POWER 4 LIFE BROADCAST SCHEDULE WMAR TV 2
Sundays - 6:30am
maryland
Empowermenttemple.org
Sundays - 7:30am, 9:30am,11:30am
live internet broadcast
tuesdays - 7:30pm
live internet broadcast
SERVICE TIMES sundays Worship Service
7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am in the Sanctuary and Live online at www.empowermenttemple.org
Youth Power Zone
9:30am and 11:30am Every 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sunday at the Forum
Sunday School
After 7:30am Service every Sunday in the Charles Robinson Fellowship Hall
TUESdays Tuesday Bible Study
7:30pm
Youth Tuesday Night Takeover
7:30pm at t he Youth Power Zone (1505 Eutaw Place, 21217)
ORDER OF WORSHIP Doxology Opening Hymn Litany Prayer Praise & Worship Pastoral Remarks & Visitor Recognition Offering Sermonic Selection Sermon Invitation Offering Announcements Benediction
Candance L. Greene Editor-in-Chief
speak black man
R eg u l a r C o ntrib u t o r s
A Letter from the CEO & Publisher Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant
Echoes of Empowerment Magazine Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant Publisher & CEO
Jan Austin Education & Political Contributor Derrick D. Greene Political Commentator
G u e s t C o ntrib u t o r s
Earl Brown Dee Marshall Monte Sanders
P h o t o gr a ph y
Barry Davis Derrick L. Davis Arminta McKinney
c o p y edit o r s
Harbinger Communications Dianne Gardner-Young
a rt directi o n
Kerry DeBruce for KLAD Creative kladcreative.com
Echoes of Empowerment Magazine is an Empowerment Temple AME Church publication, which is a non-profit organization. To receive a copy of writer’s guidelines, contact Echoes of Empowerment at writeforechoes@empowermenttemple.org. Send comments and Letters to the Editor to Echoes of Empowerment Magazine at echoes@ empowermenttemple.org. Echoes of Empowerment Magazine is a quarterly publication. © 2012 by Empowerment Temple. All rights reserved. All articles, except those identified as having their own authors, are property of Echoes of Empowerment Magazine and cannot be reproduced without written permission.
Dear Team Empowerment, This is the season of Champions! Athletes who have been training for the past four years are preparing for their opportunity to go for the gold. I believe, through prayer, that the last four years of your life have been training you for 2012. THIS is the year God will open the door for you to do everything you have been trained to do, equipped to do and anointed to do. For 2012, we have put in place things we believe will catapult you into a place of triumph. Every month we will offer you different avenues for you to focus on triumph in your marriages, finances, education, occupation, and more importantly, in your spirituality. I pray that in 2012, you will not remain on the sidelines, or up in the bleachers, but that you will get on the playing field. I want every person to become involved. This is the hour for spiritual athletes, people who know how to run the distance, lift the weight, not be afraid of pain, and operate with a team spirit. As we move to this place of victory, I pray that our President also moves to a place a victory. It is imperative that you all become involved in the political process. I want every member of our church to be a registered voter, and to go out to the polls to vote. For us to experience complete triumph, our church and community must experience victory. I don’t want you to just be involved in the sanctuary and neglect our street corners. It is important that you become involved in your local communities by becoming a mentor, a sponsor, active on your child’s PTA, and nationally through the Occupy the Dream Movement (more on page 23). This summer, we are endeavoring to send our honor roll students to London for the 2012 Olympics. Let’s push all of our young people to academic success. This is going to be the best year of your life. I don’t want any of you to settle for the bronze, when you are anointed to go for the GOLD! Amazed by His grace,
Pastor Jamal-Harrison Bryant WINTER 2012 | ECHOES of Empowerment
03
Contributors EARL BROWN is the founder and president of Financial Literacy Network (FIN), a non-profit organization leveraging corporate, governmental and nonprofit resources toward wealth creation, financial determination and financial literacy among low to moderate income households and small business owners. Find FIN on Facebook: Financial Literacy Network.
Barry Davis currently serves as Media Coordinator/Director at Empowerment Temple Church, and is the lead photographer for ECHOES of Empowerment Magazine.
DERRICK L. DAVIS moved to Maryland from Michigan in 2009 and launched a successful photography business. Through his endeavors (AMDLD, Satin Boudoir and DLD Photography), Derrick hopes to show his son Myles King Davis that entrepreneurship can be both rewarding and exciting. Visit him virtually at www.facebook.com/derrickldavisphotography.
ARMINTA McKINNEY is a Fine Arts photographer who brings her photojournalistic style to all of her photography. She earned a Bachelors of Art in Photographic Imaging from Towson University in 2003. Arminta supplied photography for the article on Yvette Cade. Visit her website at www.armintamckinney.com.
