Steppin Out (November 2010) by R H Greene

Volume 10, Issue 04

E E R

AT IC BL U P

N IO

NOVEMBER 2010

Mobile International Festival 2010

REFLECTIONS A young lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, what should I do?” He said “keep driving”. Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was getting worse. “What should I do?” The young lady asked? “Keep driving,” her father replied. On up a few feet, she noticed that eighteen wheelers were also pulling over. She told her dad, “I must pull over, I can barely see ahead. It is terrible, and everyone is pulling over!” Her father told her, “Don’t give up, just keep driving!” Now the storm was terrible, but she never stopped driving, and soon she could see a little more clearly. After a couple of miles she was again on dry land, and the sun came out. Her father said, “Now you can pull over and get out.” She said “But why now?” He said “When you get out, look back at all the people that gave up and are still in the storm, because you never gave up your storm is now over.” This is a testimony for anyone who is going through “hard times”. Just because everyone else, even the strongest, gives up. You don’t have to...if you keep going, soon your storm will be over and the sun will shine upon your face again. D

Do you LOVE the Arts! Music? Dance? Drama? Would You Like More Cultural Activities for Adults in Mobile? Are You Tired of Traveling Out of Town to See Plays, Concerts, Festivals? Do You Enjoy Working With Children? Do You Have Writing Skills, Computer, Graphic, Web Design Skills, or Office Skills? Can You Sell Ice to Eskimos in Alaska?

If You Answered Yes to Any of These Questions,

WE NEED YOU!

Submitted by Kathryn Hardy Jones of Colorado

Legacy 166 had a great first Season of Operations. Next Year should be Better and it will get Better with your help!

We are looking for Volunteers

Veterans Day Lunch

The Mobile Area Veterans Day Committee is planning its annual

Veterans Day Luncheon

The lunch will honor Ann-Margret as Patriot of the Year and COL (Ret.) Patrick Downing as Veteran of the Year. November 11, @ noon (doors open at 11:30 a.m.) Fort Whiting Armory in the Brookley Complex following a parade down Government Street at 10 a.m.

to work with us next season with our Newspaper (Steppin’ Out), Event Marketing, Day of Event Operations, Office Help, Web Design and Maintenance, Focus Group Recruitment or Participation, Event Participation (Actors, Actresses, Dancers and Musicians), etc.

Interested?

Cost to attend the lunch is $15 per person -or- $120 for a table of eight (8) For lunch reservations, contact Ailey Shirazi Phone: 251-431-8621 E-Mail: ashirazi@mobilechamber.com.

If so, e-mail us at legacycenter166@aol.com

ACY 16 EG

You Can Help Us Make A Difference In Mobile’s Cultural Experience!

Passing Our Heritage To Future Generations!

PAGE 02

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

just my opinion A mosque near 911 Ground Zero sends a message to the world about the American Christian majority. That message, also being sent to other Americans, is that Americans believe religious freedom is reserved for Christians and is contingent on the current political climate for other religious beliefs. Such thinking got us into that mess in the first place; fueled hate by militant Muslims around the world, took advantage of the underdeveloped Third World countries for financial gains, and continues to pursue the same policies that topple governments not cordial to Western philosophies. The American Majority, whoever the legislator believes them to be, are making a mockery of our laws and the ideals of freedom. They get radical and emotional legislation pushed through that criminalized customs, family interactions, and even regarding domesticated animals. They ignore a broken criminal justice system that favors the majority and fills the prisons with minorities. The politicians, like big business, only seek financial gains and fail to exercise wisdom and common sense when dealing with social problems. Our Constitution and the Bill of Rights guarantees certain rights and privileges to all citizens of the United States but the majority conveniently put this our of the reasoning process for selfish reasons. Freedom is not a bed of roses. The majority does not rule in all cases. If everyone took more time to comprehend our basic tenant rather than to insist on creating hysteria, life would have less turmoil. Willie Henry Reid, Mobile The views expressed in Just My Opinion are those of the letter writer and are not necessarily shared by Steppin’ Out or its employees. If you would like to respond to the views expressed in this column or if you want to comment on other subject matter, please e-mail us at steppinoutnews@aol.com or write us at: Steppin’ Out • PO Box 6781 •Mobile AL 36660.

COVER STORY

mobile International festival 2010

SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH

diabetes awareness month

About...

JEWELS OF ALABAMA STEPPIN’ OUT is a subsidiary of Legacy 166 Inc., a non-profit organization with a Mission to; provide Educational, Career, and Economic opportunities for Youth and the Underserved of Diverse Cultures; make available Cultural Activities for community participation; and deliver Quality of Life Skills Training through the Arts and Community Collaborations.

The State Street A.M.E. Zion Church

STEPPIN’ OUT provides quality of life information to the community each month at no cost to the reader. Even though STEPPIN’ OUT is not a “hard news’ publication, the columns submitted by our contributors touch on subjects that address a wide range of community and cultural issues. Regular features include articles on health, history, entertainment, and finance. Articles on fashion, literature, and technology are some of the subjects that are occasionally featured. STEPPIN’ OUT and Legacy 166 Inc., will continue to expand their roles in the community by offering internships and career training, and youth development and work opportunities. Volunteers are always needed with this mission. STEPPIN’ OUT welcomes your comments and suggestions regarding this publication. For information on advertising, to comment on subject matter, or to volunteer your services, please contact us at:

sports

2010 Game Schedules

Steppin’ Out PO Box 6781 • Mobile AL 36660 • (251) 533-5726

steppinoutnews@aol.com

STEPPIN’ OUT reserves the right to refuse any advertisement it deems inappropriate for our readers or that does not meet the publications standard of quality. Publisher.......................................................................................................... Greg Cyprian

EVENTS CALENDAR

This Month’s Contributors...

Arthur Mack

Featured Article...

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

PAGE 03

LEGACY 166 NEEDS YOUR HELP! Be a Part of the Cultural Renaissance!

Join a legacy 166 Focus Group! Youth/Adult Education Group Performing Arts Group Fine Arts Group Professional Artist Group Cultural/Theater Arts Group Technology Group Health Education Group Audience Development/ Marketing Group

E-mail us the group you are interested in and your

contact information

legacycenter166@aol.com Also,Visit us online!

www.legacy166.com

PAGE 04

Executive Director LEGACY 166

Center, where we’re involved with teen pregnancy education. We do relationship education for teens in the schools. We will be starting marriage education classes, reading and health literacy classes, and GED classes. ” Cyprian said there are also plans to restart the African-American Cultural Series. “You would be surprised of the number of people in this community that have been trained in the theater. We will announce very soon the formulation of a professional theater company. Auditions will be announced soon and I am hopeful that we can begin to produce shows as early as the spring of 2011. I strongly believe that if we build this slowly, there are already enough people here to support it. We could be successful with under a hundred people for each performance. With proper audience development within a few years we could be up to a few hundred people. That’s all we will need to continue to have a successful repertory theater.” Cyprian is also excited about the programs Legacy 166 is developing for young people. “We’ll also start a summer arts program where children up to age 18 will be able to be exposed to music, arts, etc.,” he said. “The great thing about this community is that there are many talented individuals already in place. Teachers, artist, you name it-they are here. My work experiences in Mobile have exposed me to many of them and I will be calling upon them as we move forward. Our children are in need of those talents. Legacy 166 will be one of the vehicles to get them to meet.” D

Y C 1 A 6 G E

Here is your opportunity to create positive change to your community through the Arts. Legacy 166 is looking for persons that want to contribute their Time, Skills, or Opinion. Step Up, Reach Out, and Make a Difference! E-mail us at legacycenter166.com and tell us how you would like to help.

ACY 16 EG

Legacy 166 is a Non Profit 501(C)3 organization located in Mobile, Alabama with a Mission to provide Educational, Career, and Economic opportunities for Youth and the Underserved of Diverse Cultures; to make available Cultural Activities for community participation; and to deliver Quality of Life Skills Training through the Arts and Community Collaborations.

