2015 MARKS ST. LOUIS POET LAUREATE’S FIRST OFFICIAL READING at REGIONAL ARTS COMMISSION FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC “UNITY COMMUNITY” presented by ST. LOUIS POET LAUREATE MICHAEL CASTRO Saturday, February 21st at 7:30pm--10:00pm Regional Arts Commission 6128 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, Missouri 63112 St. Louis, MO--The newly appointed Poet Laureate of St. Louis invites poetry and performance-lovers of all ages to come together for a reading featuring poets and spoken-word artists from across the metro region. Featured guests include warrior poets and veteran writers, as well as young, vibrant performers from within the St. Louis poetry community. Hosted by Dr. Castro, this event includes: East. St. Louis Poet Laureate and EBR Writer’s Club founder Dr. Eugene B. Redmond, Black Artists’ Group and Word in Motion member Shirley LeFlore and storyteller and visual artist Cheeraz Gormon with Rabbi James Stone Goodman. Additional appearances by: UrbArts founder MK Stallings with Urb Arts Teen Poetry, visual artist, crafter, and Spoken Word Groove founder David A.N. Jackson with performance poet and teacher Pacia Elaine, artist Tony Renner, slam poet and musician Chris Ware, performance poet and activist ReeCee, and poet and translator Noh Anothai. The “Unity Community” series, bringing St. Louis’ diverse poetry communities together for “honest-talk, spirit-talk, and playful talk,” are presented as a microcosmic model for the macrocosmic dialogue between its communities, which is much needed in St. Louis. Complimentary hot beverages provided by St. Louis specialty roaster Blueprint Coffee. For information, please contact Syrhea Conaway at Regional Arts Commission (314) 868-5811 or www.racstl.org

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ART OF FOOD

I had a long debate about whether or not I should share a recipe for a romantic dinner for 2 since Valentine’s Day is coming up and I know that not everyone celebrates that holiday or may not be into it this year. I, for one am a huge NBA fan and AllStar Weekend always falls during Valentine’s Day. So this Moroccan style cake is perfect for a date night with the boo or a late night sweet tooth moment while you’re watching the Slam Dunk Contest. The idea for this recipe came about a couple of years ago when my roommate Marissa and I, wanted to do something special for our roommate Farrah’s birthday. Farrah was an exchange student from Egypt and she was beyond homesick. After discreetly asking her a bunch of

random questions like, “What’s your favorite food? Which one do you miss the most? Can you describe it to me? etc…” Farrah started talking about her favorite desserts. She described an orange cake, not orange in color, like I thought, but the cake she loved was orange in flavor. So I searched on the internet for hours to try and find any recipe that would be similar to this cake-with-no-name. Once I finally found a recipe, I was faced with another challenge. The recipe I found was fairly simple and called for orange zest. At that time I did not have a zester, microplane or any tool similar in my knife bag. New Technique Alert: How to Zest Without A Zester. Zesting is essentially just scraping the outer colored layer of the peel. pg.

Sweetie’s Day

Step 1: For this recipe, cut the orange into 4 segments. Remove the inside of the orange from the peel. Keep the pieces separate. Step 2: Using a spoon, begin to scrape the pericarp/albedo (a.k.a. the white stuff) from the orange rind. Be careful not to scrape too hard, because this can cause the rind to tear. Step 3: Once “the white stuff” is completely removed from the rind, it’s time to grab the knife! Cut the rind into really thin slices. Step 4: Once you’ve finished cutting the slices, chop them into small pieces…and Voilà! you now have zest for the dish.

MESKOUTA WITH ORANGE 4 Eggs 1½ C Granulated Sugar ½ C Vegetable Oil 2 C All Purpose Flour 4 tsp Baking Powder ½ tsp Salt ½ C Orange Juice, Fresh (optional: Feel free to use any orange juice you want.) 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Zest from 1–2 oranges (How much zest you use depends on how “orangey” you want your cake to be.) Procedure: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour (or use Baker’s Joy) your cake pan. If using fresh oranges, juice them and reserve. By hand or an electric mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar until they are thick. Gradually beat in vegetable oil. Slowly stir in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and orange juice. Beat until the mixture is smooth and then mix in the orange zest and vanilla extract. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then bake for approximately 40 minutes or until it tests done. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling. Icing is optional but for a nice added touch, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of orange juice. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake and serve. By the way, Farrah’s cake surprise was a delicious hit!!!

Bon Appétit,

Doré

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Léna O. A. Jackson St. Louis, MO Culinary Arts Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

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A SHADED SIDE OF BI POLAR HOLIDAY Story by Mary T. Moore

There are so many forms of art, as there are unique artist such as Daniel Jefferson who is a creative wonder that hales from Saint Louis, MO. We caught up with him and wanted to get a look inside the mind of the man that the art world knows as “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”. He’s young, handsome and highly mysterious but it wasn’t those traits that caught the attentions of the art world, it was his natural talents that stem back from his past and lead us into his more than bright future! It wasn’t hard for artist “BI POLAR HOLIDAY” to hear the call of art, especially when he was the son of an artist. “BI POLAR HOLIDAY” was at the tender age of three or four when he started drawing and painting on the paper that his dad would lay on the ground for him, as he worked on his own projects. “BI POLAR HOLIDAY” explained that as a child growing up things were good before school age but soon afterwards things quickly changed based off of the new environment he had been placed in coming from a private Catholic School and into a Public School. “It was probably when I was somewhere around 3rd grade that my imagination began to soar, while I was in class. I would draw on my class papers and I just couldn’t wait to be able to draw. My grades were good for the majority of the time up until high school, once I moved into the county my focus was on just getting through the day and avoiding the gang activities and other negatives that I hadn’t been exposed to coming from a Catholic school”. “My family stayed in a somewhat nice neighborhood that also happened to have lots of bad elements, so my dad kept my younger sister and l close to our street”. Since I was more or less always alone, it gave me more time to develop a vivid imagination that I feel plays a key part in the art and concepts that I create now”. “A lot of my work now has a central theme of being alone, that takes me back to a time of when I was a child and spent much of my time alone playing”. “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, describes his style of art as a mixture that has many influences such as Japanese Manga, Japanese Wood Block Prints, Old Hollywood Animation, Graffiti Street Art and those are just a few out of the numerous artist that I admire”. When asked what does it mean for him to be noticed as an artist? “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, replied, “It’s very important because notoriety comes with people recognizing your work, you can get invited to participate at functions where you can showcase your work, your valued, it helps you build your brand and the whole process of starting to where you can make a career off of your work. People are more interested and want to hear what you have to say”. Who are some of your artist and why? “BI POLAR HOLIDAY” Bruce Lee, because he was a martial artist and he changed the game, he was only interested in what worked and he was a visual artist with his concepts and moves. George Condo, because he seems like he’s very comfortable with his work, Francis Bacon because he work was really aggressive and unapologetic, he did what he wanted to do and he was honest about how he felt about his work he created and Tom Huck because I find peace in the chaos of his work and because it’s very detailed. There aren’t too many people that are masters of wood Block Printing and he is. What’s the longest you’ve ever went without working on a project or being creative and how did it leave you feeling? “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, this past summer, due to my working a regular job and it’s physical demands, it exhausted my creative tendencies to draw or paint. What the highest point you’ve felt from being artist? “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, When I’m able to eat, pay a bill or buy something for myself based off of something I created, rather than the check that received from working a dead-end job. What do you hope to accomplish with your art? “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, it would be to first to support myself fulltime off of artwork that I created. If you could travel without limitations on a journey to explore your artist interest, where it be? “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, I would want to visit Tokyo, Paris, Italy, Brazil and Germany, since these are places that seem like they embrace artist and appreciate art more from the past as well as the present, which is a vibe that I don’t get from living in the U.S. If you could inspire the world with your art how would you do it? “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, I would work with any young artist that is serious at and that knows they would like to aspire to be a fulltime artist. What would you like your legacy as an artist to be? “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, I want to be one of greats and take this gift that was given to me a long time ago, to the highest possible level! To stay up to date with “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, you can reach him at www.bipolarholiday.com or on his social media page at www.instagram.com/bipolarholiday

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What's the longest you've ever went without working on

Since I was more or less always alone, it gave me more time to develop a vivid imagination that I feel you feeling? “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, this past summer, due t plays a key part in the art and concepts that I create now”. “A lot ofdemands, my workit now has amy central theme exhausted creative tendencies to draw or p of being alone, that takes me back to a time of when I was a child and spent much of my time alone What the highest point you've felt from being artist? “BI P playing”.

bill or buy something for myself based off of something I cr from working a dead-end job.