Monte Sanders is the President and CEO of Sanders Optimum Fitness. He is a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor and Children’s Fitness Specialist. Monte is personal trainer to Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Visit him virtually at www.sandersoptimumfitness.com, www.twitter.com/montesanders and find him on Facebook Sanders Optimum Fitness Official Fan Page.
DEE MARSHALL is a TV Lifestyle Expert, International Speaker, Certified Life Coach, President of Raise the Bar, LLC, Raise the Bar Young Savvy, and Girlfriends Pray. Girlfriends Pray is one of the fastest growing movements for women of God whose mission is to draw 1 million women to God through prayer in five years. Visit her virtually at pray@girlfriendspray.org, www.twitter.com/ girlfriendspray and www.facebook.com/girlfriendspray
04 SUMMER 2009
| ECHOES of Empowerment
Cover Story
07 Prepare to Triumph Features P hoenix Rising:
18 Yvette Cade’s Story of Survival and Triumph T he Real on Reel:
20 Conversation with Filmmaker Byron Hurt P residential Election 2012:
22 Who’s Got YOUR vote? 23 Occupy The Dream
SPECIAL FEATURES
14 2011 Year In Review 24 Ministry Spotlight IN EVERY ISSUE
02 Broadcast Schedule/Order of Worship S peak Black Man! A Message from CEO and Publisher,
03 Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant 06 Litany 26 ET Remix
litany
06
Leader
I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Ghost power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ! I won’t look back…let up…slow down…back up…or be still!
people
My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals!
Leader
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity! I do not have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on the Lord, run with patience, lift by prayer and labor by Holy Ghost power.
people
My face is set. My goal is heaven. My road is narrow. My way is rough. My companions are few, my guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
Leader
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
people
I WON’T GIVE UP…SHUT UP…LET UP…until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, worked up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go ‘til He comes, give ‘til I drop, teach ‘til all know and work ‘til he stops me. And when Jesus comes, He will have no problems recognizing me because He’ll remember, I was the one He gave POWER!
WINTER 2012 | ECHOES of Empowerment
Pastor Bryant has deemed 2012 the Year of Triumph over all of the things that have kept you from success In this section, ECHOES shares with you Empowerment Temple’s 40-Day journey through the Scriptures (p. 8); tips on saying NO to making resolutions with Life Coach, Dee Marshall (p. 10); advice on how to gain financial freedom throughout the year from Earl Brown of Financial Literacy Network (p. 11) and becoming triumphant over your health with personal trainer, Monte Sanders (p. 12).
Are you ready to go for the gold?
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40 Days of
Triumph January not only marks the beginning of a new year, but it will also be the beginning of our church-wide resolution to be grounded in the word. From Monday, January 2nd through Friday, February 10th, Empowerment Temple will spend 40 days in the word. The goal is to STUDY the bible, not just read it, on a daily basis, in order to broaden our understanding of the sacred text and to be more in tune with what God wants to share with us. Each day, we will read, STUDY and meditate over the assigned text (detailed on the next page). Monday through Friday, at 12 noon, Pastor Bryant will provide daily meditations based upon that day’s scripture. He will also be blogging messages about the daily scriptural assignment online.
“In all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us .” Romans 8:37
08
Those of you who may live close to the Empowerment Temple campus may attend small- group Bible study sessions every Monday, and Wednesday-Saturday, at the Family Life Center. Pastor Bryant will expound upon the selected readings in the Sanctuary on Sundays and Tuesdays. On Friday, February 10th, we will come together as a church family to celebrate our 40 day journey. Prepare for your life to be changed, expect to hear from God, and get ready for the Lord to place you in your season of triumph!