Greg Cyprian

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

the Cotton Club in New York City and as it exist today in places like the Blue Note in New York and Yoshi’s in San Francisco. I envisioned a place where that type of elegant nightclub would be re-created.” By a twist of fate, the idea soon changed. “Beginning in 1986, the Lord began to work on me, letting me know what I needed to be doing,” said Cyprian. “When I came to Mobile from Richmond, Virginia in 1990, I was working for the SMG Group at the Mobile Civic Center. It was during the time that the schools in Mobile were working toward getting a tax passed for more funding. The thing that I kept hearing was if the tax measure didn’t pass football and the arts would be cut off. The thought of cutting off the arts struck me.” After leaving the Civic Center in 1995, Cyprian started organizing programs to get young people involved in the arts. “I started the African-American Culture Series, and brought in Alvin Ailey, Shades of Harlem (a Cotton Club Revue), Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity, The Nutcracker Swing (a black adaptation of The Nutcracker Suite), and Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” he said. “The schools packed out every performance, but the reason I stopped doing it was because the adult performances were empty. Initially I couldn’t figure out why that would be. I finally realized that the main reason the adults were not coming out was because the vast majority of them were not exposed to the arts as children so they saw no entertainment value in these types of cultural productions. I knew then that the only way to have these types of activities successfully play in Mobile would be to develop the audiences— that starts with our children.” As a result of that experience, Cyprian said, Legacy 166 was formed with several goals in mind—among them to expose children to the arts so that another generation would not grow-up not knowing what the arts were about. “The arts improve the quality of life in the community for children and adults.” Cyprian said. “I feel that this community is hungry for low-cost quality entertainment. Because Legacy 166 is a quality of life organization that masquerades as an arts organization, we will provide a number of Quality of Life services to this community. Not only are we involved with the arts, but we also have a program called Just the Facts, located at the Mobile Teen

Passing Our Heritage To Future Generations!

t’s hard to believe that a movement geared to educate young people about the arts started out as an idea for a high-scale jazz club. Yet Legacy 166, the brainchild of Greg Cyprian, has slowly, but surely made a foothold in educating children about the importance of the arts. Under the auspices of Legacy 166, dance programs, entitled “Let’s Dance”, were done at Craighead and Leinkauf Elementary Schools. A three-week pilot program was done at Craighead with funding from the Mobile Opportunity Club, and a full six-week program was done at Leinkauf with funding from the “Support the Arts” License Tags. In addition, Legacy 166 is also starting a program at schools which will feed into Williamson High School to improve the low graduation rate. A children’s theater series will also begin this spring where Legacy 166 will work with kids in second-grade and under in an effort to introduce children to the theater. The series includes such classics as Jack and the Beanstalk, Hansel and Gretel, and Beauty and the Beast. To understand Cyprian’s passion for Legacy 166, one has to understand how the project started. “I got a heavy dose of the arts in school,” said Cyprian, who grew up in the Ponchatrain Park area of New Orleans, located in the city’s Ninth Ward. “The best thing about the New Orleans school system, as well as the city itself, is that they’re all about culture. The children were heavily exposed to the arts. The other thing was the parents that lived in Ponchatrain Park wanted to make sure that their kids were engaged iin cultural activities and the arts.” That exposure to the arts came back to affect Cyprian while he was living in Philadelphia. “My God Brother visited me, and he asked me about going with him to see a play,” he recalled. “I laughed it off, but he reminded me about the culture and history we were exposed to in school. As it turned out, his brother (Wendell Pierce of The Wire and Treme’ fame) who was performing in The Glass Menagerie at the University of Pennsylvania. I enjoyed the play, being back in the theater environment, and watching the audience really get into the play.” Not long after that, the idea for Legacy 166 came into being—although it was in an entirely different form. “The idea for Legacy 166 started in 1986 as a jazz club,” Cyprian said. “I wanted to do a jazz club based on how jazz was performed in places such as

ACY 16 G E

The Many FacEts of Legacy 166 by Arthur L. Mack

Passing Our Heritage To Future Generations!

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

COVER STORY

Mobile International Festival Presents...

mmerse yourself with foreign languages at the 27th annual Mobile International Festival. Prepare to have fun as you travel the world on Saturday, November 20th, at the Mobile Civic Center & Expo Hall from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Embark on your Passport to Adventure! Learn greetings in many languages! Listen to the Children’s Chorus during Opening Ceremony. See the Parade of Flags that starts from Expo Hall and ends at the Main Arena. Start your adventure when you visit the continents of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Make new friends. Shopping is everywhere. Engage in hands-on-art activities. Listen to tales from storytellers. See an authentic Japanese tea ceremony and Ikebana demonstrations. Visit the David McCann Art Gallery. Meet look-alike Capt. Jack Sparrow in his shipwreck. Let your children dress up as pirates for fun. Enjoy musical sounds as they speak to your soul! Be surrounded by music from the world with non-stop entertainment from the Lobby, Main Arena and Expo Hall stages. Matsuriza Japanese Drummers, Kenya Safari Acrobats, Guitarist John de Chiaro, Mithril Celtic Band, Spanish Flamenco Dancer John

Jaramillo, Celtic Musician Red McWilliams, McGuire Irish Band, Romanstreet Band, Accordionist Julie Council, USA World of Music Group, Bordello Rhythm, Mexico’s Tuna de Derecho, Chinese Shaolin Martial Artists and Trinidad & Tobago’s Brasil Rx4 Steel Orchestra are just a few performers that will entertain you! What is a festival without scrumptious and delicious food, yummy desserts and exotic drinks from 30 countries? Head to the Main Arena and Expo Hall where you will find a large selection to choose from that is guaranteed to satisfy your taste! Choose your favorite beer or wine from three concessions. Enjoy the fusion of international food and drinks with non-stop entertainment and you have the incomparable “International Food Fest”. Purchase food and drinks with cash. Food tokens valued at $0.50 each from previous years are accepted. No more lines to purchase food tokens! The bigger, people-friendly Mobile International Festival promises a world of many cultures in an unforgettable must-see family experience sure to be remembered for a long time. Visit www.mobileinternationalfestival.org or call (251) 470-7730.

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

“The World Of Languages” Admissions – Adults $10.00; Seniors 65-up years - $8.00; Children 7-15 years - $5.00; free 6 and under.

Advance tickets at $1.00 off from Mobile Civic Center Box Office at (251) 208-5812.

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

PAGE 05

STEPPIN’ OUT ON HEALTH Steppin’ Out remains committed to providing our readers with health related information. We especially remain focused on AIDS, Cancer (Breast and Cervical for women, Prostate for men), Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease. We are still searching for ways to expand our coverage of these killers in the African American community to a full page each. If you or your business would like to sponsor one of these pages, please call us at 533-5726 or e-mail us at steppinoutnews@aol.com and help us to help the entire community.

November Is Diabetes Awareness Month

Diabetic Eye Disease or Retinopathy... A Complication from Diabetes

ong-term diabetes can cause blood vessels in the retina of the eye to break down, leading to loss of vision and even blindness. Doctors don’t know the cause. There are two things people with diabetes can do to slow, and perhaps prevent that complication with the help of their doctors; Keep blood sugar and blood pressure as close to normal as possible. Secondly, have regular eye exams with eye drops to detect any early signs of eye disease, such as small problems in the blood vessels of the retina. These early signs, called “background retinopathy,” usually do not affect eyesight by themselves, but they can lead to a more dangerous stage, called proliferative retinopathy. In this second stage, new blood vessels build up in the retina and branch out into the vitreous humor in the middle of the eye. These blood vessels break and bleed easily, causing a blood clot that steals sight.

A patient with background retinopathy should have eye exams more often. The sooner retinopathy is found, the better. If retinopathy advances and the changes are spotted soon enough, eye doctors do have treatments to prevent blindness in some cases. They can use lasers to seal damaged blood vessels, preventing them from forming the blood clots that can cause blindness. However, these treatments must be given at just the right time, before serious damage is done to the eye. Until researchers discover the causes of diabetic disease keeping appointments for eye exams can make the difference between keeping or losing eyesight. D

Department Of Public Health Lists Fish Consumption Advisories The Alabama Department of Public Health announced this week that the following fish consumption advisories are still in effect in Mobile County and off its coast because of excessive levels of mercury found in certain species of fish: • Big Creek Reservoir: Limit consumption of largemouth bass to one meal per month • Cold Creek Swamp from conflu ence of Cold Creek with the Mobile River west through the swamp: Do not consume any fish. • Escatawpa River at U.S. Hwy. 98 bridge approximately 1/10 mile upstream of the Alabama/Mississippi line: Men should limit consumption of largemouth bass, and spotted bass to 1/2 serving per month (or one serving per two months) and black tail redhorse and channel catfish to one serving per month. Women of childbear ing age, pregnant women and children less than 15 years old should not eat any.