“BI POLAR HOLIDAY”, describes his style of art as a mixture that has many influences such as Japanese Manga, Japanese Wood Block Prints, Old Hollywood Animation, Graffiti and those are awith fewyour art? “BI POLAR WhatStreet do youArt hope to accomplish myself fulltime off of artwork that I created. out of the numerous artist that I admire”.

of art, as there are unique artist such as Daniel Jefferson aint Louis, MO. We caught up with him and wanted to ge art world knows as “BI POLAR HOLIDAY”.

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Art of Healing

Your Ad or Article could be here!

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Featured

Photography

Submission

Model: Ema Remtula Image by: AG photography pg.

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Ema Remtula “I ASPIRE to INSPIRE I EXPIRE” before

a detailed interview with Professional Model, Ema Remtula, on her relation ship with ESG modeling agency, advice for aspiring models and details on her newly released cancer documentary. 1) How long have you been modeling with ESG modeling agency?

Since 2012.

2) How has it changed your modeling experience to join the agency?

It’s given me a more positive view of the industry. I’ve never experienced a company that is purely based on faith in God, giving back and helping others. It’s a very selfLESS agency. I feel ESG has done more for me and my family than I have done for it. My children have seen me struggle in life, from illness to getting out of an abusive marriage. ESG has been a stable positive part of our lives, always praising the positive and keeping us motivated and hopeful. 3) How was it to express your journey and battle with cancer during your first documentary? It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I’m a very private person when it comes to my

battles. I never show my “weaknesses.” I don’t let people see me cry. I crack jokes and laugh, but do not cry. Therefore, the overall experience was out of my comfort zone. 4) What were your expectations after it was complete?

I wasn’t sure, but I felt that it was something I needed to do; not necessarily for myself, but for my kids,

younger models (that look up to me and all those that view me as a strong and naturally confident woman. I wanted people to know that I’m nothing special; I’m like everyone else, with fears and insecurities. I woke up and hated seeing the fearful reality that stared back at me in the mirror. It was also something I felt would be nice to look back on.... or something great to leave behind!

5) This is the first week your documentary has been released, what has the feedback been like?

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many. NEVER! To read and hear that I am a role model and young women look up to me.... I never believed I was good enough to be that. I’ve always been afraid of leaving this life without touching a single soul, but this... Wow! Getting teary-eyed now! My co-worker who has a 4 month old baby girl, told me that she will one day show it to her daughter and let her know that “that’s the kind of woman I want her to be.” ............ (To view Ema’s documentary go to: http://youtu.be/RjeaZLuPDcw)

6) How is it to work with the Kimberly Marie the Founder/CEO of ESG modeling agency?

She is one of the kindest people I have ever met. Always giving and inspiring. This woman believed in me long before I ever believed in myself. It’s a blessing to have her in our lives! 7) How has it been to take your kids to work with you then have them both join the agency?

Though it can get stressful (being a mother and model all in one at the same time) it is definitely a great thing! They get to see, appreciate, & understand what I do. I have never wanted my kids to join any agency at such an impressionable age, but ESG is a totally different type of agency. It is not “cut-throat” or emotionally harsh, as that is the norm in this industry. ESG promotes inner beauty, which comes from positivity, respect, dignity, kindness, and one’s faith in God; not just physical beauty. With so much negativity in society, the ESG family helps me, as a mother, in teaching my children to be the best versions of themselves, now and throughout life. 8) You’ve just been signed as the official Jes-Us [Just Us] clothing line model for ESG modeling agency... What are your plans to inspire others in your new position?

I’m going to continue to pray and allow God to use me in any way He chooses. I’m going to take each battle or struggle that comes my way as an opportunity learn, grow from it, and teach. As a mother and role model, I am also a teacher. As a human being, I will make mistakes, but I will continue to own them, dust myself off, and get back on track. I believe honesty, not just with others, but with ourselves, makes us honorable. Living an honorable life, or at least making a daily effort to live an honorable life, brings us closer to God...and THAT is what is inspiring! I am inspired by others’ goodness and hope to inspire through mine. 9) What is any advice or wisdom you would like to give any aspiring models? To all the aspiring models and to those that are not, to anyone that is dealing with their own struggles

and battles; whether it’s illness, domestic violence, or you just don’t feel good about yourself...whatever it is, your faith is important! Whatever your religion, you HAVE to believe in something! Yes, society is harsh and cruel and insensitive, but you are not defined by others. Is it difficult to ignore all the negativity? ABSOLUTELY! I’ve wasted so much time worrying about what others think and say about me, and when it comes down to it, I know who I am better than anyone, and GOD is my judge, not society. Not everyone supports me when I speak out about my past experience with domestic violence or even the documentary. It is hurtful, but I have to remind myself that I am not doing it for them. My purpose is to help others. How is helping others or inspiring others a bad thing? We all have a purpose, but we don’t all live up to them for fear of being outcastes in society, in our communities; for fear of being different and alone. But reach deep inside... Pray and LISTEN for the answer. The journey may be difficult and scary, but all great things came from one step in faith. Be brave! Be courageous! BE.... And you will inspire someone, who will inspire another... Let’s aspire to inspire before we expire! To view Ema’s documentary go to: http://youtu.be/RjeaZLuPDcw To book Ema for modeling/speaking engagements contact Kimberly Marie at esgmodelingagency@yahoo.com or 1-800-330-1544 ext. 801. pg.

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Model: Ema Remtula Images by: AG photography

Model: Ema Remtula and Hairstyling Manager, Ladonna Revee taking selfie after Community Halloween Runway Show in STL Images by: AG photography

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Models: (left to right) Sahoi McLean, Ema Remtula and Tirzah Russell Image by: AG photography pg.

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Models:Ema Remtula and son Khalil Barrera Images by: ProPhoto STL pg.

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a l u t m e R a m E a Remt ula Em Remt ula Ema

Models: Taslim Barrera and Khalil Barrera Images by: ProPhoto STL

Models: Ema Remtula and son Khalil Barrera after 2014 runway show Volume Images by: ProPhoto STL 1.12 www.the-arts-today.com February 4, 2015

***Please share this announcement with emerging and developing poets and fiction writers.***

CALLALOO is now accepting applications for the 2015 CALLALOO CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP, which will be hosted by the Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice at Brown University, May 31-June 13, 2015. We invite submissions of poetry or fiction for admission consideration for this intensive two-week workshop in Providence, Rhode Island. VIEVEE FRANCIS (http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/vievee-francis), RAVI HOWARD (http://www.ravihoward.com/), MAAZA MENGISTE (http:// maazamengiste.com/), and GREGORY PARDLO (http://pardlo.com/) will serve as the 2015 workshop leaders. Applications must be submitted online at http://callaloo.expressacademic.org/login. php no later than February 15, 2015. Each application must consist of a brief cover letter and writing sample (no more than five pages of poetry or twelve pages of prose fiction). To complete and submit your application, go to http://callaloo.tamu. edu/node/232 For additional information, email (callaloo@tamu.edu) or call (979-458-3108). CALLALOO Journal, CALLALOO Journal of African Diaspora editor

Coming Soon!

