Liaacc women who shine upcoming event featured in hutimes

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Call or Email / (516) 292-1263 Email: hutimes@aol.com March 8-15, 2018 . “A local , yet global newspaper” . www.hutimes.com

Girl Scouts of Nassau County to hold Cookie Booth Sales at LIRR Stations Girl Scouts of Nassau County (GSNC) announced on today March 5th that troops will be hosting booth sales at various Long Island Railroad (LIRR) stations throughout Nassau County, beginning March 1 to March 23, 2018. As part of the annual program, GSNC troops will set up shop at their local railroad stations in an effort to both gain entrepreneurial experience and provide commuters with the opportunity to buy Girl Scout Cookies ®. The Girl Scout Cookie® booth sales are an essential part of the Girl Scout Cookie® Program, teaching Girl Scouts the five entrepreneurial skills that are essential for every business owner: decision making, goal setting, money management, business ethics and effective communication.

“Girl Scouts are excited to bring their booth sales to local train stations to make buying Girl Scout Cookies® even easier for busy commuters before Girl Scout Cookie® season ends this month,” said Rande Bynum, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “Cookie Booth sales allow girls to better achieve their sales goals and gain additional experience in customer interaction.”

Troops will sell cookies at multiple LIRR stations throughout Nassau County including Mineola, Port Washington, Seaford, New Hyde Park, Massapequa and Garden City. Girl Scouts will be selling Cookies between the hours of 4 and 7pm.

To find the nearest Girl Scout Cookie® LIRR booth, visit www.gsnc.org and use the Cookie Booth Locator tool or download the Cookie Finder app for mobile phones.

The Girl Scouts began more than 100 years ago with the original G.I.R.L., Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low. On March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, Ms. Low organized the very first Girl Scout Troop, and every year since the organization honors her vision and legacy, building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. With programs in Nassau County, across Long Island and throughout the U.S. and the globe, the Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success.

To volunteer, reconnect, donate or join, visit www.gsnc.org or contact Donna Rivera-Downey at 516 741-2550.

WOMAN of DISTINCTION Renee Daniel Flagler

Join us in honoring our member and Executive Director of Girls, Inc. of Long Island, Renee Daniel Flagler as Woman of Distinction on Wednesday, March 14th @7pm at the Uniondale Public Library Renee is a journalist, author, educator, and passionate community advocate.

Save the Date: Monday, March 26 @ 6:30pm Uniondale Chamber of Commerce meeting at Uniondale Public Library 400 Uniondale Avenue, Uniondale, NY 11553. Info@uniondalechamber.com

Do you own a business? Need exposure? It’s proven that there’s no other better way to market your business than through newspaper advertising! At EC Media Strategies, we provide the avenue to market your brand and achieve optimal earning. Try us and see the results. Let’s advertise your business in our print & online publications Call 516.292.1263

Page 2 . March 8-15, 2018 . Hempstead Uniondale Times . www.hutimes.com

Editor’s Note

LADIES of LIAACC Announce 2018 Distinguished Honorees “Women Who Shine”

O

f course, welcome to yet another issue of the Hempstead Uniondale Times.

The month of March is Women’s History Month and we are glad to report to you that in keeping with the tradition, the African-American Chamber of Com-

Mailing Address P. O. Box 1113 Baldwin, NY 11510 Tel: (516) 292-1263 Editorial Staff Managing publisher/editor Elseah Chea Alibert Davies, Deputy Editor & copublisher Graphic Design/Layout KDC Graphics Photography Rodney Seymour . Thomas Humphreys .

Rich Richardson Hempstead/Uniondale Times is published weekly by EC Media Strategies Group.

Submission of letters/articles are welcome.

All materials must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Views/opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the staff and editorial board. Hempstead/Uniondale Times assumes no responsibility for the loss of submitted materials. Hempstead/Uniondale Times reserves the right to edit or otherwise alter materials submitted for publication; refuse to publish materials deemed biased.

Please submit typed-written materials. You may also E-mail materials. Subscription to Hempstead/Uniondale Times is $25.00 yearly.

Visit us at: www.hutimes.com Write editor@hutimes.com

merce of Long Island has chosen and will celebrate women who have distinguished themselves.