PAGE 06

• Fowl River: Men should limit consumption of largemouth bass to 1/2 serving per month (one serving per two months). Women of child bearing age, pregnant women and children less than 15 years old should not eat any. • Gulf Coast: Men should not eat king mackerel over 39 inches and should limit their consumption of king mackerel under 39 inches. Women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children less than 15 years old should not eat any. • Mobile River at and south of the confluence with Cold Creek: Do not consume largemouth bass. Note: One serving consists of 6 ounces of cooked fish or 8 ounces of raw fish. The advice contained in this release and complete listings of the posted fish consumption advisories (www.adph.org) are offered as guidance to individuals who wish to eat fish they catch from various bodies of water throughout the state. No regulations ban the consumption of any of the fish caught within the state, nor is there a risk of an acute toxic episode that could result from consuming any of the fish containing the contaminants for which the state has conducted analyses. D

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

MOBILE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPOTLIGHT

SWAT project receives funding

n behalf of the Alabama Department of Public Health, Sen. Rusty Glover (R-Semmes) on October 19 presented a check in the amount of $28,000 to representatives of Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT). The presentation took place in front of Semmes Middle School, where SWAT members from Bryant High School were speaking in classrooms to approximately 500 sixth graders about the dangers of tobacco use. The state funds are allocated to the Mobile County Health Department and its TEEN (Teens Encouraged through Education and Nurturing) Center for tobacco prevention and control projects that are designed to protect youth from the dangers of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. The funds enable SWAT groups from five schools to make peer-led tobacco awareness classroom presentations to 3rd-8th graders and to work to educate the community and

city leaders of the importance of strong tobacco control laws to the prevention of youth use of tobacco. The funding will also allow for the continued promotion of tobacco cessation services that can accessed by going to www.AlabamaOuitNow.com or by calling 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8869). The services include free master’s level counseling and four weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy patches if the user is actively engaged in counseling and is medically eligible. Counselors are available at both services from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Messages can be left after those hours and will be responded to during the next business day. A Spanish-speaking counselor is available, and other languages are available as needed through a translator program for the phone service. D

Health Occupations Career Fair watch a surgery simulation and go though rehabilitation procedures, among others. Mobile and Baldwin county public and private schools are scheduled to attend the two-day event. Students who meet GPA and other criteria and are interested in healthcare careers can sign up with their counselors to attend. “Trained healthcare professionals are in high demand and students looking for a rewarding and challenging occupation should consider one of the many career options in healthcare,” says David Powell, coalition chairman. “There are diverse opportunities in healthcare that represent many career tracks. At the career fair, we strive to expose the students to these exciting careers in an interactive way. Students will deliver hands-on simulated care, which will give them a better understanding of the work performed in healthcare. We hope to encourage many students to participate in this unique experience.” D

• Now in its ninth year, SWAT has grown to include groups at Bryant, Davidson, LeFlore, and Murphy high schools, and Phillips Preparatory School. • SWAT has more than 150 members. • Last year, SWAT members made 90 presentations that reached 10,208 students in grades 4-8 at 42 schools.

Did you know?

• Ninety percent of adult smokers begin smoking on or before their 18th birthday, and 60 percent start using tobacco before age 13. • A survey taken in Mobile County in 2009 found that 30.3 percent, or almost one in every three, of 9th-12th graders had used tobacco in the previous 12 months.

SWAT is funded by the Alabama Department of Public Health and the DeBakey Foundation. For more information about SWAT, call 690-7508.

New SWAT Members Trained to be Anti-Tobacco Advocates On September 30, 87 incoming members of Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) received six hours of training to prepare them for their roles as anti-tobacco advocates. The training included sessions covering tobacco awareness and policies, tactics of the tobacco industry, health-related tobacco issues, and presentation skills. The training was conducted at Davidson High School by Cathy Clothier, who is

the SWAT coordinator, and seven current SWAT members. According Clothier, more than 10,500 kids under 18 in Alabama will become new regular smokers this year; and approximately 174,000 of those under 18 who now smoke will die prematurely because of their smoking. To help combat this, she says, SWAT members serve as peer educators in elementary and middle schools. D

ACY 16 G E

The seventh annual Health Occupations Career Fair will be held Thursday, November 4 and Friday, November 5 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mobile Civic Center Expo Hall. As the signature project of the Bay Area Healthcare Coalition and Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Workforce Development, the event will be open to high school students (grades 9, 10 and 11) interested in exploring healthcare professions. Unlike any other occupation fair, this event allows students to experience different healthcare professions actively. The students follow mock patients from the scene of a head-on collision (to be staged in the Expo Hall parking lot) and the emergency 911 call through a series of exhibits representing the hospital departments that an actual victim would see upon admission. Exhibits will have specific activities tied to the victims’ diagnoses, for example, students will intubate mannequins in the EMS exhibit, review x-rays for broken bones in the radiology exhibit,

SWAT facts

Passing Our Heritage To Future Generations!

Visit Us Online

www. legacy166.com November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

SWAT members from Bryant High School pose with the check that Sen. Rusty Glover (R-Semmes) presented to the organization on behalf of the Alabama Department of Public Health on October 19.

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

PAGE 07

Child Abuse Prevention Funding

ight organizations in the Mobile area have been awarded grants totaling $281,000 to fund 11 programs that address the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Milton Jackson, Field Director for the Alabama Depart-ment of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, will present checks from the state’s Children’s Trust Fund to the organizations tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Government Plaza Atrium.

On hand to accept the checks will be representatives of the Mobile County Health Department’s TEEN Center, YMCA’s Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Alabama, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Mobile, Exchange Club Family Center of Mobile, Goodwill Easter Seals of the Gulf Coast, Gulf Regional Childcare Management Agency, Preschool Center for the Sensory Impaired, and United Cerebral Palsy of Mobile.

Calling All Centralians The newly organized Central High School Wildcats Alumni Association is happy to announce that, in keeping with tradition, the 2010 Central Weekend will be held on the weekend of November 19-21, 2010. The Chair is Dr. Yvonne Kennedy and the Co-Chair is Arthur Spears. The newly organized Planning Committee presents the following activities for the Weekend: Friday, November 19, 2010 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Old Fashioned Bonfire with hotdogs and disc jockey Saturday, November 20, 2010 10:00 a.m. Parade Immediately following parade... All Central Classes Block Party 8:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. Extravaganza/Maroon and White Scholarship Ball

The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) was created to encourage, promote and fund community-based programs whose purpose is to prevent child abuse and neglect. For 2010-2011, more than 160 programs in the state are being funded. They address prevention through parenting education and support, home visitation, mentoring, school-based programming, after-school activities, public awareness and training, father-

Alphas Phi Alpha Tickets Are on Sale for Blood Drive The goal was to collect 44 units of United Cerebral blood. The end result was 49. That was the outcome of the Beta Omicron Lambda Palsy’s Food Chapter’s 12th Annual Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc., Blood Drive held Sept. 25, 2010. & Folly The Alpha Project is held in conjunction with Sickle Cell Awareness Month and is cosponsored by the University of South Alabama (USA) Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, Sickle Cell Disease Association of America and Franklin Primary Health Center, Inc. According to Dr. Johnson Haynes, Professor of Medicine and Director of USA Sickle Cell Center who chaired the blood drive, there were 43 whole units of blood donated and six units donated via the ALYX Machine, a special type of donation process that doubles the contribution.

Sunday, November 21, 2010 3:00 p.m. Recognition Ceremony (Honorees-Class of 1960) Subscription for the Extravaganza/Maroon and White Scholarship Ball is $35.00 per ticket. Tickets can be purchased at York’s Barber Shop, 962 Dr. Martin Luther King Avenue, on November 6th and 13t from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. For more information concerning the ticket sales, you may contact your class representative or you may call this number: (251) 648-8948.