ART

The of FOOD Contact us to have your submission included.

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Featured

Artist

Submission

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Art by:

Sami Bentil “EVERLASTING”

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Art by:

William Burton “WE THE PEOPLE” pg.

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Art by:

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Art by:

Robert Ketchens “FROM THE FIELDS TO YOUR HOME TOWN” pg.

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Art by:

Sami Bentil “SANKOFANTASY” pg.

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Jah’z Art Private Gallery in collaboration with members and friends of the Alliance of Black Art Galleries presents

“Africa Calls, America Answers” Veune: the Saint Louis Public Library – Schlafly Branch, 225 North Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108

Date: February 1 – 28th, 2015 Reception & Art Forum: February 4, 2015 Time: 5:30 – 8:30 pm

“Everlasting” by Sami Bentil

This Art Exhibition, featuring Annetta, Vickers-Bentil, Callistus Dogbatse-Akakpo, Dail Chambers, Monnette Lartey, Paapa Nketsiah, Robert Ketchens, Ron Young, Sami Bentil, Solomon Thurman, Jr., William Burton, and Wiz Kudowor, is a Visual Symboligraphic Celebration of the inherent Cultural and Artistic ties that bind all people of African descent. Spanning nearly two thousand seasons, the Arts and Crafts, Fashion, Music, Dance and Cuisine have been the vehicles which have effectively bridged the physical boundaries between Africa and America to nurture and inspire the Exemplary Artistic Expressions that our modern society thrives on today. Sami Bentil is a master in the technique of pointillism, numerous dots of many sizes and colors together producing work that is beautiful and strong. His originals are highly textured; to see and touch them enables the viewer to experience the spiritual energy that brings on the same feeling as hearing a favorite hymn. His work has brilliant lustrous color in the foreground, supported by subtle yet intensely dramatic hues in the background. Sami states that he paints the colors that he “feels in his heart.” A notable achievement since he is colorblind. Sami Bentil is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Art degree. His work has received great recognition and acclaim internationally. For additional information, please email: art@tabsales.net or phone: 314-827-4028

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“Jimi Hendrix” pg.

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Art by:

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Art by:

Sami Bentil “MY SISTA’S DREAM” pg.

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Art by:

Ron Young “I GOT YOUR BACK” pg.

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Art by:

Paapa Nketsiah “COLORS OF DEMOCRACY”

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Art by:

Monnette Lartey “NO MORE TEARS” pg.

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Art by:

Dail Chambers “MOUNTAIN SCENE” pg.

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Art by:

Paapa Nketsiah “INVOLVED”

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Art by:

Wiz Kudowor “SYMBOLS OF WISDOM” pg.

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Art by:

Annetta Bentil “FANTE ROYALTY-GHANA” pg.

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CST

DOORS OPEN @ NOON

NEW NORTHSIDE CONFERENCE CENTER 5939 GOODFELLOW BOULEVARD ST. LOUISM MO 63147

FOR MORE INFO: 314.361.4555 www.the-arts-today.com

Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Become a

Museum

Teen Assistant

at the Saint Louis Art Museum! High school students between the ages of 15 and 19 can gain work and leadership experience as part of the Museum’s youth training program. The Museum hires Teen Assistants to lead tours for young audiences and to support a wide variety of community Programs. Why is this a program for me?

In February, Family Sundays celebrates Asian art and culture with the theme “Travels through Asia.” Art projects throughout the month will include origami (Japanese paper folding), dragon puppets, and Chinese lanterns. The Museum will host a special family day on Sunday, February 15 to celebrate Chinese New Year. We’ll ring in the Year of the Ram with special demonstrations of calligraphy, paper cutting and folding, and a Lion Dance performance in Sculpture Hall.

It is an opportunity to: •Learn job skills you will use after high school. Family Sundays are free and open to the public. For more •Practice and improve leadership and communication skills. information about Family Sundays, visit www.slam.org/education. •Help children appreciate and create art. ************************************** •Provide job references for academic and employment applications. •Earn money throughout the summer and the school year. The Saint Louis Art Museum offers many great learning You can apply if you: opportunities for the budding young artist. Youth classes at the •Are in high school and have completed 9th grade by June 2015. Museum range in topic from sculpture to painting with oils, and •Will be returning to high school in Fall 2015. always include an exploration of the Museum’s awesome collection •Are available to work Tuesday through Friday, of art. On February 21, the Museum will celebrate the Chinese June 11-August 4, 2015, 9:00am-3:00pm. New Year with classes for children age 6-12. The day long classes •Are available to work at least 5 hours per month during the will include lessons in paper folding (origami), printmaking, and school year (August-May). calligraphy. The Museum will also offer a one day basic drawing studio class on February 28 for teens. With guided instruction Deadline for applications: Friday, March 6, 2015, 5:00pm. from professional artists and teachers, these youth classes give young learners a chance to explore different cultures, time periods, For more information or to apply, please contact: and, of course, art! All supplies are provided and no experience is FAMILY SUNDAYS necessary.

Youth Classes

Enjoy Family Sundays at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Offered Pre-registration is required for all classes. To register, please visit every week from 1:00-4:00 pm, Family Sundays give parents and www.slam.org/education or call (314) 655-5384. children an opportunity to get creative in the Museum’s galleries. Beginning at 1:00 pm, visitors of all ages can participate in a make and take art activity inspired by works in the Museum’s collection. At 2:30 pm, join our family tour – a 30 minute guided experience in the galleries that provides children and their parents an opportunity to interact while exploring the collection. The Family Tour leaves from Sculpture Hall at 2:30 pm and families are required to sign up. Space on the family tour is limited and slots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. pg.

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“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:34-40 NIV

We seek to impact the world with the love of Christ one life at a time! Hopelessness and desperation are on the rise in a world where the greatest segment of the population possesses the least amount of resources. We need your help! Please help us fight this epidemic by sending your tax deductible donations/contributions to: For His Glory Ministries of St. Louis P.O. Box 1942 Maryland Heights, MO. 63043 http://calvarychapelslc.com/homeless-ministry/ For other ways in which you can help please contact Pamela Ford at pamelaford98@gmail.com or 314-216-0744. Copyright © 2014 - All rights reserved.