Dubbed “Women Who Shine,” these women will be feted at an elegant reception to be emceed by Long Island News12 reporter Averi Harper on Friday, March 23 at Ariana Waterfall, 79 Hempstead Turnpike, West Hempstead, NY. Among the distinguished women to be honored are: Lorraine Aycock, Senior Vice President and Enterprise Business and Community Engagement Market Manager for Bank of America.

Former soap opera star on NBC’s “Another World” Vera Moore now President and CEO of Vera Moore Cosmetics and Skincare.

Debra J. White Director, Supplier Relationship Management, New York Power Authority.

Tatiana Leftenant, a rising star, Tatiana is the CEO and creator of Sheascents, LLC. Her company produces all natural body butter products for people who have skin conditions like her (eczema or psoriasis).

To purchase tickets online log on to https://liaacc.org/ events-calendar/#!event/2018/3/23/ ladies-of-liaacc-honoring-women-whoshine-2018 For Questions, call 516 858-8222 or (844) 542.2220.

Please enter my subscription to Hempstead/Uniondale Times @ $25.00 / year Name ———————————–——————————-—————————————————— Address————————————————–——————————-———————————— City -————————–—–———–————State———————–— Zip —————————— Occupation———————————–——— Phone————————————–——————— Make check payable to: Hempstead/Uniondale Times or HUT P. O. Box 1113 Baldwin, NY 11510 Please allow 4-6 weeks to process. Thank you.

March 8-15, 2018 . Hempstead Uniondale Times . www.hutimes.com . Page 3

Senator Kemp Hannon Announces Sixth Annual Leadership Contest New York state Senator Kemp Hannon recently announced his Sixth Annual Leadership Contest. The contest is open to high school sophomores and juniors in Senator Hannon’s Sixth Senatorial District.

According to a release from the Senator’s office, the purpose of contest is to honor promising young students who have demonstrated real leadership in their communities. The application categories are either Academics, Athletics, Community Service, School or Overall (a combination of the four [4] categories). Information and forms can be found and downloaded by going to www.kemphannon.com and following the links. Applications to be received by March 31, 2017.

Mail to: Senator Kemp Hannon, Attn: Youth Leadership Contest 595 Stewart Avenue, Suite 540 Garden City, NY, 11530 Or email to kathrynaberman@gmail.com.

Winner notification will go out by April 20, 2017. The award ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 4, 2017, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, Uniondale Library Auditorium, 400 Uniondale Avenue, Uniondale.

Comptroller Jack Schnirman Announces Revitalization of Independent Audit Advisory Committee

The Independent Audit Advisory Committee, first created in 2003, will be tasked with reviewing the county’s financial reporting processes and providing oversight of its internal fiscal controls. It will also play an important role in regularly examining the county’s annual external audit. Unlike in previous years, the committee will meet on a quarterly basis so it can generate timely public reports.

The voting members of the committee will include five members of the public who have no conflicts of interest or business related to county government and hold no position in any political party or local government.

The Comptroller, the County Executive or her designee, and a majority and minority member of the Legislature’s finance committee or their designees will serve as ex-officio non-voting members of the committee.

The committee’s will first be tasked with reviewing last year’s external audit findings to ensure the county is currently addressing the corrective actions recommended in the report and adhering to a sound system of internal controls.

“This committee gives local subjectmatter experts who are not connected to government a seat at the table, and its role is too important to not have a consistent meeting schedule or clear goals,” Schnirman said. “We committed to starting this process in our first 100 days in office so this group could get to work helping restore accountability to government.”

Nassau County residents with governmental accounting, auditing, or finance experience who are interested in serving on the committee are asked to visit https:// www.nassaucountyny.gov/4489/ Independent-Audit-AdvisoryCommittee to download and fill out the required form. All positions on the committee are unpaid.

The Office of the Nassau County Comptroller will be announcing other citizeninvolved committees in the coming months that will be established to provide feedback on areas central to the work of the Comptroller’s Office and moving Nassau County forward.

Citizen-led group provides independent oversight of county finances MINEOLA, NY – Nassau County Comptroller Jack Schnirman today announced he will be reconvening the county’s Independent Audit Advisory Committee and accepting applications for new members so the group can begin its review of the county’s finances.