Let’s Keep That Good Ole Central Spirit! Contacts: Dora Gaines Simpson @ (251) 457-9455 Arthur Spears @ (251) 648-8948

hood initiatives, and respite care. The annual grant process is competitive, and selection is based on effective and measurable prevention programming. For more information about the process, CTF programs or the importance of preventing child abuse and neglect, visit the CTF Web site at www.ctf.alabama.gov or contact the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention at (334) 242-5710. D

Michael Mitchell, a member of the fraternity, signals number one as he donates a whole unit of blood. (Photo submitted by Herb Jordan) D

Now is the time to decide if you are going to Food & Folly because tickets are going fast! For $30 per person (or $50 per couple), guests can taste delicious food from up to 15 local restaurants while sampling a variety of red and white wines. The event begins at 6:30 pm on Thursday, November 11 at the Mobile Carnival Museum. There will be free museum tours throughout the evening for guests. In addition, United Cerebral Palsy of Mobile will host a silent wine auction, and Debbie Stewart - accompanied by Sean Worrell, Corey Johnson, and Steve Jacobs - will perform live jazz in the Float Room. A number of local restaurants and caterers will be on hand to offer a taste of some of their best cuisine, and guests will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites. Here is a sample of our participating restaurants: The Battle House, Spot of Tea, The Mediterranean Sandwich Co., Chef Rob & Co., Cortlandt’s, Hopjack’s, The Shed, Naman’s Catering, The Royal Scam, The Blind Mule, Liquid/ Dauphin St. Taqueria, Jamaican Café, The Royal Knight, Creative Catering, and more. For more information, please contact Gina Johnson at 251.479.4900 or via e-mail at rjohnson@ucpmobile.org. D

Park Dedication to Boost Appeal of Only City Park on Dog River Dedication of the new playground at Dog River Park on Saturday, November 6 offers a compelling recipe for added healthy and fun adventures in Mobile’s only City Park on Dog River, formerly Luscher/NAVCO Park. Take top-ofthe line playground equipment. Add children in local neighborhoods and children from the Dog River Watershed, whose parents are launching their boats. Mix in a scenic educational and recreational setting designed to maximize

PAGE 08

usage of Dog River Park. Estimated yield: 1,000 healthy and happy children and parents. “Members of Dog River Clearwater Revival have been working for years to improve Dog River Park. This addition of playground equipment will be a tremendous asset not only for the children of surrounding neighborhoods, but for all children who come with their parents to launch boats and participate in activities at the Park,” said Dog

River Clearwater Revival Co-Chairs Ann Stein and Claire Wilson. Thanks to the hard work of City Councilman John Williams, Mayor Sam Jones, and others this dream has become a reality. Often feeling left out on the peninsula of the City, this new playground equipment gives all of our residents hope that our children are indeed remembered. Dog River Park has a kayak/canoe launch, four boat launches, a football

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

field, a basketball court, an educational native plants project along the south shoreline, and, finally, a new playground. Please join us for our much-anticipated dedication of the playground at Dog River Park, formerly Luscher/NAVCO Park, 2259 Dog River Court, Mobile, Alabama, on Saturday, November 6, 10:00 a.m. D

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

The Urban Paradigm

New Election, Same Issue

The Importance of the Vote in the 2010 Elections! The Importance ofYouth the Youth Vote inMidterm the 2010 Midterm Elections! By Chandra Motley

nce again, another election season is upon us and both the Democratic and the Republican parties need the help of all voters to secure their House and Senate seats in the White House. Just like the 2008 elections, both parties are relying heavily on the “Youth Vote” to make this election a big turnout at the polls. Why the Youth Vote is so Important? To gain knowledge of why the youth vote is a factor in politics, is to understand what the term means. Generally, youth vote refers to young adult voters in the age bracket of 18-29. Both parties have realized young adults show up at the polls in unprecedented numbers. In 2008, young adults were educated about the importance of their vote and told their friends and their friends told their friends. Before you knew it, there were campus awareness groups educating and promoting youth voter turnout.

The most unique and inspiring part about youth voters, is not only will youth voters show up election day, but they will also encourage and organize ways to get others out to vote as well. Struggles with the Youth Vote Until the 2008 election, political parties have always struggled with getting young adults to show up at the polls. Many issues play a major role in why many young adults do not exercise their right to vote. some of the major issues with the youth vote • Young adults feel their votes do not make a difference • Lack of interest in politics • Secure in the idea that their favored political party will be victorious • Relying on others to vote • Busy lifestyles What can be Done? In the day and age of the reign of Twitter and Facebook, political parties messages can now reach the masses.

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

Both political parties have tapped into connecting with young adults through social media outlets that interest them the most. Promoting education about voting in these outlets makes getting the message spread faster and effectively. Even some political candidates have appeared on television channels such as VH1, BET and MTV. Candidates hope by appearing on the channels young adults watch most, increases the importance of their vote and spreading knowledge regarding politics. Bottom line, youth voters need to exercise their right to vote, regardless who is on the ballot. Just because it is not the Primary or General elections, does not mean that one can “just sit this one out.” Let us not forget, the results from the 2010 Midterm Elections impact the 2012 Elections. Youth voters more than ever, literally hold the future in their hands. Young adults can make a difference in their future and futures to come just by one vote. D

“

Let Us Not Forget, the Results from the 2010 Midterm Elections Impact the 2012 Elections

”

CHANDRA MOTLEY

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

PAGE 09

Tim Hall: “Scouting For Youth” by Arthur L. Mack

or Tim Hall, the impact of his involvement with the Boy Scouts came when he was part of a Scouting field trip to Tuskegee not long ago. There, Scouts were exposed to college life when they visited Tuskegee University, and saw other sites, such as the city itself as well as the airfield where the famed Tuskegee Airmen trained to become fighter pilots. “A lot of the Scouts we took have never been out of Mobile, or even on a college campus or a farm,” said Hall, himself a native of Tuskegee and the District Representative for the Mobile Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Hall, who has been the District Representative for the Mobile area since April 2006, said that it was an eye-opener for the Scouts who went on the trip. “The exposure the kids got from that trip to Tuskegee was amazing,” he said. “The kids were met at the airfield by the Tuskegee Airmen themselves, along with the Organization of Black Airline Pilots. The kids actually flew on the planes that were at the museum, and when they got off the planes, the change was immediate—they stood tall, and their chests were out. It changed their lives by letting them know that there was more to life than what they saw in their neighborhoods.” As District Representative, Hall is responsible for what he calls the 3Ms —money, membership, and manpower.

“Basically, I’m responsible for fundraising, membership recruiting, leader recruiting, and getting programs together,” he said. “The major fundraiser we have is the Golden Eagle Dinner (scheduled for April 2011), where people are invited to come out and make a pledge to Scouting,” There are 300 Boy Scout Councils in the United States, with District Representatives in each one responsible for day to day operations. “The executives drive the program,” said Hall. “There has to be someone to recruit and train volunteers. There are also rules and regulations that we have to go by, and we also have to set up lesson plans.” Once a month, Hall gets with volunteers for training and roundtable discussions. “We have a whole cadre of people with different experience levels who bounce different ideas around,” he said. “We get quite a few ideas that will help our program.” Hall has been involved with the Boy Scouts in one way or another for most of his life. He started as a Cub Scout and rose to Eagle Scout, was a Cub Scoutmaster at Mary B. Austin Elementary School, and also served as a Scoutmaster for a troop sponsored by his fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma. Naturally, when the District Representative slot in Mobile became available, Hall jumped at the chance. “The guy I replaced didn’t have

experience as a Scout,” he said. “The volunteers there took him under their wing. It helps having been a Scout to be a District Representative, but it’s not required. Having the background helps, though.” Tim Hall, Sr. As with many District Representative positions dealBoy Scouts of America, Mobile Area Council ing with youth, being a District Representative “The Mobile area’s membership is way has its challenges, especially with up,” said Hall. “In fact, the Southern fundraising, In spite of a precarious Region was the only one in the country economy, Scouting in the South— to show positive growth. I think it’s particularly in the Mobile area—has because of the values we have here been pretty strong. in the South. God is still part of the “We’re up from last year in money Boy Scout code, and values are still raised,” said Hall. “It’s very important prevalent here.” we raise money because the more money In addition, there are plenty rewards, we raise the more programs we can do. particularly when it comes to serving However, we always run into a problem Scouts in low-income areas and having with fundraising, particularly in lowthem involved in things such as the income areas. We talk to boys and Tuskegee trip. parents about registration fees, and “When I go to low-income areas, the we’re beginning to see more parents guys are more excited,” said Hall. “They struggling to come up with the fees see they can do more things then they than in the past.” Despite that, said can normally do, and at the same time, Hall, membership in the Mobile area have fun learning.” D is way ahead of last year.