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T0: All Media & All Readers & All People From: Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club, Black River Writers Press, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville English Department: 618 650-3991; Email: eredmon@siue.edu Bestselling Author Returns to City Feb. 17: Michael Datcher’s “Americus” Set in East St. Louis (East St. Louis, Illinois) Michael Datcher, a New York and Los Angeles Times Bestseller listed author, returns to this city, the setting of his new historical novel, “Americus,” on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 6:00 pm in Room 2083 of the city’s Higher Education Center, 601 J.R. Thompson Drive, East St. Louis (IL) 62201. “Americus,” which drapes a love story, takes place in East St. Louis between the late 19th Century and the infamous 1917 Race Riot. During five days as the community’s Visiting Writerin-Residence and guest of the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club, Datcher will give a series of readings (with book signings) and talks to students, scholars, and residents. Among Datcher’s works are the critically-acclaimed “Raising Fences” (“A Black Man’s Love Story”)--a Today Show Book Club Book of the Month pick; “Tough Love: The Life and Death of Tupac Shakur”; a play, “Silence,” commissioned by the Getty Museum; and scores of contributions to journals, magazines, and radio shows like one that he co-hosts weekly in L.A. Film rights to “Raising Fences” were originally optioned by actor Will Smith’s Overbrook Productions, which hired Datcher to write the screenplay. Datcher is a professor of English Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where he also edits “The Truth About The Fact: International Journal of Literary Nonfiction.” Former director of Literature programs at L.A’s World Stage in historic Leimert Park, Datcher serves as a Regional Contributing Editor to “Drumvoices Revue,” which is co-published by the EBR Writers Club and SIUE’s English Department. Club trustees include noted authors, artists, poets and educators Avery Brooks, Haki R. Madhubuti, Walter Mosley, Quincy Troupe, Jerry Ward, and Lena Weathers. Past trustees have included celebrated authors/institution builders Maya Angelou (1928-2014), Margaret Walker Alexander (1915-1998), Amiri Baraka (1934-2014), Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000), Raymond Patterson (1929-2001), and ESL native daughter Barbara A. Teer (1937-2008). Sponsors include the EBR Writers Club, “Drumvoices Revue,” Black River Writers Press, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and the ESL Cultural Revival Campaign Committee. For information, call 618 650-3991, write the Club at P.O. Box 6165 (ESL 62201) or email eredmon@siue.edu.

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& the infamous 1917 Race Riot)�

Century�

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www.pvmw.org National poetry library and literary center Poets House and New York-based cultural heritage/folk life organization City Lore will be bringing their Poetic Voices of the Muslim World exhibit and programming to the St Louis Public Library system in the spring of 2015.

Bridging Cultures: Poetic Voices of the Muslim World

examines the central role of poetry in the everyday lives of Muslim men and women through three entry points: 1) Themes, such as poetry and identity; poetry and politics; poetry and orality; poetry and conflict resolution; and poetry’s continued oral prominence in music; among others; 2) Poets (from Rumi and MirzaGhalib to contemporary poets from Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, and North Africa; and 3) Poetic Forms (i.e. the ghazal, the epic, the qasida). The components of the project include a series of public programs; a traveling panel exhibition; and a website (www.pvmw.org) that will contextualize the information provided by the programs and exhibition. Free public programs scheduled to be presented at the St. Louis Public Library starting in April 2015, include Islam and The Blues with The New York Public Library Schomburg Center’s Dr. Sylviane Diouf, Song of the Reed: Rumi presented by Dr. Jawid Mojaddedi with songs and music inspired by the poet by Amir Vahab &amp; his ensemble and The History and Poetics of the Qur’an with noted scholar of Islam Dr. Bruce Lawrence. We hope that you and members of the St. Louis community will be able to attend some of our events, and help us to spread the word about the arrival of Poetic Voices of the Muslim World in your area.

Poets House

10 River Terrace | New York, NY 10282-1240 | (212) 431-7920 | www.poetshouse.org pg.

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John Jennings Associate Professor Visual Studies SUNY Buffalo tumblr: http://jijennin70. tumblr.com/

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The NATIONAL

African

READ

This year, the National African American Read-In begins on Sunday, February 1, and ends on Saturday, February 28. Access “2015 National African American Read-In” at http://www.ncte.org/aari/ for details. This year marks the Margaret Walker Centennial. Many of the readings during Black History Month, as well as the 2015 calendar year, should involve programs on Walker’s life and works. For My People (1942), Jubilee (1966), and This Is My Century: New and Collected Poems (1989) are at the top of the list for reading in February. From March through December , one might find pockets of time for reading Richard Wright: Daemonic Genius (1988), How I Wrote Jubilee and Other Essays on Life and Literature (1990), On Being Female, Black and Free (1997), and A Poetic Equation: Conversations Between Nikki Giovanni and Margaret Walker (1974). Anyone who wants to enjoy communion with Walker’s extraordinary intelligence should read “The Humanistic Tradition of AfroAmerican Literature.” American Libraries 1.9 (1970): 849-854. This year marks the 70th anniversary of Black Boy and the 75th anniversary of Native Son. Non-scholars and scholars alike have given critical attention to Wright’s masterpiece since 1945. They have applauded Black Boy; they have quarreled with it. It has existed as a superb instance of black writing, of American literature, and of work that people from many nations have translated into their native languages. It will continue throughout the twenty-first century to be a source for cautious hope as well as, to borrow wording from Wright’s novel The Outsider, “that baleful gift of the sense of dread.” Black Boy is one of Richard Wright’s major gifts to time past, present, and future. It is a gift to be treasured. It is a gift for everyday use and equipment for living and for dealing with one’s trublems. pg.

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n American

D-IN

Black Boy is a powerful model of how to think about one’s location in historical time and complex environments and of how to write about one’s location with an honesty that is at once aesthetic and didactic. Teachers of rhetoric and composition can use the text to help adolescent writers, in particular, to gain mastery of grammar, syntax, vocabulary, images, and figures of speech as they struggle with the problems of narrating their life histories. All writers, of course, can learn valuable lessons about perspective from Richard Wright, just as visual artists can learn about excellence in drawing from Charles White and musicians can absorb how to use physics in the composition of sounds from John Coltrane. All of us can learn from Richard Wright what Chinese sages have known for several thousand years ---the flow of dao and tian and yin and yang that gives positive meaning to our suffering beneath the stars. Readers have given a substantial amount of critical attention to Native Son, a novel that is essential for understanding how American fiction of the 20th century so often embraced the primal ingredients of what escapes specific time and drives change in the United States of America. Fifteen years prior to the publication of Teilhard de Chardin’s The Phenomenon of Man (1955), Richard Wright was shining the light of disquietude upon a thankless world. The world of 1940 did not listen carefully enough to what Wright was saying in Native Son. Thus, thirteen years later he issued a second communiqué in the form of The Outsider. Read in tandem, Native Son and The Outsider provide us with the strongest clues pure fiction can deliver about why our world seems to be swimming like a shark in butter-milk toward its Omega Point. In the post-whatsoeverness of 2015, only an insignificant number of people will fail to hear Wright’s messages.

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Portfolio Fundraiser Moves to Artist's Studio

Janet Riehl's "Women & Wardrobe: The Riehl Collection" exhibit has finished it's successful run at The Portfolio Gallery and Education Center. It brought in $2,000 to help with much-needed building repairs. Many people went home with framed ($150) and unframed ($50) prints they love, and a good time was had by all. Folks have said they would have loved to have seen the show, and were sorry they missed it. Janet has decided to host At Home evenings on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. so you can! Come visit, enjoy the work, and of course buy whatever calls to you. Any profit realized will continue to benefit Portfolio Gallery. If you'd like to come, please contact her at janet.riehl@gmail.com. Janet and Robert Powell, director of Portfolio Gallery and Education Center appeared on Fox 2 news. http://fox2now.com/2014/07/29/women-wardrobe-and-art-on-a-cell-phone-atportfolio/# Janet and her art was featured in the Alton Telegraph. http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/home_top-lifestyle-news/50095336/Artists-workmakes-Riehl-results#.U-Tbf1Ao7qC

Come on out! Meet some new people and enjoy some playful, colorful, and sensuous art inspired by African Women.

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AfroWorld is an African-American owned and operated cultural and fashion center located in St. Louis. It was founded in 1970 and has been a space where the community can come to learn, share, and shop! In 2015 we are proud to celebrate our 45th year of service to our customers. AfroWorld needs your support so we can continue to have the funds necessary to market, operate, and sustain high quality cultural education programs that support our network of authors and artists who participate in our ongoing community empowerment series. We also want to purchase computers and materials to increase the efficiency of our outreach efforts, educate the next generation of community entrepreneurs, and upgrade the tech equipment used to produce our events and programs. Your financial commitment allows AfroWorld to continue its legacy of bringing people together in a space that celebrates and uplifts the African-American experience.