“The Independent Audit Advisory Committee plays a key role in providing much-needed fiscal oversight,” Schnirman said. “This committee acts as another set of eyes and ears, and its feedback will help us develop solutions to address systemic problems like poor fiscal controls or inefficient management practices.”

...your voice since 2005 Visit us online @ www.hutimes.com

Page 4 . March 8-15, 2018 . Hempstead Uniondale Times . www.hutimes.com bearticle titled “Land Expropriation a Victory for Africa.”

“Land dispossession in South Africa, although marred by barbaric violence, was also a legislated policy,” he wrote. “The oppression Mar. 5, 2018 (GIN) – On the eve of Internaof exploitation of the black majority was rational Women’s Day, the United Nations is tionalized under a parliamentary and judicial renewing its call for concrete actions to adframework. This means it is engrained in hisdress the plight of rural women who make up tory and in policy that perpetuates the dire over a quarter of the world population yet are conditions the black majority exists in in this being left behind in every measure of developcountry. ment.

“Central to the (newly-passed) resolution is In an opening statement, UN Underthe agreement not to compensate when exproSecretary-General Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka priating land,” he continued, because “it is applauded a new era for women displaying “a unreasonable to remarkable gathering of strength, speaking Burkina Pres. Kabore and French Pres. Macron expect compenwith one voice, calling for opportunity and sation for land accountability, drawing momentum from theft and the grassroots networks and coalitions that stretch cause they have less strength or intelligence to NEW ANC PRESIDENT criminal process perform rural activities in the agricultural right up to government leadership.”

ENDORSES TRANSFER OF of colonialism. It But rural women, “face unequal day-to-day value chain,” the Benue women’s group said.

LANDS FROM WHITES TO would be justify“This has negative implications for basic food realities because of entrenched socio-cultural ing the rational production and the eradication of poverty.” norms and practices,” noted the Office of the BLACKS of dispossession Special Adviser on Africa. “There is an urgent U.N. Secretary General António Guterres Pres. C. Ramaphosa as an acceptable issued a statement: “Let me be clear: this is not need to step up efforts with concrete actions fact and rewarding theft.

It simply should not March 5, 2018 (GIN) – Barely a month into (to) fulfil the commitments made to rural a favor to women. Investing in women is the be done and the debates in Parliament exhis presidency, Cyril Ramaphosa has taken most effective way to lift communities, comwomen in Africa.” pressed that succinctly.” sides on a hot button issue whose resolution “Rural women account for a substantial pro- panies, and even countries. Women’s particiAmong the initiatives planned to jumpstart had eluded previous leaders. He vowed to pation makes peace agreements stronger, soportion of the agricultural labor force,” afthe economy are: a jobs summit, an investment speed up the seizure of land from white ownfirmed a research and documentation center in cieties more resilient and economies more conference, and compulsory local procurement ers and turn the properties over to blacks. vigorous.”

Nigeria. “Yet they lack access to agricultural in major economic sectors with a focus on “This original sin that was committed when inputs and finance, they have less than 14 peryouth empowerment. our country was colonized must be resolved in cent land holding rights, while culture, tradiFRENCH COUNTERTERROR a way that will take South Africa forward,” he ”Government will undertake a process of tion and discriminatory laws deny women consultation to determine the modalities of the SCHEME DRAWS FIRE IN declared. equal access to government programs at naimplementation of this resolution,” he told the The resolution calling for expropriation BURKINA FASO tional and state levels.”

Assembly. without compensation was introduced by the In Nigeria, over 90 percent of land is held Ramaphosa rejected the torrent of criticisms self-described radical and militant Economic and controlled by men while women as wives March 5, 2018 (GIN) – The so-called French appearing in national and international media.

Freedom Front, and passed 241 votes in agreeor daughters in many communities have little pillar of counterterrorism in West Africa drew There will be “no smash-and-grab of land in ment, and 83 votes against. control over such lands, added Ms Mimido fire this week from Islamic extremists who our country”, he responded.