Royshanda Smith-Jackson: Community Medical Servant by Arthur L. Mack

hen Dr. Royshanda SmithJackson finished her OB-GYN fellowship at Tulane University in 2006 and her residency at the University of Louisville in 2007, many expected her to go on and work in private practice. She did—for a year, anyway. Then, she realized that she could make more

Royshanda Smith-Jackson OB-GYN Greater Mobile Physicians for Women

PAGE 10

of an impact having her practice in the community. As such, she teamed up with Dr. Ronald Clarke and is now part of the Greater Mobile Physicians for Women, located at 1155 Hillcrest Road and 4230 St. Stephens Road. The Greater Mobile Physicians for Women treats patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds, but especially helps Medicare and Medicaid patients. “When I came back to Mobile, I worked with a private group, but realized I could be of service in a community setting,” said Smith-Jackson, who is married to local banker Marc Jackson, but still is known by her maiden name. “I was hoping to pair up with someone who shared my philosophy about health care in the community. “Dr. Clarke had the same idea, because when he grew up in his native Barbados, he saw how it was important to have health care in his community.” Smith-Jackson said her father, Prichard dentist Roy Smith, inspired her to be involved with having a community practice. “With his office being in Prichard, he was able to serve the lowest economic sector,” she said. “My father was very supportive of my plan, because I

wanted to help those who were not able to pay for medical care.” Smith-Jackson, in addition to serving the community, has one other distinction—she is the only African-American female OB-GYN in Mobile. That may come as a surprise to her patients, who are steadily increasing in number, due in part to the fragile economy. “My patient load is steadily increasing,” she said. “Many patients that come in say that didn’t know that there was an African-American practicing gynecology. But with the economy now, we have people who are good working class folks who can’t afford healthcare.” How then, are Smith-Jackson’s patients able to handle expenses with the economy in bad shape? Simple—it’s just a matter of adjusting prices. “Dr. Clarke and I got together and said, “Let’s just cut prices,” she said. “We cut prices and get in as many people as we can. Our patients are just paying for surgery, and we’re cutting physicians’ fees and fees for clinic visits.” Currently, the patient load covers age groups ranging from age 14 to 90. As such, there are different types of screenings.

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

“There are many types of screenings for the age groups we have,” said Dr. Smith-Jackson. “We have to let them know what types of screenings they need, and when they are needed. We also help them with follow-up appointments.” Smith-Jackson, who also hopes to establish a practice in downtown Mobile, feels that her mission also involves education: “At speaking engagements, we’re trying to stress there is someone who is out there who is willing to open their doors. Some people think that you can only go to local clinics, and we want people to know that they can go to a more private setting, and that’s what we’re offering.” In addition, she also wants to stress the importance of maintaining good health. “We also always try to push prevention, because prevention is the key,” she said. “You can stop something from happening before it starts, because you can get a better prognosis, because in the long run, prevention is cheaper.” D

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

Williamson High School presents...

‘The Tale of Leroy Scrooge’ A Mixture of Christmas Tradition with an Urban Twist

uch is the case of ‘Leroy Scrooge,’ a play that is a takeoff of the popular Christmas story ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. While most of the play is based on the classic, the main character, instead of a miserly old businessman, is a young man in the ‘hood who is in the drug trade. The play will be presented to Mobile area schools on December 2 and 3. A special community show will be presented at Williamson High School on Friday, December 3 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5. Kim Tooks, the play’s producer, is a drama teacher at Williamson who appeared in numerous plays, films, and television productions in New York and Atlanta. She also has Southwest Alabama roots, as her family was raised in the Sunflower community of Washington County. Assisting Ms. Tooks is Mobile’s Theola Bright, along with Mobile native Gwendolyn McCants-Mulamba, who has appeared in films such as Head of State (with Chris Rock) and The Hurricane (with Denzel Washington), as well as television series such as Law and Order and Guiding Light.

There are 15 Williamson High students—freshmen through seniors— involved in the production. They will help with sound effects, casting, and production. “A Christmas Carol” is one of my favorite Christmas stories,” said Ms. Tooks. I’ve seen many versions of the play, and the first year we did it at Williamson, it was done with a student named Jarrick Williams as the main character. Now that we’ve revamped it, it’s quite different.” Like the traditional Scrooge, Leroy Scrooge is out for the almighty dollar, but he is heavily involved in the drug trade. Leroy’s partner, who is shot to death after a botched drug deal, is named Marley, as is the traditional Scrooge’s partner. And like the traditional Marley, the new Marley is sent down by angels to warn Leroy Scrooge of his evil ways. In addition, Bob Cratchit is replaced by Bobbie Cratchit, a single mother with two children. The youngest child, a son, is doomed to die because of the lack of health insurance. “Scrooge is an inspiring story based on a young man who is doing the wrong thing but has a chance to redeem him

Kim Tooks self,” said Tooks. “It’s a great story of inspiration and love, as well as getting a second chance of changing (for the better).” “Ms Tooks has a real opportunity with this because she will see students from some of the feeder schools and will get a chance through this production to peek their interests and get them excited about the arts,” said Cyprian. “Almost all the plays we do will help make a better person, community, and world.” D by Arthur L. Mack

Gwedolyn McCants-Mulamba

Theola Bright

Felicia Allbritton

Stellar Awards© Gospel Announcer of the Year Nominee The Cumulus Mobile team needs your support for a very deserving servant of the Lord and our community. Felicia Allbritton, Program Director and midday air personality for WGOK Gospel 900/660 AM, the Heritage Gospel Radio station serving the Mobile community for over 52 years, has been nominated for the Stellar Awards© Gospel Announcer of the Year. You can honor and recognize her contributions and lifetime of service by voting for her. Log on to http://ccptv.onlinects. com/vote2010.asp. Deadline for casting your ballot is Monday, November 22, 2010. All about Felicia Felicia began her radio career

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

in 1978. She was the receptionist at WBLX FM, then owned by Beasley Broadcasting and currently one of the five Cumulus Mobile stations. Several years later, she made a cross-town move to WGOK to become its Traffic Director. Allbritton became an on-air announcer for WGOK, a position she held for 16 years. She was appointed to the Program Director position during that time. Felicia hosts “Brighter Day”, Monday through Friday, 9am-2pm. Under her leadership, WGOK was nominated four times for the Stellar Awards© and two-time Stellar Award© Radio Station of the Year winner. This prestigious award, the Grammy© of gospel music, is presented to radio stations that excel in the gospel music industry. In 2008, Allbritton received a Commendation from Alabama Governor Bob

Riley for outstanding service to the City of Mobile and Gulf Coast Region. Felicia Allbritton is a... • Lover of God and mankind • Mobile native • Daughter of Betty Allbritton • Proud mother of three sons • Proud grandmother of five granddaughters and one grandson • Member of St. Stephen AME Church, Mobile, AL, where she is Officer’s Board steward, Sunday School teacher, president of the Pastor’s Aide Board, Missionary Department treasurer and choir member

Support Felicia! Vote now! Share this link on to your friends! http://ccptv.onlinects.com/vote2010.asp

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

PAGE 11

JEWELS OF ALABAMA AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE TRAIL

The City of Mobile has an interesting, but vastly unknown history of the contributions of its African American citizens. The “Jewels of Alabama” section of STEPPIN’ OUT will feature some of those stories by highlighting the African American Heritage Trail (AAHT). Here we will showcase an AAHT Marker, a story, and when available, a photo. Steppin’ Out would like to thank Dora Findley, founder of the African American Heritage Trail, for allowing us to present this outstanding project. To obtain more information about the African American Heritage Train or individual Markers, please contact Dora Findley at 251-533-0994.

The State Street A.M.E. Zion Church

The State Street A.M.E. Zion Church National Register of Historic Places This church is believed to have established its congregation in the 1820’s, in a small wooden church on St. Michael Street. This original site burned in early 1854.

A SU AHT 20 BJEC OF T 24

The building, currently on State Street, was completed later that year.

Local Therapist/ Flower Fantasies Florist & Gifts Photographer Celebration of Life Remembrance Casket Spray Works Displayed Bernard Nicolas, a Haitian-American photographer and therapist based in Mobile is having an exhibition of 28 prints representing some of the most inspiring photographs taken during his international travel over the last 27 years. The title of the exhibit is “The Universal Spirit of Light”. The photo exhibit is available free to the public at the Mobile Arts Council, located at 318 Dauphin Street during the entire month of November. This image entitled “The Door of Shame” is a composite image taken in Senegal on the island where the “Door of No-Return” still exists as the port through which millions of slaves where loaded on ships and never returned home. For additional information, please call 251-432-9796 or email me at Bernard@inaglow.net. D

3766 Moffett Road • (251) 344-2882

www.flowerfantasiesflorist.com You man apply to your insurance coverage when making arrangements. Most funeral homes will reimburse your Florist of choice.