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

BLACK HISTORY MONTH BLACK FACTS SALE!

DURING THE ENTIRE MONTH OF FEBRUARY COME IN AND GIVE THE NAME AND BRIEF HISTORY OF A HISTORICAL AFRICAN AMERICAN ACHIEVER AND GET 30% OFF ALL THE ITEMS YOU PURCHASE

PROGRESSIVE EMPORIUM & EDUCATION CENTER

Monday – Saturday - 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Closed Sundays

For more information call (314) 875-9277 or Visit Our Facebook Page “Progressive Emporium”

This Sale Cannot Be Combined With Any Other PEEC Sale

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The

New African Paradigm

Study Group (NAPSG)

is an organization dedicated to the empowerment and education of our community through book study and our lecture series. We have brought many African scholars to St. Louis to awaken our people and to get on one accord to face the challenges in our community. The NAPSG is in need of your help so we are currently seeking new members to help us continue to be able to meet the demands of our lecture series and our study group. Our study group meets every 3rd Sunday at Sabayet, 4000 Maffit, St. Louis, MO. at 4:00 p.m. Please join us on our journey for knowledge of self, our gods, and our Ancestors. Contact James Steward at (618) 977-8191 for more information. Also, Like us on FaceBook.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Gianis LalSandhu, Realtor

Alexander Realty | St. Charles, Missouri | ph: 636-669-1717 | 314-437-8576 The first of a two part article for renters who want to become homeowners.

Everything First-Time Home Buyers Need to Know Interest Rates are at an All-Time Low Buy Now! Interest Rates Are at an All- Time Low; Buy Now! The headlines agree mortgage interest rates have dropped substantially below initial projections. Many who are considering purchasing a home, or moving up to their dream home, might think that they should wait to buy, because rates may continue to fall. A recent article on the Economists’ Outlook blog by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) provides insight into one major factor in the decline in interest rates, the crude oil price. “As of January 5, 2015, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that the price of regular gasoline was $2.20/gallon, the lowest since gas prices peaked to about $ 4/gallon in May 2011.” You may have noticed that filling your gas tank has become substantially less expensive in recent months. A welcome change from the close to $5 a gallon that many Americans were paying this time last year. The average US household is projected to save around $550 in 2015. So what does that have to do with Interest Rates? NAR explains the correlation like this: “Lower oil prices mean lower inflation rate, which pushes down mortgage rates.” Based on Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage survey as of January 22, 2015, the 30-year fixed rate averaged 3.63% and the 15-year fixed rate averaged 2.93%. “The decline in oil prices is generally positive to households by way of the gas savings and lower mortgage payments. That savings will boost consumer spending in other areas. But there may be some layoffs in oil-producing states.”

How long will rates stay low? No one really knows how long oil prices will continue to support low mortgage rates. In a New York Times article, the author points to the fact that “adding hundreds of billions of dollars to consumer spending” could start to have a “counter effect” on rates as the economy continues to strengthen. “If firms start hiring again, and wages increase — that’s when the level of all interest rates in the U.S. would increase.” Don’t wait too long The low interest rates we are currently experiencing are not going to stay around forever. The current projections from Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, NAR and the Mortgage Bankers Association all agree that interest rates will increase to between 4.3-5.4% by the end of 2015. BOTTOM LINE NAR reports: “At the median home price of $205,300, a 0.75 percentage point drop in mortgage rates will yield savings of about $1,000 annually.” If you are in a position to buy a home make sure that you meet with a local real estate professional with their finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the market. Don’t let a delay in purchasing impact your family financial future. In addition to these funding sources, additional home buyer incentives are provided thvrough the Missouri Housing Development Commission. For More Information, visit the following website: http://www.firsthomebuyers.net/ states/missouri-first-time-home-buyer.html To view our inventory of foreclosure and bank owned properties, visit: www.alexrlty.com

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FE PR AT OP UR ER ED TY

Alexander Realty St. Charles, Missouri | ph: 636-669-1717 | 314-437-8576

DESCRIPTION: 11534 Rosary Lane, Spanish Lake, MO 63138 Mini mansion in Francis Farm Estates offers 6400 square feet with all the bells and whistles chef’s kitchen, granite tops, custom cabinetry, formal living room, dining room, library, 2 story grand staircase, media room 5bdrms/5 baths, 4 car heated garage; luxurious master bedroom suite; unfinished lower level (‘man-cave’).

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Featured

Poetry

Submission

*Carver Curbing slowly coming sitting there ones-by-ones leaning ‘gainst the sides of this wall-less stall monolithic in illustrious nefarious illusionings they swaddling in a delusional mid-knightening caressing the jaws of this carnivorous darkening magnetic syrupy corners sticking sneaker-ing shoes of elderless circlings hooching to a loquacious blues plum lips sucking smoke as the gist of this tryst all here so being there in a yondering no where squat’n here scared roll’n’up in this rusing spilling on into twilighting twilightenings rapping so ‘cause they hearing no drums they spinning their tales of wanton plunderings for filling emptying bags of a desperate longing arrested in the mouthing of vicarious sunderings so being any where there but here some where surreal enrapturing in knee-jerking vagaries try’n to hide from the silence erase’n them here in the addicting embouchure’ns embracing here in this swallow’n womb each turned-out pocket is a notion seen’n small but the fate of one flag is the same for us all reaching out in a traitorous enthralling gall vociferizing mesmerizing scandalizing too camouflaging in the swooning of supposing foils they looking at one another for any other who do’n a sump’n else so make’n them a special few swirling in wondering scared of all alone like most the rest of us here we all doing too

*A large neighborhood served by Carver Middle School in Orlando, Florida Copyright © 2014 Asili Ya Nadhiri 02/06/2014, 02/07/2014, 02/09/2014, 02/24/2014, 02/25/2014, 07/03/2014, 07/04/2014, 07/06/2014, 07/09/2014, 07/10/2014, 07/12/2014, 07/13/2014, 07/15/2014, 07/16/2014, 07/17/2014, 07/19/2014, 07/21/2014, 09/20/2014, 09/21/2014, 09/25/2014, 09/27/2014, 09/29/2014, 09/30/2014, 10/02/2014, 10/03/2014, 10/04/2014, 10/05/2014

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Asili Ya Nadhiri

Autobiographical Sketch The language and rhythm of African people have been an obsession throughout my life. I can still vividly remember the heavy syrupy dialect that impregnated my ears as a small boy, the hypnotic rhythm-ming of the body movements of African people that continue to sang to me, and the depth of the wellsprings silently stirring inside the language forged in the North American experience of African people. By means of my tonal drawings, I am trying to actualize this experience-ing for the benefit of us all. I am Asili Ya Nadhiri, born on August 29, 1944 in Durham, North Carolina and raised in a small tobacco town named Clinton, North Carolina. My undergraduate education took place at Hampton Institute and Ithaca College, Masters at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and ABD (all but dissertation) at the University of Florida in Gainesville. I have been an instructor of vocational agriculture and social studies in the Orange County Public School System (Orlando, Florida) for the past thirty-two years.