Sinawo Thambo, provincial chairperson of Akchapa of Women Rights to Education of struck the French Embassy in Burkina Faso the group’s Student Command in the Western Benue (Nigeria). and that country’s army headquarters. Seven —-From GLOBAL INFORMATION NETWORK Cape, exuberantly described the vote in an “They continue to suffer in silence due to soldiers were reported killed, as were eight discrimination on the basis of gender and not attackers. Over 80 persons were injured.

‘UNEQUAL REALITIES’ HOLD BACK RURAL WOMEN, SAYS U.N. ON EVE OF WOMEN’S CONFAB

The incident took place in Burkina’s famed capital city of Ouagadougou. The attack was denounced by French President Emmanuel Macron and U.N. chief Antonio Guterres.

“It is clear from the increase in military activity over the past several years that Barkhane itself and strictly military solutions more broadly are not sufficient to decrease militancy in the Sahel”, said Andrew Lebovich with the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Further, said Lebovich, foreign interventions carry a risk of blowback from a region where American forces are also known to operate, battling insurgencies through ground operations and drone strikes launched from a sprawling military base in Niger.

March 8-15, 2018 . Hempstead Uniondale Times . www.hutimes.com . Page 5

Author Dr. Neva Alexander Book: Females Guide to Understanding Leadership ISBN No. 9781477487617 Author: Dr. Neva Helena Alexander.

Females' guide to understanding leadership (Available on Amazon.com). This book is created from a female’s perspective for women around the world. Unlike many other books about leadership, this one combines practical experience from the classroom, boardroom, and research on women’s studies. The aim of the author is for females to become better leaders in the many avenues of their lives.

Reviews: Females Guide to Understanding Leadership helps you to understand the definition of leadership and you, how to lead with passion, being a critical thinker, groups and teams effectiveness, how to represent values to people, ethics, per-

formance, strategic planning, the dynamics of working in the community, organization, behavior change leadership, gender and cultural influences on leadership, and the link between entrepreneurship and leadership. This book presents case studies to help readers better understand the book.

Females’ Guide to Understanding Leadership will give you an improved perspective on leadership.

“This book is a must-read for ladies who are leaders, in a leadership position and who aspire to be a leader of their community, business and organization. This book also includes case studies that would be a great guide for those who are business consultants/ professionals and students who are studying business in college to gain knowledge. I had the opportunity of meeting Dr. Neva who is the author and having her a guest speaker at an Elevated Ladies Unite Women Executive Leadership Series and she was dynamic.

The book is for women that are looking to be educated, inspired, and elevated.”

—Lithera Forbes, CEO & Founder, Elevated Ladies Unite.

To purchase your copy (s) today log on to Amazon @ http://www.amazon.com/ Females-Guide-Understand and type in Females’ Guide to Understanding Leadership About Dr Neva Helena Alexander Dr. Neva Helena Alexander (Dr. Neva) is currently a faculty member at Prince Mohammad University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a Coordinator for Core Humanities and Social Science in the College of Arts and Science. She received her doctorate in education leadership at Argosy University. She has her Master’s degree in Social Science from Long Island University and her Bachelor’s degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice where she majored in legal studies. Her research interest and specialty include female leadership, leadership styles and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Neva has organized networking events and public relations exposure for businesses and professionals who have been unable to exploit the many marketing opportunities on the internet, within their local communities, nationally and internationally. Dr. Neva has been driven by her passion for leadership, entrepreneurship and education. She was inspired by her mother, a single parent, who from humble beginnings was able to promote herself - through trial and error like most business owners.

To tune in to an exclusive with Dr. Neva Helena Alexander, click http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ don-durant/2012/08/17/spend-...

To book Dr. Neva Alexander as a speaker or for interview inquiries you may contact Dr. Neva Helena Alexander @ neva@nevaalexander.com.

Thursday, March 16th at 8:30am FREE WORKSHOP SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS & START-UPS—in the Ceremonial Chamber of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building located at 1550 Franklin Avenue in Mineola. The workshop designed to assist small business owners with registering to become MWBE-certified, obtain licensing requirements and business certification, and discover lending opportunities. The event also provides valuable business-to-business networking opportunities.

For information, please contact the Nassau County Office of Minority Affairs at ciman@nassaucountyny.gov or call (516) 572-2243.