PAGE 12

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

Local Church to Celebrate Annual Fall Festival

The Church of the Good Shepherd’s Annual Fall Festival will be held on November 6 at 605 Donald Street from 11am until 5pm. Entertainment includes a step show featuring some of Mobile’s best young step teams, The James Seal Community Center Marching Wonders at 1pm, and line dancing later in the afternoon. Foods available include Barbecued Ribs, Fried Fish, Polish Sausage, Hot Dogs, Candied Apples, Cotton Candy, Drinks, and baked goods. For the children, there will be games, face painting, inflatables, a cake walk and other activities. The church is issuing this special invitation to all and is looking forward to sharing this fun day with you. D

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

FOOTPRINTS IN HISTORY

Zora Neale Hurston

Novelist, Folklorist, and Anthropologist

ora Neale Hurston was a major contributor to the Harlem Renaissance. Her earthy lyrical writing helped to define southern black culture and has influenced generations of black American literary figures. The majority of biographical accounts list the year of her birth as 1901, in 1903, and in recent years 1891. Recent evidence has placed her birthplace as Notasulga, Ala. Zora was the fifth of eight children of John and Lucy Ann Potts Hurston. Her father was a Baptist preacher, tenant farmer, and carpenter. At age three her family moved to Eatonville, Florida, the first incorporated black community in America with a then population of 125, and of which her father would later become mayor. To Zora, Eatonville would become a utopia, glorified in her stories as a place black Americans could live as they desired independent of white society and all its ways. Her mother died when she was thirteen. Upon reaching adulthood Zora was working as a domestic, still leading an itinerant life, with little schooling. She was in Baltimore in 1917, when through the aid of her employer she entered in Morgan Academy (the high school division of Morgan College (now Morgan State University). Though twenty-six years old at enrollment, she listed her age as sixteen and 1901 as the date of her birth. She matriculated to Howard University in 1918. There she was inspired by the professor of philosophy and authority on black culture Alain Locke and decided to pursue a literary career. In 1921, her first short story, “John Redding Goes to Sea”, was published in the Howard literary magazine The Stylus. She published “Spunk” in the black journal Opportunity and caught the attention of such poets as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen, who were active in an artistic movement called the Harlem Renaissance. Zora transferred to Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia University, where she was offered a scholarship in anthropology (she would take her B.A. in 1928). And being in New York City, she quickly became a recognized member of the movement. The Harlem Renaissance was a period during which black artists broke with the traditional dialectal works and imitating white writers to explore black culture and express pride in their race. This was expressed in literature, music, art, and other forms of artistic expression. Zora and her stories about Eatonville became a major force in shaping these ideals. Additionally, she combined her studies in anthropology with her literary output. Studying

under the famed professor of anthropology Franz Boas, she undertook field research (1927-1932) in the south with a fellowship from the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History during which she collected folklore and interviewed Cudjo Lewis, in Plateau, Alabama in the area now known as Africatown. Her results where published in the article “Cudjo’s Own Story of the Last African Slaves” in 1927, which forty-five years later was found to have been plagiarized from Historic Sketches of the Old South by Emma Langdon Roche (1914). In 1930, Zora and Langston Hughes collaborated on a play Mule Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life. However, they became embroiled in a dispute over who deserved credit and the play never saw production. In 1934 her first novel Jonah’s Gourd Vine was published. Set in the fictional

Sanford, it tells of Jonah, a black Baptist preacher who is abundant in emotion and has a weakness for women. In 1935 Mules and Men was published. It is an investigation of voodoo practices in black America and focused on Florida and New Orleans. From 1936 to 1938, Zora studied in Jamaica and Haiti. This laid the groundwork for Tell My Horse (1938), a travelogue and a study of Caribbean voodoo. Zora’s second novel was Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) told the story of a quadroon named Janie and her three marriages. It was praised as beautiful, touching, and irresistible. In 1939, Zora’s second-to-last novel Moses, Man of the Mountain was published. A modern version of the biblical story with a black voodoo magician named Moses as the main character, it was credited as being realistic and

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

poetic, but it drew criticism for being unfulfilling as a whole though the characters were painted convincingly. Her autobiography Dust Tracks on a Road (1942) was a commercial success. Her final novel Seraph on the Suwanee (1948) was set in Florida in the early twentieth century and was about a white family. Throughout her literary career Zora garnered much criticism for her failure to address the subject of racism as meted out by the white American society in her portrayals of black society. Zora seemed to view the entire world from the perspective of Eatonville, a place that blacks could be sovereign from all of white society, even the segregation that enveloped it as a southern town. Many of her contemporaries felt she was not seeing the whole picture, and as the civil rights movement burgeoned in the years after World War II and the majority of black writers adopted this as a theme, Zora’s literary appeal waned. Then her reputation was scathed in 1948 when she was accused of molesting a ten-year-old retarded boy; the charges were later dropped. Despite this scandal, it was much of Zora’s own doing that tarnished her reputation. She wrote an article in 1950 attacking the right of blacks to vote in the south, charging that votes were being bought. Then she railed the desegregation ruling in Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Ks. in 1954, on the grounds that black children did not need to go to school with white children in order to learn; to this many civil right leaders took umbrage. Zora wrote for such right wing publications as American Legion Magazine and campaigned for the ultraconservative Senator Robert Taft of Ohio for the GOP presidential nomination in 1952. This only alienated black America more and more. Poverty and obscurity marked Zora’s last years, during which she worked mostly as a domestic-as she had started out. She worked on a book The Life of Herod the Great, but never completed it. Illness finally overcame her when she suffered a severe stroke in 1959, after which she was committed to the Saint Lucie County Welfare Home in Fort Pierce, Fla. It was here that Zora Neale Hurston died of hypertensive heart disease on Jan. 28, 1960. For all the opprobrium that Zora Neale Hurston received later in her career, the brilliance of her literary works cannot be denied. Future black writers such as Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison and Alice Walker were greatly influenced by her books, and ironically they have addressed the issue of prejudice in their books. D

Music Artist Spotlight Tony McGhee born in Washington, D.C. into a very musical family, McGhee watched his father for years writing songs and performing. It gave him the desire to want to do the same. Through hard work and dedication, Tony grew as a musician. Now one of the most highly regarded drummers around, Tony has had the pleasure of traveling with such professionals as E.U. — you remember the hit song “Da But”, Peaches & Herb, Trouble Funk and Wilson Pickett’s “Midnight Movers.” Now Tony McGhee is residing in Philadelphia MS, by way of Landover, MD where he continues to grow as a drummer, singer, and song writer. His drum influences include William “Ju Ju” House, Ricky Wellman and Dennis Chambers (all from the Maryland area). His band is called Elements Of The City and they are ready to bring their brand of smooth jazz to the Gulf Coast and surrounding areas. Keep your eyes and ears open for the smooth jazz sounds of ELEMENTS OF THE CITY featuring Tony McGhee. For more information call 391-6585 or e-mail Drew664@gmail.com or Tonydrummer1@yahoo.com or visit tonydrummer1@yahoo.com.

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

Mobile Dates: November 24 The Party Gra November 07, 21, 28 Club Elegance December 03 Party Gra December 26 The Gulf City Lodge

PAGE 13

2010 Football Schedules (All Home Games Are Capitalized)

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

ALABAMA COLLEGIATE FOOTBALL

Regular Season

SOUTH ALABAMA

N. 06 HENDERSON STATE.........4:00 pm N. 11 ARK.-MONTICELLO..........6:00 pm

N. 07 at Carolina................................ Noon N. 14 BYE WEEK N. 21 SEATTLE.............................3:05 pm N. 25 at Dallas...............................3:15 pm D. 05 at Cincinnati............................ Noon D. 12 ST. LOUIS............................3:05 pm D. 19 at Baltimore............................. Noon D. 27 at Atlanta.............................7:30 pm J. 02 TAMPA BAY............................ Noon

ALABAMA

N. 06 at LSU....................................... TBA N. 13 MISSISSIPPI STATE............... TBA N. 18 GEORGIA STATE..................... TBA N. 26 AUBURN................................... TBA

ALABAMA A&M

N. 06 ALCORN STATE.................1:00 pm N. 13 at Mississippi Valley............1:00 pm N. 20 PRARIE VIEW A&M...........1:00 pm

ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM

N. 06 MAESHALL.........................3:15 pm N. 11 EAST CAROLINA................7:00 pm N. 20 MEMPHIS............................3:00 pm N. 27 at Rice........................................ TBA