WINTER 2012 | ECHOES of Empowerment
MonDAY Jan. 2
DAY 1
TUESDAY Jan. 3
DAY 2
WedNESDAY Jan. 4
DAY 3
THURSDAY Jan. 5
DAY 4
FRIDAY Jan. 6
DAY 5
SATURDAY Jan. 7
DAY 6
SUNDAY Jan. 8
DAY 7
MonDAY Jan. 9
DAY 8
TUESDAY Jan. 10
DAY 9
WedNESDAY Jan. 11
DAY 10
THURSDAY Jan. 12
DAY 11
FRIDAY Jan. 13
DAY 12
SATURDAY Jan. 14
DAY 13
SUNDAY Jan. 15
DAY 14
MonDAY Jan. 16
DAY 15
TUESDAY Jan. 17
DAY 16
WedNESDAY Jan. 18
DAY 17
THURSDAY Jan. 19
DAY 18
FRIDAY Jan. 20
DAY 19
SATURDAY Jan. 21
DAY 20
SUNDAY Jan. 22
DAY 21
MonDAY Jan. 23
DAY 22
TUESDAY Jan. 24
DAY 23
WedNESDAY Jan. 25
DAY 24
THURSDAY Jan. 26
DAY 25
FRIDAY Jan. 27
DAY 26
SATURDAY Jan. 28
DAY 27
SUNDAY Jan. 29
DAY 28
MonDAY Jan. 30
DAY 29
TUESDAY Jan. 31
DAY 30
WedNESDAY Feb. 1
DAY 31
THURSDAY FEB. 2
DAY 32
FRIDAY feb. 3
DAY 33
SATURDAY FEb. 4
DAY 34
SUNDAY Feb. 5
DAY 35
MonDAY Feb. 6
DAY 36
TUESDAY Feb. 7
DAY 37
WedNESDAY Feb. 8
DAY 38
THURSDAY FEB. 9
DAY 39
FRIDAY feb. 10
DAY 40
Genesis 12 Genesis 32 Exodus 12 Numbers 13 Joshua 1 Joshua 6 Joshua 8 I Samuel 17 II Samuel 6 Judges 7 I Kings 17 II Kings 6 II Chronicles 20 Nehemiah 6 Esther 7 Job 42 Psalm 18 Psalm 27 Psalm 35 Psalm 91 Proverbs 31 Isaiah 40 Isaiah 58 Jeremiah 51 Ezekiel 37 Daniel 3 Daniel 6 Joel 2 Matthew 4 Matthew 21 Mark 5 Luke 24 John 11 Acts 2 Acts 12 Romans 8 I Corinthians 15 Ephesians 6 Hebrews 11 Revelation 12
40 Days in the WORD
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Say
NO
to New Year’s Resolutions! By Dee Marshall
Happy New Year Greatness!
Whatever you do, don’t do it! Don’t play into the season. Don’t jump on the bandwagon. Don’t give in to the norm. Don’t play by the world’s rules. Don’t get caught up into the idea that a resolution is what you need to have the best year of your life. I challenge the idea of a New Year Resolution simply because when we do the same things, we get the same results. I’m sure at some point, we’ve all subscribed to it, but do resolutions really work? No! Don’t do it. You are a child of the Most High and children of the King do things differently. It is a new day and in this new season we have another opportunity to get it right. It’s time for a new way. I am convinced that your saying NO to all things status quo is saying YES to a higher level of living. Opt out of the “New Year Resolution” and typical “goal setting” exercise. Not that goal-setting is a bad thing, but goal-getting is better and best supported when you base it on your values and a powerful intention to change your life. Becoming victorious this year requires intention to bring about a particular result. It has been my intention for some time not to be the same person at the end of the year that I was at the beginning. This year, work on becoming better beyond short-term, temporary changes. Life change will result in something more permanent, which is critical in order for you to have a triumphant year.
Dee Marshall, Founder, Girlfriends Pray Pray@GirlfriendsPray.org www.Twitter.com/GirlfriendsPray www.Facebook.com/GirlfriendsPray
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Write and produce your own script. Life is 10 percent what happens and 90 percent how your respond. Your personal fulfillment is a direct result of your willingness to write and produce your own script. You are responsible for your life. Take responsibility; put it on paper and then surrender your will to God in prayer. “Lord this is the desire of my heart. I know you have a plan for me and I desire to be in your will. If it is your will, let it be done. If not, take the desire and shift my heart. Show me how and where I need to change, and please enable me to do it. Make clear your standard so I don’t fall in the world’s way. In Jesus Name. Amen.”
Pray without ceasing!
Making
Financial Commitments Rather Than
Resolutions for 2012 By Earl Brown
Sometime shortly after Christmas, millions of us will start brainstorming on 2012 New Year resolutions. Some of us will commit ourselves to exercising more, or eating healthy; some of us will promise to quit smoking, or even spend less of our hard-earned money on jewelry, electronics, and fast food. And according to research, most of us will backslide on most, if not all, of our resolutions before we get to the month of February! So, why not try something new this year? Instead of making a resolution to, say, save $20 from every paycheck, why not commit to reducing spending on a few things over the course of the year? How does this suggestion differ from a new year’s resolution? Well, for starters, it allows for gradual change. The vast majority of us are simply not wired to stop something cold turkey—and that’s perfectly fine! An important component of any personal change plan is to embrace your limitations, all the while expecting to challenge—and eventually eliminate— those limitations. Next, pick three or seven things on which you regularly spend money or time, and cut back on them a little at a time. Not only will you allow yourself a bunch of small victories without having to eliminate entirely something you enjoy doing, but the biblical significance of the numbers three, divine perfection, and seven, spiritual perfection, will stay on your mind, and likely inspire your will to succeed. Give yourself three months to get comfortable with the “2012 You”. Reflect on the number of times you “went without,” then calculate the amount of money you saved! Don’t beat yourself up if you simply shifted the money saved to something else! Your victory will lie in your ability to endure self-sacrifice, and your willingness to triumph over the “2011 You.”