————————— HEMPSTEAD PUBLIC LIBRARY ADULT WORKSHOP

JOB INTERVIEWING TIPS Wednesday, April 25, 2018 7:00pm – 8:30pm Careful planning and preparation contribute to positive interview outcomes.

Participants learn what to do before, during and after a job interview. This workshop covers how to: conduct research, answer challenging questions, write thank you letters, and present references. The program will be held in the Community Room. Registration is required for this free program. ****** Info, contact (516) 481-6990 ——————

Do you want news that is specific to your community?

Do you want to know what’s happening in your community?

Hempstead City News is exactly what you are looking for!

We are a cultural paper for the community.

We offer local, national, as well as international news. Most of all, look to us for current happenings in your community.

We promote local people and businesses.

Saturday, April 28, 2018 12-2:00 PM Hofstra Summer Camps and Nassau BOCES Open House—pre-collegiate summer programs for grades 6-11. @Nassau BOCES Barry Tech Center 1196 Prospect Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 Sate-of-the-art facilities and about programs in: Culinary Veterinary Music Production Graphic Design Mechanical and Automotive Aviation Construction Trades Digital Media Production and MORE!

Page 6 . March 8-15, 2018 . Hempstead Uniondale Times . www.hutimes.com

Take It or Leave It …

Now!

Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers

Q. My daughter has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-ADHD and I’m having a hard time finding a summer camp that will accept her and that will understand her special needs. How can I find her a good special needs camp?

A. It can be very hard to find a summer camp for children who have any kind of learning disability.

For any summer camp, you need to start looking now!

First, you must decide if you want a fun camp, day care or an academic camp.

Either way, camps should involve fun.

Second, you want to find ones that will accommodate your daughter’s needs.

How much do they know about ADHD? How do they discipline? Are they easy to contact, especially in an emergency? Do you want day camps only or overnight camps? Are there enough adults per child? Then finally, you want one that fits your budget. To accomplish this, you must start looking early. Here are some resources that I hope you find helpful: 1. The National Dissemination Center for Children with Special Needs (NICHCY) http://www.nichcy.org/ InformationResources/Pages/camps.aspx provides this quick connect to camps and summer opportunities (Feb 2010).

2. CHADD Summer Camp Award Fund 2010. www.chadd.org/Content/CHADD/ M e m b e r s h i p / S u m m e r C a m p A wa r d / default.htm Awards of up to $8,000 each designed to help parents or guardians.

3. ADHD-LD Summer Camp Guide http://www.additudemag.com/adhdguide/camp.html Learn how specialized camps can benefit your child, and search the camp programs listed in the ADHD Summer Camp Directory.

4. ADHD Summer Enrichment Camp at the Leelanau School. Introductory program from July 18-23 intended for students entering grades 5 through 12 and their parents. http:// www.drhallowell.com/blog/adhd-summer -enrichment-camp-at-the-leelanau-schooljuly-18-introductory-and-july-25-2010advanced/ 5. Looking for Special Needs Camps?

Summer Camps Directory http:// www.summercampsinfo.com/categories/ special-needs-summer-camps.asp 6. National Directory of Day and Residential Camps, Camp Easter Seals. http:// www.easterseals.com/site

7. The American Camp Association (ACA; 765-342-8456), one of the largest camping organizations in the U.S., also operates a "find a camp" service at CAMP -a Resource for Families.

8. SOAR, Inc. is a non-profit wilderness adventure program for AD/HD and LD youth.

9. National Camp Association, Inc (NCA). By phone (800-966-CAMP).

Also http://www.summercamp.org/.

10. National Camp Association - Guidance and referrals. http:// www.summercamp.org/guidance/ 11. KidsCamps.com includes a directory listing for Special Needs Camps and Military Camps.

12. CampSpecialists.com - summer camp referral program.

13. Bridges4Kids http:// www.bridges4kids.org/ SummerCamp.html has a comprehensive listing of Summer Camps across the nation.

14. Religious camps at http:// www.ccca.org/. Also, check out your local YMCA, churches, community organizations, libraries, schools and colleges for camps close to home and small enough to accommodate your daughter.

Good luck!