ALABAMA STATE

N. 06 JACKSON STATE...............7:00 pm N. 13 at Southern...........................5:30 pm N. 25 TUSKEGEE.........................1:00 pm

AUBURN

N. 06 CHATTANOOGA ..................... TBA N. 13 GEORGIA.................................. TBA N. 26 at Alabama................................ TBA

JACKSONVILLE STATE

N. 06 at Eastern Kentucky............6:00 pm N. 13 S’EAST MISSOURI STATE..3:00 pm N. 20 at Tennessee Tech................6:00 pm

Faith’s Rhodes Gets SEC Offer Faith Academy’s 5′9″ Jasmine Rhodes picks up her first of what’s sure to be many offers. Rhodes while on an unofficial visit to University of Alabama was pleasantly surprised when she was extended an offer to continue her studies and basketball career with Coach Hudson’s Crimson Tide. Although Rhodes enjoyed her visit and was extremely grateful and humbled by all the attention. She will leave her options open and let the recruiting process play itself out. Rhodes a very rare blend of athletism and power has drawn interest from several SEC and ACC schools. Rhodes is taking all the

interest in stride and is focused on her studies and the upcoming season. (Article taken from Bama Prep web site: http://www.bamaprepgirls.com) D

Mobile Theatre Guild presents “The Last of the Red Hot Lovers” The Mobile Theatre Guild will present “The Last of the Red Hot Lovers”, a comedy by Neil Simon. It will be directed by Mike McKee, with Technical direction by Mark DuBruyne and Set Decoration by Jim Larrison. It will take place on November 5-6, 12-14. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8pm.

PAGE 14

Sunday matinee is at 2pm. A special Veteran’s Day performance will be presented on November 11, honoring our veterans. Regular admission is $16; Senior/Military/Students $14. Reservations/Information @433-7513 or online at mobiletheatreguild.org. D

MILES

N. 06 MOREHOUSE.................. 1:00 pm

NORTH ALABAMA

N. 06 WEST ALABAMA............. 6:00 pm N. 13 at Harding......................... 2:00 pm

SAMFORD

N. 06 WOFFORD........................ 2:30 pm N. 13 at Chattanooga................ 12:30 pm N. 20 THE CITADEL.................. 2:00 pm

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

N. 06 at Tulane........................... 2:30 pm N. 13 at UCF............................. 11:00 am N. 20 HOUCTON........................ 6:00 pm N. 26 at Tulsa.............................. 5:30 pm

TROY

N. 06 at North Texas........................TBA N. 13 FL INTERNATIONAL...... 2:30 pm N. 20 at South Carolina....................TBA N. 27 WESTERN KENTUCKY........TBA D. 04 at Florida International.... 1:00 pm

TUSKEGEE

N. 06 LANE................................. 1:00 pm N. 25 Alabama State................... 1:00 pm

WEST ALABAMA

N. 07 at North Alabama............. 6:00 pm N. 11 VALDOSTA STATE.......... 7:00 pm

Christian Benevolent Funeral Home

A Study In Classical Architecture When it comes to architecture in downtown Mobile, few places are as eyecatching as Christian Benevolent Funeral Home, located on N. Hamilton Street. So eye-catching is the structure, which has been in its present location for well over a century, was presented with an architectural award from the city of Mobile. The structure has also been honored by several other local organizations for its architectural style, and is part of Mobile’s African-American History Trail. The funeral home is a Queen Anne style home with classical detail which dates back near the end of the Victorian era and is a prime example of transition architecture. Once used as a dwelling, Christian Benevolent dates back to the late 1890s. Since 1928—the year the funeral home was established—the building has been maintained and preserved in its current function. The building itself has elements of the Queen Anne and Free Classical Styles. One thing which stands out is the complex roof style, which seemingly soars to the sky at several points. In addition, the surface treatment— consisting of a half-timbered effect us-

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

(by Arthur L. Mack)

ing treaded board as the wall surface— adds character to the roof itself. The detailed surface treatment not only shows up on the gables and dormers, but also below the windows in the projected, angled room on the entrance elevation and the bracket supported bay window. A striking feature of the building is the entrance porch, where the columns, capitols, and rounded form of the porch reflected the free use of the classical elements. Amazingly enough, despite the drastic change in the surrounding neighborhood, Christian Benevolent has maintained its architectural integrity. It stands out among other buildings which have not been properly maintained or updated, thanks in part to its impeccable landscaping, which adds character to the property. D

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

Bishop State Summer Term President’s and Dean’s List Thirty-nine students at Bishop State Community College made the President’s List this Summer Term. To earn a place on the President’s List, a student must maintain a 4.0 grade point average (GPA). The students and their hometowns are as follows: BAY MINETTE--Dorthea Maria Miskel EIGHT MILE--Eric Deon Austin… FRISCO CITY--Anthony Tyrone Jackson IRVINGTON--Jayfers Burks, Derrick Antron Davis MCINTOSH--Shericka Lattrice Barnes MOBILE--Brittany Nicole Armstrong, Tommie Taylor Burks, Julie J. Chimento, Kasey Gladys Coleman, Kenetha L. Dickerson, Brenda Renee Franklin, Erika Mae Nebres Gaoat, Christopher Andrew Hender, Carolyn J. Hunt, Melissa Elizabeth Hunter, Jswanda Vandorina Jackson, Jack Knippenberg, Vertis Delloyd Lucas, Zonnya L. McDaniel, Tawanna L. Meggs, Ida V. Norwood, Kimberly Denise Perryman, Charita Renee Russell, Clifford Andrew Talbott, Angela Renee Taylor, Steven Taylor Jr., Princess Renay Watts MOUNT VERNON-- Kimberly Peoples Johnson PRICHARD--Jessica M. Vassel SARALAND--Brandt Phillip Davis, Christopher Shawn Doby SATSUMA--Joshua R. Dunn… SEMMES--Megan Vadaree’ Howard, Sarah Faith Johnston THEODORE--Christina Michelle Dixon, Talesha Marks TIBBIE--Ronald Stuart Eubanks… WHISTLER--Michael Earl Brooks Earning a place on the Dean’s List were 54 students with GPAs between 3.5 and 3.9. The students are listed

below along with the names of their hometowns: BAY MINETTE--Deloit Duran Davis, John Harley Hilliker DAPHNE--Ethelina Shepheard EIGHT MILE--Sherryl P. Collins, Melissa A. Griffin, Shawn J. O’Rourke FAIRHOPE--Thomas H. Graham GRAND BAY -- Anthony Lamar Fields IRVINGTON--Shannon Patrick Blanton MOBILE--Carzetta Rochelle Allen, Willie Mae H. Bradford, Tricia Davis Bradley, Brian Brewer, Vandoris D. Bridgett, David Coleman, Kaneesha Lashay Renee Crenshaw, Anthony Lamar Davidson, Katia Dorta-Sosa, George Jefferson Emley Jr., Depleas R. Foxx, Wilhelmina Benjamin Grego, William Paul Gulsby, Shermeka Hector Law, Curtis Clayvon Little, Wytorshia Eloyce Lovett, Cheryl L. Miles, Nikolina Nonkovic, Mona Rena Odom, Titiana Q. Overton, Karen L. Payne, Henry Walker Pettway Jr., Jonathan Charles Prince, Robert Reed, Roslyn Renee Reese, Danielle Roberson, Dagarick Leonardo Robinson, Carlisso Inez Small, Matthew A. Smith, Justin Blake Sommer, Shaekendrea J. Tate, Princess A. Underwood, Joe Waters Sr., Elzela Edmund Williams, Michael Eugene Williams, Sarnae E. Williams PRICHARD--Kelvin Oneal Poellnitz, Ambrosia Lovie Walker SARALAND--Reginald Earl Austin, Bryan Lee Toxey, Ashley Elizabeth Vickery SPANISH FORT--Rhonda Smelser Harrison THEODORE--Danielle M. Johnson, Sybil Duck Mosley WILMER--Rachael Martin McDuffie D

Christmas at Oakleigh Set for 4th, 5th and 6th of December The Historic Mobile Preservation Society will be opening our doors for this year’s Christmas at Oakleigh the first weekend of December. Join us on Friday and Saturday, December 3rd and 4th, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and on Sunday, December 5th from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. for this season’s celebration. Come and experience Christmas as it was celebrated during the mid-1800s. Enjoy Oakleigh’s traditional hot Christmas tea, be inspired by decorations in keeping with the period, and learn about the customs of celebrating the holiday season during Mobile’s golden antebellum days. This year, the Junior League of Mobile will be decorating the parlors and placing the magnificent Christmas tree in Oakleigh in honor of their 80th

Anniversary and in recognition of their long-standing commitment to historic preservation in Mobile. Tickets for Christmas at Oakleigh are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Admission includes a tour of Oakleigh and the 1855 Cox-Deasy Cottage along with our Holiday Tea. The proceeds from Christmas at Oakleigh will benefit the Oakleigh Historic Complex. For more information, visit www. historicmobile.org. D

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

LAUGHTER Let Me Hook You Up!!!