WINTER 2012 | ECHOES of Empowerment
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Creating Your Family’s Healthy New Year By Monte Sanders
The New Year for many people is a time of new beginnings. There’s nothing like a fresh start to motivate you to make positive changes in your life. One of those changes needs to be a commitment to being as active and healthy as you can be, and that applies to every member of your household! Some say everything starts with the head of the household. Though it’s most important to be the head of the house spiritually, we must also lead by becoming healthier husbands and fathers. Our grandfathers didn’t go to the doctor, our dads didn’t go regularly, but we can break the cycle! Go to the doctor. Get regular checkups! We can live a life of prevention with that step alone. Eat the right foods, exercise regularly and most importantly, live by faith. “So as a man thinketh, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Ladies, you spend so much time taking care of others, make sure you take care of yourselves with regular health checkups and by making time for rest and meditation. A regular workout routine will help you achieve the health and peace you need. Parents, you can support your children by working out with them and encouraging them to remain committed to your family’s new lifestyle. Whether it’s walking, biking, lifting weights or swimming, just do something! Eat nutritious meals that will provide the fuel needed for work, school and play. This new year, grab your family and get moving. If they’re hesitant about getting started, you set the example through your actions not words. Choose to buy healthy foods for your family. Work out even when you don’t feel like it. Studies have shown that obese parents have a higher percentage of having obese kids. Change your family’s course by setting yourselves up to be triumphant over your health. ➤
Here are a few tips to get you started. 1. Check with your doctor before starting any workout routine. 2. Cleanse and detox. 3. Work your way up to 4 sets of 25 reps of standard push-ups. 4. Work your way up to 4 sets of 25 reps of body squats. 5. Stretch daily and warm-up before your workouts. 6. Do 10 sets of jump rope. 1 minute on, 1 minute rest. 7. None of this will work without proper nutrition. Make wise decisions! 12
WINTER 2012 | ECHOES of Empowerment
Monte Sanders’ HEALTHY FOOD TIPS ✔ Grilled salmon is a great source of protein and omega 3. ✔ Choose steamed or raw vegetables like broccoli, spinach, green/red/yellow peppers and tomatoes. They serve as Vitamin A, potassium and folate; also contain antioxidants which can help rid off or fight cancer. All Empowerment Temple members are invited to a FREE fitness class with Monte Sanders. For more information and to RSVP (required) email services@ sandersoptimumfitness.com and mention this article.
✔ Whole grain oats provide a combination of fiber, folate and magnesium. FAST FOOD CHOICES Try water, unsweetened tea, salads (without croutons, cheese, and creamy dressings) and grilled chicken breast instead of double-decker burgers and super-sized fries. FOODS TO AVOID Sodas, juices with added sugar, potato chips, white rice, white bread, foods containing trans fat, sugar-filled snacks and candies, creamy salad dressings, cooking oil (olive oil preferred) and mayonnaise.
WINTER 2012 | ECHOES of Empowerment
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2O11 Advance Elevate Evangelize
4-Corners Evangelism We took Jesus to 4 major intersections of Baltimore with our Lenten “Are You At A Crossroad” campaign
2011 was the year Empowerment Temple Advanced, Elevated and Evangelized for the Lord. Take a trip back with ECHOES to see how we spent the past 365 days doing just that!
MP3 Crusade Bishop Todd Hall preached, evangelized and prophesied and electrified the sanctuary for four days during the crusade
Tuesday Night Conversations During Pastor Bryant’s Tuesday Night conversations, we spent the summer learning from some of today’s most progressive minds, including: Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Roland Martin, and Dr. Ian Smith.