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Spanish Translation on page #140

Dance St. Louis: “Tangos desde el Sur de América a los cuatro puntos cardinales del globo terráqueo…”

On both sides of the Rio de La Plata, back in South America, between Buenos Aires, Rosario and Montevideo, arises rhythm, dance and musical genre, which has become a proxy for Argentina and Uruguay, remaining as one of the most powerful international musical genres in the world.

shown in this keynote.

we were presented “La Guardia Nueva” with a style where evidences the merger Dance St. Louis, introduced us to the show between current trends and classic element. Pieces such as “Orillera” composer Agustín “Tango Buenos Aires” in a synchronized Bardi, Jealousy composer Jacob Gade, dance and music, which tells the story of Adiós Nonino and Triumphant, both the this character so dear. composer Astor Piazzola, among others, did not fail to be present at this special Tango Buenos Aires produced by presentation, crowd pleaser St. Louis, I Andrew S. Grossman “A Columbia Artists bringing the stage, not only a work. Also Perhaps what arrabalero arise and emerge lovers show in town, had the opportunity from mergers of races and cultures to participate with the artists in what is that converged in South America from known as “La Milonga” in Buenos Aires, is the time after the ethnic diversity of the the spontaneous dancing Tango in outdoor immigration wave that brought slaves spaces. This time, it was not outdoors, by from Africa, Portuguese, Spanish and the circumstances of weather, but there was Italian among others, who were achieved “Milonga” and many spontaneous danced with the Gauchos and the natives of the to the sound of this genre that emerged in region, made this music genre and dance the South to reach all latitudes and corners we know as “Tango” was delayed in being of our globe. recognized and / or accepted by high society of Argentina and Uruguay (1860 Production” dirgida by Rosario Bauza, Another great show we were privileged to and 1910, making their origin, both the Fernando Marzan (musical director), enjoy our city by Dance St. Louis. style and the name, a controversial fact. Hector Falcon (choreographer), Lucrecia Laurel Fred Allen as a writer and as a Pushing their origin, El Tango overcame designer, in combination with a computer the vicissitudes of the controversy and has extraordinary musicians, dancers and become an export product of Argentina and singers aged from 20 years to 60 years, Uruguay to the world. showed us a show brought directly from Buenos Aires. In St. Louis, thanks to the prestigious Dance St. Louis, enjoyed an extraordinary In his first act the show, showed us “The show of Tango with all its elements: Rise of a Star” (Evita), where we could see music, dance and even history, as we elements of what the Tango has agreed to had the opportunity to meet one facet of call “Old Guard” style permeated the origins Evita Peron different from the we have of Tango with its traditional pieces like “La traditionally presented. It is the stage of the Cumparsita” by composer Matos Rodriguez. young woman coming from the province Impressive close of the first act, with “The to the capital, looking arise through the Rounders” tool used in the field to capture show like a radio actress. Definitely, fate the cattle used in the show as percussion led to Evita Peron to become an icon in the instruments. history of this nation, in a different way to what she had planned it and this is what is In the second act, “The emergence of a love” Copyright © 2014 - All rights reserved.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Kenneth J. Cooper Coauthor Portraits of Purpose (2014) Independent Journalist- Boston

Saturday, Feb. 21, from 2 to 4 pm,

at the Progressive Emporium and Education Center, 1108 N. Sarah Ave, 63113

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Boston-based journalist who went to Wash U and started my career at the American and then the Post-Dispatch. I went on to share a Pulitzer Prize at the Boston Globe (see attached minibio). I coauthored with Boston photographer Don West Portraits of Purpose: A Tribute to Leadership that portrays and profiles 127 change agents from the Boston area, mostly African Americans but also their allies of every race. Four people are St. Louis natives: Dick Gregory, Henry Hampton of Eyes on the Prize, former ambassador Charles Stith and cultural leader Candelaria SilvaCollins. Katherine Dunham, with the East St. Louis connections, is one of the national/international who had an impact on Boston and are included.

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Saint Louis University Is Coming to a Scholarship Fair Near You! By attending an upcoming Infinite Scholars college fair, you can learn about all the scholarship and financial aid resources Saint Louis University offers to help you achieve your higher education goals. If you missed one of the Infinite Scholars events this fall, come visit with SLU representatives at one of the three remaining fairs near you.

Dallas -- February 26 (details) St. Louis -- February 28 (details) Chicago -- May 15 (details)

You will be able to talk about SLU’s programs with counselors, who can also create your personalized aid package for you. On average, freshmen at SLU receive $26,891 in financial aid including: Merit-based scholarships Need-based grants Loan programs and work opportunities Be exceptional. Be a Billiken. Saint Louis University is founded on the Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person – mind, body and spirit. At SLU, you can choose from nearly 100 undergraduate programs, many of them highly ranked, so you can be confident you’re getting a world-class education. While you learn and grow in the classroom through our challenging programs, you’ll develop relationships with your professors, dive into extracurricular activities, meet friends from around the world and explore our urban campus. Learn more about what it means to be a Billiken. Schedule a campus visit or check out BeABilliken.com to see why SLU might just be the right fit for you. Click here to join us at one of the upcoming Infinite Scholars college fairs. Please join us on Please forward this message to family and friends. If you are interested in advertising, please call 888.331.2556 ext 2

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English Translation on page #136

Dance St. Louis: “Tangos desde el Sur de América a los cuatro puntos cardinales del globo terráqueo…” A ambos lados del Río de La Plata, allá por el Sur de América, entre Buenos Aires, Rosario y Montevideo, surge un ritmo, una danza y un género musical, que se ha convertido en un elemento representativo de Argentina y Uruguay, manteniéndose como uno de los géneros musicales internacionales más potentes del mundo. Quizás por surgir de lo arrabalero y por emerger de fusiones de razas y culturas que convergieron en la Sur de América de la época tras la diversidad étnica de la gran ola migratoria que trajo a Esclavos del Africa, Portugueses, Españoles e Italianos entre otros, quienes se consiguieron con los Gauchos y los indígenas de la región, hicieron que este género musical y danza que conocemos como “Tango”, se demorara en ser reconocido y/o aceptado por la alta sociedad de Argentina y Uruguay (1860 Y 1910, haciendo de su origen, tanto del estilo como del nombre, un hecho controversial. Apartando su origen, El Tango logró superar los avatares de la controversia y se ha convertido en un producto de exportación de Argentina y Uruguay para el resto del mundo. En St. Louis, y gracias a la prestigiosa organización Dance St. Louis, disfrutamos de un extraordinario espectáculo de Tango con todos sus elementos: música, danza y hasta historia, ya que tuvimos la oportunidad de conocer una faceta de Evita Perón diferente a la que nos han presentado tradicionalmente. Es la etapa de la joven mujer que viniendo de la provincia hacia la capital, busca

surgir a través del espectáculo como actriz de radio. Definitivamente, el destino condujo a Evita Perón a convertirse en un icono para la historia de esta nación, de una manera diferente a lo que ella lo había planificado y esto es lo que se muestra en esta magistral presentación.

ganado, utilizadas en el show como instrumentos de percusión.

En el segundo acto “El surgimiento de un amor” se nos presentó “La Guardia Nueva”, con un estilo en donde se pone en evidencia la fusión entre las tendencias actuales y el elemento Dance St. Louis, nos presentó el clásico. Piezas como “Orillera” del espectáculo “Tango Buenos Aires” , en compositor Agustín Bardi, Celos del una sincronía de danza y música, que compositor Jacob Gade, Adiós Nonino nos narra la historia de este personaje tan y Triunfal, ambas del compositor Astor querido. Piazzola, entre otras, no dejaron de estar presentes en esta extraordinaria Tango Buenos Aires producida por Andrew presentación, que deleitó al público S. Grossman de “A Columbia Artists de St. Louis, trayéndo al escenario, no sólo una obra. También los amantes del espectáculo en la ciudad, tuvieron la oportunidad de participar, junto con los artistas en lo que se conoce como “La Milonga”, que en Buenos AIres, consiste el el Baile espontáneo de Tango en las Plazas al aire libre. En esta ocasión, no fué al aire libre, por las circunstancias del clima, pero si hubo “Milonga” y muchos espontáneos bailaron al son de éste género que surgió en el Sur para llegar a todas Production”, dirgida por Rosario Bauzá, las latitudes y puntos cardinales de Fernando Marzán (director musical), nuestro globo terráqueo. Hector Falcón (coreógrafo), Lucrecia Laurel como libretista y Fred Allen como Otro gran espectáculo que tuvimos el diseñador, en combinación con un equipo privilegio de disfrutar en nuestra ciudad extraordinario de músicos, bailarines y gracias a Dance St. Louis. cantantes de edades comprendidas desde los 20 años y los 60 años, nos presentaron un espectáculo traído directamente desde Buenos Aires. En su primer acto el show, nos mostró “El Surgimiento de una estrella” (Evita), en donde pudimos contemplar elementos de lo que en el Tango se ha convenido en llamar “La vieja Guardia”, impregnado del estilo de los orígenes del Tango, con sus piezas tradicionales como “La Comparsita” del compositor Matos Rodriguez. Impresionante el cierre del primer acto, con “Las Boleadoras”, herramienta que usan en el campo para capturar el