——–Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist. Author of They Say I Have ADHD, I Say Life Sucks! Thoughts From Nicholas and coauthor of 365 Ways To Succeed With ADHD (available at www.Amazon.com), she teaches in the Hempstead School District and is a member of the National Education Writers Association. You may contact her at speechlrb@yahoo.com. Website www.AskLisaAnne.com.

Right

Ever watch the game show Let’s Make A Deal? A costume clad audience member is faced with several prize options and must make an instant decision as to which to choose. Curtain #1? Maybe curtain #3? The prize choice must be made quickly; after all, it’s only a 30 minute show!

Some salespeople ask for an instant decision from their customers. With a one-time customer, as with a retail sale, asking for a quick decision is expected. After all, in retail, the mall closes at 9, and customers must vacate the premises.

But when building a long-term relationship with a customer, salespeople might want to rethink the quick sale approach.

“Take it or leave it…right now” might make a potential long-term customer sprint away faster than the Road Runner. Build a relationship with a long-term customer by avoiding hard -sell, I-need-a-decision-right-now-or-nothing pressure. Instead of demanding an instant decision, ask your customer for a time you can visit or call to get a decision. With a returning customer, take the time to build the relationship. The return on your patience might just be a life-long client.

——Gail Lewis, M.A., teaches Communications and is a corporate trainer with The Communication Depot (www.TheCommunicationDepot.com); and never passes up an opportunity to watch Star Trek.

March 8-15, 2018 . Hempstead Uniondale Times . www.hutimes.com . Page 7 Celebrity Interview—Actress Nefertite Nguvu

Nefertite Nguvu—“In the Morning” Interview with Kam Williams

Nefertite: Though it’s been a five-year journey from script to screen and now to wider distribution, we shot the film in Brooklyn in just eight days.

Kam: What's your next project?

Nefertite: I’ve got two short narrative projects I’m working on now that I’m very excited about. One I’m in postproduction on entitled, “Myself When I am Real,” and another I’ll be shooting this summer in collaboration with AT&T as part of their "Hello Lab" program.

In Harmony with Nefertite!

Nefertite is a graduate of New York’s School of Visual Arts, where she obtained a B.F.A in Film. Her thesis project at SVA won the award for outstanding screenplay. Nefertite has written, produced and directed two short films: a uniquely stylized black and white romance entitled “I Want You,” and “The End of Winter,” an emotional meditation on loss, both of which screened at numerous film festivals.

Amongst other web-based programming, Nefertite also directed a ten-part web series featuring Queen Latifah for Cover Girl and Flavor Unit Entertainment entitled 'U.N.I.T.Y. Re-ignighted', 'Love Star' a mini music documentary, as well as an eight-part web series entitled 'Black America Again' featuring Academy Award-winner Common for Universal Music and Freedom Road Productions.

As a writer/director/producer, Nefertite made her feature film debut with “In The Morning,” a film about love and its inevitable change/decline charting the emotional anatomy of several relationships over the course of one day. “In The Morning” delves into the emotional landscape of contemporary black life in a way rarely seen in modern cinema.

The picture debuted at the Urban World Film Festival in New York City and won the Audience Award for Best Feature Film. After a string of successful film festival screenings across the country and in Paris, Rome and Johannesburg, the film also won the award for Best International Film at the Terra Di Siena Film Festival in Italy, Best Narrative Feature at the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia, and Best Feature Film and Best Overall at the Bronzelens Film Festival in Atlanta.

The film is now available worldwide via Video on Demand.

"In the Morning" will be showing in Philadelphia on Friday, May 26th at 7 pm at the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, located at 3401 Filbert Street. Following the screening, there will be a conversation between Nefertite and multimedia visual artist Sosena Solomon and questions from the audience.

To find out about future screenings of In the Morning elsewhere around the country, visit: http://inthemorningthefilm.com/ Kam: Hi Nefertite, thanks for the interview.

Nefertite: It’s my pleasure, Kam. Thank you for taking the time.

KW: What inspired you to write In the Morning?

Nefertite: I was very inspired by the women in my life. I wanted to make a film that reflected and honored the women I know. There are so many overlooked narratives when it comes to black women. In The Morning is my love letter to women: beautiful, smart, elegant, vulnerable, sensitive, complex black women

Kam: What's your dream project?