World War Me II: I Desire Dr. Bryant released the follow-up to his award-winning World War Me series, I Desire
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WINTER 2012 | ECHOES of Empowerment
Youth Power Zone In the spring, Empowerment Temple opened the Youth Power Zone under the direction of our new Youth Pastor, Khalis Lemons
Seniors’ Sunday Took time to celebrate our seasoned members on Seniors’ Sunday
Mayoral Debate
Last Words We continued our Good Friday tradition of hosting The Word Network’s live taping of the 7 Last Words service
Bless Fest
Empowerment Temple stepped into Baltimore’s Mayoral race by hosting one of the city-wide debates
2011’s Bless Fest was Empowerment’s opportunity to bless our members with everything from appliances to cruise trips
Prayer Calls
Favor Fast
Two sets of Prayer calls, in the spring and fall, garnered over 70,000 callers
During November, we strengthened our relationship and our faith through a Church-wide fast
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Pastor Khalis Lemons In May, we welcomed new youth Pastor, Khalis Lemons, and his wife Tiffany, into the Empowerment Temple family. Pastor K, who hails from Oklahoma City, first received his call to preach in the 10th grade. Initially, he thought God was joking, until he accepted the call. Soon after, he started a prayer group at his high school called “Just Say Jesus.” The group, which began with four members, mushroomed to 200 kids who met on a daily basis for prayer. Once word about his preaching spread, Pastor K started speaking around Oklahoma City, and was dubbed “Preach”, mainly because very few could pronounce his name. Being young himself, Pastor K decided to focus his message toward youth, forming and hosting a youth revival, without any church sponsorship. All proceeds from the revival were given to the Ronald McDonald House. The revival’s success led him to the position of Youth Pastor at Antioch Baptist Church in Oklahoma. Soon after, he married his high school sweetheart, Tiffany. After growing Antioch’s youth ministry from 35 to nearly 280 kids, God moved him to Mt. Zion Baptist Church in North Carolina where, throughout his tenure, he ministered to nearly 600 youth. Since Pastor K’s arrival at Empowerment Temple, 102 youth have accepted Christ. He has led our youth through Tuesday Night and Sunday services where he teaches and preaches powerful sermons tailor-made to help them navigate through their world. Together, Pastor K and the youth have hosted several events including Youth Takeover, Back 2 School Initiative, Holyween, as well as sponsored a family for Thanksgiving, and held the first ever youth lock-in, and DIVAS pamper day. Pastor K’s goal for 2012 is to win at everything the youth speak, touch and do! To learn more about the Power Nation’s exciting activities, follow them on Twitter @iEmpowerYouth
Pastor Khalis Lemons and his wife Tiffany Lemons
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WINTER 2012 | ECHOES of Empowerment
The Power Nation Power Zone
Scholarship Sunday
In May, the Power Zone officially opened. Inside the facility, youth participate in educational tutorial classes on Saturdays and also unwind with fun and exciting Christ-centered extracurricular activities.
In June, 26 young people received scholarships from the Bishop Harrison James Bryant Scholarship Committee. On that day, youth and their parents were invited to a mini-College Fair in the Charles Robinson Fellowship Hall where they received information on college enrollment and financial aid.
YPD 2011 has been a busy year for the Young People’s Division (YPD). Over the summer, YPD Director, Sis. Wanda Wilson and her committee took YPD members to the Annual Youth Congress & Christian Leadership Retreat in Hampton, VA, and the Connection YPD Quadrennial in Orlando, FL. In October, Courtney Brunson, Veronica Middleton, William Ford, III and Phillip Crisp were dedicated as Debutantes and Masters at the Baltimore Conference Debutante-Masters Cotillion under the 2nd Episcopal District Debutanne-Masters Commission for the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Power Nation Sundays YPD Debutants/Masters
Scholarship Recipients
Each 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sunday, the Power Nation has their own youth service where Pastor K preaches and teaches the word of God in a manner they will understand. Since his arrival, over 102 youth have accepted Christ.
Youth Takeover In September, the Power Nation took over church services for the Youth Takeover Sunday. That day, youth electrified the church with explosive dancing, singing and ministry to the congregation.
Youth Takeover
Visit the Youth EpiCenter in the lobby if you are interested in joining the Youth Power Nation. To find out what the youth are doing, follow them on Twitter @iEmpowerYouth.
WINTER 2012 | ECHOES of Empowerment
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Phoenix Rising:
Yvette
Cade’s Victory Yvette Cade is a petite woman with a kilowatt smile. Looking at her, it’s difficult to believe that anyone could fathom dousing her with gasoline and setting her on fire, but, in October 2005, that’s exactly what her then estranged husband, Roger Hargrave, did when he walked into her job at a T-Mobile store in Clinton, MD, poured gasoline on her head and shoulders, and then lit her on fire. Hargrave was charming when they met, but after they got married, that charm quickly faded. “It started verbally,” says Cade in a soft voice. “He would call me names and threaten me.” Soon after, the physical violence began, and that’s when she realized she needed to make plans to leave. Yvette and her daughter moved into their own condominium in Southern Maryland after she announced her intention to get a divorce, but it didn’t take him long to find Yvette and to begin stalking her. Not too long after the harassment started, Cade filed a restraining order against him.
Shereen looks on as her sister,Yvette discusses a life of recovery.
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In September 2005, Yvette’s court order was rescinded after Hargrave wrote a letter to the court stating that he was receiving counseling in order to help him work things out with his estranged wife. When Yvette learned of this letter, she went to court and requested for an immediate divorce from Hargrave. Then Prince Georges’s County District Court Judge Richard A. Palumbo dismissed her request and suggested she, “get a lawyer and go to divorce court.” Twenty-one days later, Hargrave entered her workplace and set her ablaze. Her body smoldered nearly forty minutes after the flames were extinguished.