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Featured

Poetry

Submission

WE NEED TO TALK

I am more than your idea, I am tangible, touchable, a human being like you. We breathe the same air, want the same things. We need to talk. I am more than my skin tone, more than the weight I bear, more than the clothes I wear, more than who I sexually prefer. more than my accented speech, hear me—we need to talk. So get out of your closed mind, It’s claustrophobic in there—thoughts fester if they can’t expand. Let’s meet. Get out of your car, come onto the street. Let’s discover each other on common ground. We need to talk. I say, take off your armor, put away your gun, don’t just stare into your smart phone. Hello. Or as they say in the East, Namaste, & Savati—the god in you honors the god in me. We need to talk. -michael castro- 1-2015

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Michael Castro

This poem is written by Michael Castro, the first poet Laureate of St. Louis for BLACK AND BLUE, an original play being produced by Gitana Productions to open at the Missouri History Museum on the weekend of May 22, 2015. www.gitana-inc.org

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H.O.P.E Have an Opportunity, Plan for Education NIGHT

February 23, 2015 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. FFSD 7th-‐10th Grade Students/Parents McCluer High School Hub -‐-‐ 1896 S. New Florissant Rd. Presented by Mr. Thomas Ousley

All 7th-‐10th grade parents and students are welcome to attend H.O.P.E. Night to learn about the Infinite Scholars Promise Program being developed in the Ferguson-‐Florissant School District to help support parents and students as they plan for post-‐secondary education. This event will examine how parents and schools can collaborate to create a sense of hope in students. The program will work with students (and their parents) in middle and high school to provide them with the support and mentoring they need to create a mindset of hope that will help them succeed in school and beyond. Thomas Ousley is the Founder and President of the Infinite Scholars Program. During the past 13 years, the program has helped more than 100,000 students secure more than $1 billion in scholarship funds to attend college.

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THE PROJECT ON THE HISTORY OF BLACK WRITING ANNOUNCES:

Black Poetry after the Black Arts Movement When: July 19 - August 1, 2015 Where: University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS What: An NEH Summer Institute Application deadline: March 2, 2015 We invite you to learn more about an exciting two-week NEH summer Institute for twenty-five college and university teachers (including at least three advanced graduate students), filled with innovative scholarship, rich dialog, and fertile opportunities for advancing research. What is poetry today? What has changed? How do we teach poetry and transform students’ passion for performance into meaningful analysis? This Institute seeks to strengthen the connections between foundational and contemporary forms of poetry, between the practice of poetry and today’s global society, and between the words and sounds and the spirit of black poetry that refuses to be denied. If you are a current college or university teacher of American literature or near the end of your graduate studies in this field, please visit our website www.blackpoetry.ku.edu for more details about this exciting project, including further application instructions. The stipend for this two-week Institute will be $2,100 for each NEH Summer Scholar, to help cover travel, housing and food. Or, if you know of a college teacher who might be interested in applying to this Institute, please share this invitation with them! www.blackpoetry.ku.edu

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Featured

Poetry

Submission

Declaración de la Libertad “Self-definition is the first step toward self-control!” Haki R. Madhubuti

my life is not your personal playground it is no magical wonderland left behind for you to rip and run over like a gang of kindergarten convicts finally released from some deep dark hole inside their head I am not a toy, your toy or any type of plaything here to amuse you with a quick wink, a sullen smile and a cheap fuck in the backseat of a stolen jeep parked on property stolen by you and your crooked ass comrades I am not your whore my flesh is not here for your lustful fetish nor am I a slave chained and submitted to your emotional whips and whims and I refuse to be subject to you and the psychotic experiment tethered to your warped hyperbolic hypothesis of all the sick things that you think I am I am definitively not…. YOU! By Charlie R. Braxton

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Charlie Braxton

Fantastic Dreams (For Baudelaire & Jean-Pierre Labarthe) Baudelaire called to me in a dream last night He said he was still alive After all these years of searching He finally found himself Dead to the world Now please he said Don’t go looking for me again I didn’t Crazy how she can still call The tunes in my head Fast like a samba slow like a bossa nova or steady like a rocking reggae floating on a cottony cloud to cope in a senseless society do I stop making sense? I don’t Get around much anymore I am old My bone creak My muscles and tendons tighten Like a python around my joints My hand is shaky when I grab my pen bIt’s not over I’m not over… I’m not done By Charlie Braxton

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Charlie Braxton cont.

The Changing Same (For St. James) I dream in sequential soliloquies Sequined with sad songs Sung and sometimes screamed In hushed dark tones Known as the blues See you can’t tell me a time When I was down And when and if I was Down that is Didn’t I get up on the good foot And dance in the face of you fools Whose fancy farts befoul the earth With the heavy stench of your endless greed Oh yeah you can hold your nose And fake the funk but you can’t front On the future Thought you knew I’m da man girlfriend Umph Hit me like St. James in the 70s Dun dun dun dunhhhhhhhhhhhhh Hey HEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYY Case if ya don’t know Now ya do By Charlie Braxton

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Black Friday Consumer’s minds Are the playground Of capitalism The wonderland of Wally world where Tongues wag at Fallen price tags While wallets wander Off into a retail Sunset A fat cat banker’s Wet dream manifesto DING Thank you And please Come again By Charlie Braxton

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Charlie Braxton cont.

Untitled #121 though the bartenderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smoky eyes laughs while she gives me that knowing nervous smile and hands me a scotch and tonic a gin and juice a beer and pretzels and a crumpled note sealed with a kiss painted hooker red whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this I ask she looks around and whispers all soft and seductive and says your pretext for a last call nights like this i wish i could fall in love laying beneath a majestic canopy of falling stars sipping pina coladas and listening to milton nacimento or tania maria sing of bridges traversed less often than need be

by Charlie Braxton

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Confirmation of Love (For Johnnie) I’m confessing That I love you Is the song that is playing Soft and slow on the radio the sound waves waft like smoke rings billowing from the speakers perched up in the square corners of my sparsely crowded room as the lazy blues slide from one note in/to another giving off a hazy kinda blue indigo the chords soupçon my soul like the air from Trane’s lungs Caress the inner chambers of his saxophone blowing through my head like a midsummer’s breeze filled with jasmine cinnamon and cloves by Charlie Braxton

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Charlie Braxton cont.

Kang Snake Blues: Paradise Lost saints say seek solace in the sublime shadow of self so said spirits of sages can sing songs to those daughters and sons whose eyes see no sun shhh shut up & listen somewhere amidst the slithering sound of silence death crawls through a slit in the universe like a mississippi king snake sliding through grass waiting its turn at prey by Charlie Braxton

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LOGIC if religion is the opiate of the masses then god is a pitchfork in the puny paws of PlutocracyÂ by Charlie Braxton

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

Maurice

Minor and Cheeraz Gormon will be holding a book release and reading, (An Invisible Man)

March 14!