Nefertite: : I don’t often have a lot of time to cook, usually a quick tofu and veggie stir-fry is my go to!

Kam: Sherry Gillam would like to know what is the most important life lesson you've learned so far?

Nefertite: To stay the course.

Kam: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

Nefertite: I see a lot of the faces of the women in my family and my father’s eyes.

who don’t often get to see themselves in movies.

Nefertite: I’d love to adapt one of James Kam: If you could have one wish instantly Baldwin’s novels. That would be a dream granted, what would that be for? project, for sure.

Nefertite: I’d wish for a just world.

Kam: How would describe the film in 25 words or less?

Kam: AALBC.com founder Troy Johnson asks: What was the last book you read?

Kam: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

Nefertite: Our film is about something we’ve all wrestled with, this terrible and beautiful animal: love. It explores romantic love, but it’s ultimately about the power of self-love.

Nefertite: The last book I read was filmmaker Kathleen Collins’ recently published book of short stories entitled, “Whatever Happened To Interracial Love.” https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ ASIN/1783783400/ref=nosim/thslfofire20

Nefertite: Not that I can think of… other than, work-wise, I’d love for someone to ask if they could finance my dream project!

Kam: How did you go about assembling your cast?

Nefertite: Our cast came together pretty organically. We were working with a small budget, so there was no casting director. I reached out to members of my filmmaking community for recommendations: Emayatzy Corinealdi, JoNell Kennedy and Jacky Ido came to me that way.

I also chose to work with some artists I’ve known for awhile whose work I loved, like De’Adre Aziza, Kim Hill, Numa Perrier and C.J. Lindsey. I feel very lucky to have this lovely and talented ensemble cast.

Kam: I interviewed Emayatzy for Roots.

She was nominated for an NAACP Image Award this year for her performance in the miniseries. Why did you pick her to play Cadence in your film?

Nefertite: It’s great to see her continue to shine. I chose her for many reasons. Emayatzy brings a lot to our film. She is quite beautiful and brings a delicate balance of hubris and humanity that draws us into the complex emotional world of her character, Cadence. She’s wonderful!

Kam: What message do you want people to take away from the film?

Kam: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?

Nefertite: Frank Ocean’s cover of "At Your Best." I’m kind of obsessed with it! https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=dTCwpNQ5_7A Kam: Ling-Ju Yen asks: What is your earliest childhood memory?

Kam: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you'd like to direct?

Nefertite: There are so many these days, which I think has been a great way to introduce some films to a new audience. It’s daunting to think about taking on a classic, but one I’ve always loved that I think would be interesting to redo is Elevator To The Gallows.

Kam: Judyth Piazza asks: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

Nefertite: My earliest childhood memory is probably walking while holding the hands of my father and my sister.

Nefertite: The key quality that stands out to me for many is grit.

Kam: Was there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?

Nefertite: Ha! The usual necessities, and a ton of receipts from a shoot this past weekend.

Nefertite: Yes, my mother was a very spiritual person and she made that a very grounding component of my upbringing.

Kam: Finally, what’s in your wallet?

Kam: Thanks again for the time, Nefertite, and best of luck with all your endeavors.

Kam: Who loved you unconditionally dur- Nefertite: Thanks so much, Kam. ing your formative years?

Nefertite: I am very fortunate in that I felt To see a trailer for In the Morning, visit: loved unconditionally by my entire famhttps://vimeo.com/213676676 ily.

Kam: What is your favorite dish to cook?

Nefertite: In The Morning explores the lives of beautiful but imperfect people navigating their way through life and love challenges, without placing judgments on anyone. We are all human and therefore all flawed. Our message is really about deepening connection, intimacy and empathy. More than anything else, I want our audience to see true and deep reflections of themselves.

Kam: You wrote, directed and produced In the Morning. What was it like having to juggle all those responsibilities?

Nefertite: As a first time feature filmmaker, it was daunting. But I was incredibly determined to get this film made. So, I threw myself wholeheartedly into each of these responsibilities and worked very hard. It was not easy to manage it all.

Luckily, I had a lot of support. I’m so proud of the film we made.

Kam: How long did it take to make the movie?

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Page 8 . March 8-15, 2018 . Hempstead Uniondale Times . www.hutimes.com

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