Healing It has been six years since the incident occurred. In that time, Yvette, who suffered 3rd degree burns over 60% of her body and inhaled over 400 toxins into her lungs, spent three months in the hospital, underwent a multitude of operations, excruciating physical therapy, countless skin graftings, and counseling to help her cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, never lost her faith and trust in God. Having her family help her through the healing process also gave her hope. Her mother, a former nurse, relocated from Ohio to Maryland to assist Yvette while she was in the hospital and when she was well enough to be released. While her sister, Shereen Jackson, became Yvette’s spokesperson and the family’s rock throughout the entire process.
The Activist Speaking out against domestic violence and sexual assault is something Cade feels God urged her to do since she was 19. She chose not to do so then because she didn’t think anyone would listen. Since the incident, however, she has been vocal by sharing her experiences as a survivor of domestic violence with churches, groups and organizations nationwide. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Maury Povich, CNN with Nancy Grace, The Michael Eric Dyson Show, and her story was featured on TV One’s Will To Live. Her hope is that other women, and men, in abusive relationships will learn from her experience.
The Next Chapter In June 2006, Roger Hargrave was sentenced to life in prison. When Yvette Cade’s time came to speak at the sentencing, she chose not to condemn her former husband, but to honor God by reciting The Lord’s Prayer. It is that level of faith that sustains her. Even while she was engulfed in flames, she thought of the biblical story... Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and how, while in the fiery furnace, they were not alone. She believes, like them, she was not alone, and that God was with her. She knows it is through His grace that she is alive today. True beauty transcends physical appearance and Yvette Cade inhabits a beauty no flame could extinguish, and a spirit one man’s hatred could not crush. We all should be thankful for her example. For more information on Yvette Cade, including where to make donations, please visit her website at www.yvettecadefund. org.You can also follow her on twitter www.twitter.com/ YvetteCade.
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The Real on Reel:
A Conversation with
Byron Hurt I Am A Man: Black Masculinity in America, Barack & Curtis, If Five-O Shoots. These are some of the titles of filmmaker Byron Hurt’s award-winning documentaries that have been seen by millions around the world. Hurt, who is also a lecturer, published writer, and anti-sexism activist, is on a mission to use his films to dissect race and manhood, and their impact on mainstream American themes, to help his viewers see them through a more keen and informed lens. Byron Hurt is most notably known for his 2006 documentary about misogyny in Hip Hop music entitled Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. The Hip Hop documentary premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, and has since shown at more than 50 film festivals worldwide. Beyond Beats and Rhymes also aired on PBS’s Independent Lens, and garnered over 1.3 million viewers. It was named “one of the best documentary films in 2007” by the Chicago Tribune.
To learn more about Byron Hurt, and to see clips of his films, visit www.bhurt.com. Byron is campaigning to help raise money to continue the production of Soul Food Junkies. Click this link Soul Food Junkies Fundraising Campaign to join the funding campaign that has swept Facebook by storm. Find Byron Hurt on Facbook and follow him on Twitter @byronhurt.
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In his latest film, Soul Food Junkies, Byron tackles the “quintessential cuisine” that is the foundation of African American households: Soul Food. Soul food originated in the Southern United States during slavery, and consisted of the leftover portions of vegetables and meats given to the African Americans working on the plantations. They took those discarded portions of vegetable root tops—dandelion, kale, beets, turnips—and leftover scraps of meats— the feet, the jowls, ham hocks, and intestines, or chitterlings—and created meals that sustained everyone working on the plantations. Times changed, the production of food became industrialized and we, as a nation, began to consume more while burning off less. African Americans that continued to prepare soul food as they had for generations began to suffer from preventable diseases including clogged arteries that lead to heart attacks, elevated blood pressure, diabetes and strokes. In November, ECHOES sat down with Byron Hurt to talk about Soul Food Junkies, what inspired him to produce the film and what he wants us, his viewers, to gain from it.
ECHOES: What made you want to create a documentary about soul food?
ECHOES: What do you want us, your viewers, to get out of watching Soul Food Junkies?
Byron Hurt: Most people of color, African Americans specifically, can identify with soul food, and most of us can also identify family members who suffer from a plethora of health issues associated with consuming soul food. I’m no different. Soul Food Junkies is a very personal life story. It developed from watching the choices my father made with food, and the connection I made between those foods he ate and his obesity.
Byron Hurt: Soul Food Junkies is not a preachy film. It won’t make you feel guilty about the food you eat. I do hope it will help people to walk away thinking critically about what foods they are putting in their bodies, and to be more conscious and deliberate about living healthy lives.