............... Connect with Cheeraz Gorman: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK

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OPPORTUNITIES

The Bernie Hayes Show Talk and interviews about affairs of the day with a St. Louis slant. The Bernie Hayes Show can be seen: Friday’s at 9 A.M. Saturday’s at 10:00 P.M. Sunday’s at 5:30 P.M.

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Volume 1.12 February 4, 2015

CAREERS

The 2015 Baseball Season Starts Early at SLATE!

BUILD SOMETHING AMAZING

THE TENANTS OF BALLPARK VILLAGE

RECRUITMENT EVENT Hiring For Positions:

Check Out the Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program!

Dishwasher • Host • Barback • Busser/Runner • Server • Bartender • Banquet Server • Assistant Kitchen Manager • Manager • Security • Housekeeping • Door Hosts/Cashier

This 10 week training program takes place at the Center for Workforce Innovation at St. Louis Community College’s Florissant Valley Campus.

FREE tuition if accepted into program!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Skills and qualifications needed to be considered:

SLATEa.m. Missouri Career Center 10:00 - 3:00 p.m.

1 Floor Conference Room, 1520 Market St., St. Louis, MO 63103 st

• Must pass WorkKeys Assessment Tests (applied math, locating information, reading for information, and observation)

at SLATE American Job Center: 1520 Market, St. Louis, MO 63103, 1st Floor Conference Room

To attend, applicants must: • • • •

Pre-register by creating account at jobs.mo.gov and bring username and password to the event, or Pre-register at SLATE before or on the day of the event, preferably between 8-10 a.m. Apply for positions at Ballpark Village website: http://www.stlballparkvillage.com/careers On the day of the event, bring a resume and wear professional attire.

• Must be mechanically inclined

For information, please call

the Ballpark Village Hot Line: (314) 657-3519

To apply, email resume to wcdassemblymechanics@stlcc.edu or FAX to (314) 513-4604. For more information and schedule call (314) 539-5921. Upon program completion, participants are eligible to interview for positions with Boeing.

PARKING: Kiel Center Garage, situated immediately behind our building, at the corner of Clark & 16th. Fees: $1 per hour.

SLATE is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. The Missouri Relay Service at 711.

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AMEREN MISSOURI, STLCC LAUNCH FREE PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAM TO CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES December 03, 2014

Ameren Missouri is partnering with St. Louis Community College again to offer a five-week lineman pre-apprenticeship training program at the college’s Florissant Valley campus.

Ameren Missouri is making the training program available at no cost to participants. Upon successfully completing this accelerated pre-apprentice training program, graduates will have an opportunity to go through the application and selection process for an apprentice lineman position with Ameren Missouri. STLCC currently is accepting applications for the program that begins in March at Florissant Valley, 3400 Pershall Road. Up to 30 pre-apprentice students will be selected for the training program. “We are committed to creating opportunities and investments in the communities we serve,” said Dave Wakeman, Ameren Missouri, senior vice president of operations and technical services. “This pre-apprentice training program opens the door for people in our community to learn more about the work being performed at Ameren Missouri and then apply for quality positions within our company. We are seeking to hire individuals who are dedicated to providing our customers with safe, reliable power in the St. Louis metro area.” Ameren Missouri’s commitment to STLCC and the community includes funding for curriculum development, STLCC is partnering with Ameren Missouri to offer a fiveinstructional delivery and all necessary equipment. This week lineman pre-apprenticeship training program. includes 30-foot poles, climbing equipment, fall protection harnesses, and other personal protection equipment so that students can safely train on the Florissant Valley campus. Students also will review math, physics and mechanical concepts to prepare them for a potential future position in Ameren Missouri’s apprentice lineman program. In 2009, Ameren Missouri offered this specialized pre-apprentice training program in partnership with STLCC and was able to hire 13 former student participants into the company’s apprentice lineman program. “This initiative serves as another example of St. Louis Community College’s commitment to connect curriculum, programs and instructional delivery modes to meet the needs of employers in the region,” said Steve Long, STLCC associate vice chancellor for workforce solutions. “We are pleased to once again partner with Ameren Missouri to provide training that will give participants an opportunity at meaningful employment.” Nationwide, as many as 18,300 new electrical line workers will be needed by 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The utility industry employed 249,400 line workers in 2012. In May 2012, the median annual wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers was $63,250. For more information about the pre-apprenticeship training program or to apply, email wsglineworker@stlcc.edu or call 314-539-5988.

CURRENTLY

ENROLLING!

Building Union Diversity

A training program for individuals with previous or no experience in construction trades.

Minorities and Women are Welcome! The Building Union Diversity (BUD) is a training program for individuals with previous or no experience in the construction field and who are interested in pursuing construction careers in sewer occupations. The classes will be taught by nationally certified and U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship training programs. The training will provide hands-on experience in participating trades, namely Construction Laborers, Heavy Equipment Operators and Carpenters. TO ENROLL, INDIVIDUALS:

PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING FOCUS:

• Must come to SLATE, 1520 Market St, 3 rd Floor, St. Louis, MO 63103 or the St. Louis County American Job Center, 26 North Oaks Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63121, from 9 am. to 4 pm., Monday – Friday. • Complete an application and assessment. RECOMMENDED PARKING: Kiel Center Garage, situated immediately behind our building, at the corner of Clark & 16th. Fees: $1 per hour.

• Career awareness in various participating construction trades • OSHA standards • Identifying one trade that best suits participant’s interests and abilities.

ASK US ABOUT APPRENTICESHIP AND JOURNEYMEN TRAINING!

Training program is subsidized by the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District in partnership with SLATE.

SLATE is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Missouri Relay Services at 711.

STLCC NO-FEE, HIGH-VALUE

TECHNICAL JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS These high-value training programs are grant-funded and are offered for limited periods of time at no cost to qualified students.

TRUCK DRIVING JOBS

STLCC NO-FEE, HIGH-VALUE

TECHNICAL JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS These high-value training programs are grant-funded and are offered for limited periods of time at no cost to qualified students.

TRAIN LOCALLY TO EARN YOUR

Class-A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) • • • • • •

Over-the-Road Truck Drivers are in High Demand! No prior experience necessary. Five week program. Experienced staff, low student-to-teacher ratio.

44 hours of drive time on 2011 International Prostar trucks. More practice equals a greater chance for success! Entry Level commercial truck driving jobs average $35,000 yearly. Job Interviews upon successful completion of program.

For more information or to get started visit www.stlcc.edu/TruckDriving. To qualify: Minimum age 21 years old with a good driving record. DOT Physical and negative Drug Test Required. WorkKeys Assessment Level 4 or higher required. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. St. Louis Community College is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunities in its admissions, educational programs, activities, and employment regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran and shall take action necessary to ensure non-discrimination. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is also prohibited. For information or concerns related to discrimination or sexual harassment, contact Bill Woodward, Associate Vice Chancellor Student Affairs, 314-539-5374. This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.

AVIONICS (Aviation Electronics) An accelerated 8-week practical, hands-on, non-credit course.

AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

Prepare for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airframe and Powerplant certifications.

YOU PAY NOTHING for these courses if you qualify.

For more information or to get started visit WWW.STLCC.EDU/MRTDL. St. Louis Community College is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunities in its admissions, educational programs, activities, and employment regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran and shall take action necessary to ensure non-discrimination. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is also prohibited. For information or concerns related to discrimination or sexual harassment, contact Bill Woodward, Associate Vice Chancellor Student Affairs, 314-539-5374. This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.

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