Once I became more aware and started preparing and eating healthier foods, I challenged him to do the same. The topic was very sensitive with my father. He often told me he wanted to eat without having the “food police” around the dinner table. But, it wasn’t until he developed pancreatic cancer, and still refused to change his eating habits, that I decided to examine the culture of Southern food, how it helped to create African American cultural identity, and to understand why my father, and thousands of other African Americans, connect so fiercely with soul food, to their own detriment. ECHOES: What did you learn about the correlation between food and health while making the film Soul Food Junkies? Byron Hurt: Most of the food that were staples in my father’s diet definitely contributed to his illness. In my research, I discovered that people who consume a high fat, red meat diet, are much more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. Those who consume large amounts of pork and pork products, including deli meat and hot dogs, increase their chances of developing pancreatic cancer. My father consumed high volumes of both. As a nation, Americans consume large amounts of sodium nitrates, used to preserve meats, and high fructose corn syrup, used to help extend the shelf life of some foods. Both sodium nitrates and high fructose corn syrup increase our changes of developing preventable diseases. Yet, most Americans generally, and African Americans specifically, continue to add sugar to sweeten beverages and cereals, salt to give prepared food taste, and, more importantly, spend less time exercising than ever before. But, there are people who are changing the food they eat, growing their own gardens that are sustaining communities, and reinventing soul food to create a healthier version of the food they prepared with their families for generations.
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2012 Presidential Election:
Who’s Gets Your
?
With the 2012 Presidential Election coming next year, ECHOES takes one last look at the President, and his Republican contenders, and asks, Who is going to get YOUR vote? Mitt Romney
By Derrick D. Greene
The former Massachusetts governor became the front-runner when bigger Republican names refused to throw their hats in the 2012 race. The good news is Romney has raised more money than any of his opponents. He also has a personal fortune, estimated at $200 million, into which he can tap. Mitt Romney is known by his presidential run in 2008, and the fact that he never stopped running for president. The bad news is that Republican voters believe he is not conservative enough, and that he changes his position on key issues when it suits him. However, money and organization are key to winning an election, and Mitt Romney is winning on both fronts.
Newt Gingrich Newt Gingrich is peaking at just the right time. He received a key endorsement from the most influential newspaper in New Hampshire just before their Primary, and he continues to turn in solid debate performances. Because Gingrich was forced to downsize his campaign over the summer, he is behind the curve in most states. If he can put together a solid organization, win the Iowa Caucuses and the South Carolina Primary, and not make any critical mistakes, he stands a good chance of winning. .
Gov. Rick Perry and Dr. Ron Paul While Gov. Perry and Congressman Paul probably won’t win the nomination, they can make life difficult for Gingrich and Romney. Gov. Perry’s campaign started with a bang, and then fell back to earth with a whimper. Even though Gov. Perry has not been polling well, he is still viewed favorably with conservatives, and has millions of dollars to spend that may persuade a voter not to vote for either Gingrich or Romney. Congressman Paul is probably the biggest threat to Newt Gingrich because he has a dedicated national following, the ability to raise money, and he has an effective organization in Iowa. This could allow Paul to beat Gingrich in Iowa where Gingrich needs a win to keep his momentum going.
President Obama President Obama faces a tough challenge for his re-election campaign. His current poll numbers are at an historic low, unemployment is hovering around 9%, the economy in general shows no real sign of turning around and his foreign policy successes have not made a lasting impact with the voters. The President’s signature domestic policy initiative, Health Care Reform, has been a bigger negative than positive mainly because no one on his team has been able to clearly articulate the benefits of the legislation. This has allowed the Republicans to define it as a waste of time and money.
Why Obama can still pull it out. President Obama is still the President, and, as a result, current polling suggests he would beat each of the likely Republican nominees in a close election. He does not have a primary opponent and he will definitely raise at least twice as much election dollars as the Republican nominee. If President Obama is going to win, it will be by using the political playbook of his predecessor, George W. Bush who won a close election by appealing to his base and getting them out to vote. This proved to be the slim difference between winning and losing. If President Obama is going to win re-election, he will do so by using his money advantage to find his supporters, and “turning out his vote” come November.
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Occupy The Dream For more information about Occupy the Dream Movement and the January 16th protest, visit www.Occupydream.org, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ occupythedream and Twitter www.twitter.com/ OccupyDreamOWS.
Dr. Bryant and Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis announcing Occupy The Dream In 1967, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., along with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), organized the Poor People’s Campaign to address the lack of jobs, income and housing for America’s poor. With this campaign, Dr. King shifted the battleground from obtaining equal rights for African Americans, to obtaining economic equality for people of all races under the umbrella of hardship. It is with the same spirit that organizers behind the Occupy The Dream Movement announced they were joining ranks with the Occupy Wall Street Movement to “condemn income inequality and social injustice.” The Occupy Wall Street Movement is a “people-powered” movement that was motivated by uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya in the early part of 2011. On September 17th, protestors settled upon Manhattan’s financial district to “fight back against the “richest 1% of people who write the rules of an unfair global economy.” The Occupy Movement was so powerful that it inspired others around the nation to join in the protests. On December 14th, Occupy The Dream organizers, National Director Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, and National Spokesman, our own Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, along with other African American faith leaders, held a press conference to announce the launch of the new Movement at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The organizers will breathe life into the Occupy Wall Street Movement that faced a major setback when local city governments disbanded occupy encampments around the country. On the local level, Dr. Bryant and the Occupy Wall Street and Occupy The Dream protestors will meet at the Board of Estimates meeting to protest Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s initiative to close more Baltimore City recreational centers and to stop the construction of the new juvenile detention in Baltimore. Nationally, the Movement is organizing a national initiative that will take place on January 16th, the same day as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial holiday. On that day, they will protest outside Federal Reserve offices around the country, brining crutches, wheelchairs, canes and casts to symbolize how big banks have debilitated the economy. “The same resistance and defiance you saw during the Civil Rights Movement when our grandparents stood for change,” said Dr. Bryant during his sermon on the Occupy the Dream Movement, “is the same resistance you will see as we stand for fiscal change and economic equality.”
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Bringing the Word to the World
Empowerment Temple Media Ministry Every Sunday and Tuesday evening, thousands of worshippers sit down either in the Sanctuary or online to experience the Empowerment Temple Church broadcast. What many may miss is the behind-the-scenes team that work together to make seeing and hearing the services possible 1
Voiceover artist Mykel Hunter 2
Mariam on camera 3
Evan on camera 4
Soundboard 5
Media volunteers during service 6
Robert Booker on soundboard 7
Bobby Marshall working soundboard 8
Barry Davis directing service
Media Team The Media Team, under the leadership of long-time Empowerment Temple member, Barry Davis, is responsible for ensuring not only that each service is seen both in-house and online, but also that PowerPoint announcements run during offering, video commercials air at their appointed time, sermon titles are shown, and so much more. All of the people who work with the ministry are volunteers who either have experience in the field of television production, or were dedicated novices who gained skills, and are perfecting, the craft.
Audio The Sound Team ensures that you will be able to hear the videos shown on screen, the Voices of Empowerment choir singing, musicians playing, and Dr. Bryant preaching. This team is led by Bobby Marshall, sound technician and owner of RCM Productions with over 20 years of experience who designs, builds, implements and maintains sound systems in churches, at major concerts and music venues, and even at the 2008 Inaugural Balls celebrating Barack Obama’s Presidency. His second in command is Robert Booker, who, in addition to being a personal health and wellness trainer, is the audio-visual coordinator for Johns Hopkins University. Booker has done sound for churches and major Gospel recording artists including Jonathan Nelson, Pastor Jason Nelson, Tye Tribbett, Mary Mary and Jeff Jacobs.
Commercials With the assistance of Flowmasters Produtions, the Media Team also produces the commercials you see every Sunday morning. In 2010, Mykel Hunter joined the team. You may not know her face, but you know her voice, especially if you listen to Radio One in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC areas. Hunter, who got her start in Atlanta, has worked in cities across the country and abroad. She brings over 20 years of radio and television experience to the Media Ministry, and adds a touch of class to every commercial you hear.
It takes a village to create the final result of the broadcast you see each week. Each person working with the Media Ministry not only has a heart for Empowerment Temple, but also for the Lord. Their relentless dedication and commitment is reflected through every service, helping every viewer to be a part of Dr. Bryant’s mission to bring the word to the world.
The Media Ministry is looking for members who either have experience in the field of television production, or are quick learners to make a commitment to volunteer. If you are a dedicated member interested in tithing your time to the ministry, email Mediaministry@empowermenttemple.org.
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et BUZZ 2012 The Year of Triumph JANUARY– Victory Over the Enemy 1st Special dual New Year’s Day service featuring Bishop John Bryant and Rev. Cecelia Bryant (www.empowermenttemple.org)
2nd 40 Days of Triumph begins
13th City-wide Job Fair
16th Occupy The Dream National Day of Action Protest (location TBA) Power Nation trip to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
FEBRUARY– Victory for Families 10th 40 Days of Triumph Victory Service
22nd Ash Wednesday
MARCH– Victory for the Community 2nd – 3rd Marriage Retreat
APRIL– Victory Anniversary 6th Good Friday
8th Easter
10th – 14th 196th Baltimore Annual Conference at Empowerment Temple Church
22nd Church Anniversary
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