Bubba, a certified Redneck, grew up in a small town then moved away to attend college and law school. He decided to come back to the small town because he could be a big man in this small town. He really wanted to impress everyone. Bubba opened his new law office, but business was very slow at first. One day, he saw a man, Leroy, coming up the sidewalk to his office. Bubba decided to make a big impression on this new client when he arrived. As the man came to the door, Bubba picked up the phone. He motioned Leroy in, all the while saying, “No. Absolutely not. You tell those clowns in New York that I won’t settle this case for less than $1 million. Yes. The appeals court has agreed to hear that case next week. I’ll be handling the primary argument, and the other members of my team will provide support. Okay. Tell the DA that I’ll meet with him next week to discuss the details.” This sort of thing went on for almost five minutes. All the while, Leroy sat patiently as Bubba rattled instructions. Finally, Bubba put down the phone and turned to Leroy. “I’m sorry for the delay,” he said, “but as you can see, I’m very busy. What can I do for you?” Leroy replied, “I’m from the phone company. I came to hook up your phone!!!” J

We All Are Lying!!!

Leroy awoke one evening to discover prowlers in his storage shed. He immediately called 911, gave his address, to report the prowlers and possible burglary. The operator at the other end said “Are they in your house?” He said they were not, only in his storage shed in back of the house. The operator said there were no cars available at that time. Leroy thanked the operator, hung up the phone and counted to 30 and called again. “I just called you about prowlers in my storage shed. Well you do not have to worry, as I just shot them all dead!” Within seconds there were 3 police cars, an ambulance and fire engine at the scene. After capturing the prowlers red-handed, the policeman asked the caller, “I thought you said you had shot them all!” Leroy answered, “I thought you said there were no police available!!!” J

Gotta Go, Gotta Go!!!

Willie Mae’s elderly husband, Leroy, doesn’t feel well so she takes him to the doctor. Leroy goes in to see the doctor and leaves her in the waiting room for a while. Finally the doctor comes out to the waiting room and says, “Willie Mae, I’m sorry to tell you that your husband is going to die.” Willie Mae says, “doctor, is there anything I can do?” The doctor tells her “well there is a couple of things you could do: First you could cook him a wonderful dinner every night. Second you could give him a nice back rub every night. Third you could make love to him like you never have before every night.” Willie Mae says ok. On their way home Leroy asks “what did the doctor say?” Willie Mae says, “I’m sorry honey but you are going to die!!!” J

Been Here Before!!!

Leroy, an obnoxious drunk stumbles into the front door of a bar and orders a drink. The bartender says, “No way, Leroy, you’re too drunk.” A few minutes later, Leroy comes in though the bathroom. Again he slurs, “Give me a drink,” and the bartender says, “No, man, I told you last time -- you’re too drunk!” Five minutes later Leroy comes in though the back door and orders a drink, again the bartender says, “You’re too drunk!” Leroy scratches his head and says “Dang, I must be. The last two places said the same darn thing!!!” J

Pure Bliss!!!

Leroy, a widower who never paid any attention to his wife while she was alive now found himself missing her desperately after she had passed. He went to a psychic to see if he could contact her. The psychic went into a trance. A strange breeze wafted through the darkened room, and suddenly, Leroy heard the unmistakable voice of his dearly departed wife. “Willie Mae!” he cried. “Is that you?” “Yes, my husband, she replied.” Lery asked, “Are you happy?” “Yes, my husband,” came the reply. He asked, “Happier than you were with me?” “Yes, my husband,” said Willie Mae. “Then Heaven must be an amazing place!” exclaimed Leroy. Willie Mae said, “I’m not in Heaven, dear!!!” J

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

PAGE 15

THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX ARTHUR L. MACK Freelance Writer Mobile, Alabama

You may contact Arthur Mack at steppinoutnews@aol.com

CHANGING A LIFESTYLE Back in the day, when crack was something you found in a mirror instead of inside a drug dealer’s pocket, I was in favor of welfare. No kidding—I was really, REALLY in favor of welfare. So much so, in fact, that I envisioned myself working in a welfare agency, helping people in need. I used to think that every welfare recipient was the underdog, mercilessly and continually victimized by the powers-that-be. Yeah, I did wind up working at a welfare agency. But as the old saying goes: Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. I got it, all right—in many ways that I would never imagine. After a quartercentury of being lied on and lied to, picked on and harassed by supervisors, and seeing so many irregularities in the system and ultimately becoming a victim of workplace politics, I said the hell with it and hit the road. But my experiences were enough to write a library full of books. Many of those experiences came about dealing with individuals who thought that for them, welfare was a God-given right. They didn’t know—or for that matter, even care—that they were victims of a glorified form of slavery. Lest one may be tempted to accuse me of being judgmental or even uncaring, that is not the point. The point is that an African-American child born here in the U.S. to two parents is getting rarer and rarer by the second. And, it’s because due to pop culture (i.e. rap, dangerous inner-city neighborhoods, MTV, whatever) so many young women are on welfare because they chose to have children out of wedlock at a very early age. To me, that’s disgraceful enough. But even more disgraceful is the fact that a lot of these young women have very little schooling.

Here’s a case in point: I was interviewing an 18-year-old client who dropped out of high school in her freshman year. At that time, I was working in a division that was primarily responsible for placing clients in components to help them become self sufficient. That alone was difficult in itself. But imagine my surprise when I asked her about her goal in life. She said she wanted to be a nurse. Yeah, you heard me right—a nurse. There were two problems with that goal, as noble as it seemed. First, she didn’t finish high school. Secondly, she had an attitude that left a lot to be desired. That attitude, in fact, forced her out of the Job Corps. So, we assigned her to a component where she would be required to attend GED classes. On the day she was scheduled to sign up, she arrived at the site, but did not bother to check in. When I was informed that she failed to sign in, I contacted her and asked why she failed to do so. She said she had “a medical problem.” I asked her to be more specific, but she refused. As a result, we had to place her in a job search component. It took an act of Congress to get her to sign up with one of the local childcare facilities so she could have her child in day care so she could find a job. Although she did find a job, she did not have the required amount of hours to justify full-time child care. After she failed to provide requested documentation so I could track the number of hours she actually worked, we eventually had to penalize her. That was one of the milder situations I dealt with while I was a case manager. Next month, I’ll talk more about how welfare has stunted some of our young people’s minds—and created a mindset contrary to the spirit of selfsufficiency.

Mobile Police Announce September Officer of the Month Officer Shannon Payne, a three year Mobile Police veteran assigned to Patrol in the Fourth Precinct, was awarded the honor of Officer of the Month for her exceptional performance during the month of September. The following some of the incidents that earned Officer Payne the distinction of Officer of the Month: • On September 11, 2010 at 4:30 a.m. Officer Payne was dispatched to an alarm at the Airport Package when she observed a suspicious vehicle parked at the Shell Station at Zeigler Road and Cody Road, backed up to the business door. Officer Payne then detained two men and began an investigation. She discovered inside the vehicle were several bottles of alcohol. Officer Payne was able to determine that the bottles were taken from the Airport Package store, and that the men were attempting to sell the alcohol to the store employee. Further investigation revealed the men were responsible for five additional burglaries. • On September 11, 2010 at 9:30 p.m. Officer Payne responded to a robbery to an individual complaint at 800 South University Boulevard. Officer Payne received information on the scene and proceeded on foot searching a wooded area for the suspects. Officer Payne lifted a manhole cover and discovered the two female victim’s purses at the bottom of the storm drain. Officer Payne was able to recover the items and they were able to be used as evidence in the investigation. • On September 12, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. Officer Payne responded to a shots fired complaint at Moffett Road and Overlook Road. She discovered the suspects had chased and fired shots at a female victim. Officer Payne

Officer Shannon Payne Mobile Police Department

used information from the scene to locate an address of the driver that chased the victim and made the arrest. • On September 21, 2010, Officer Payne responded to a burglary in progress in the 11000 block of Tanner Williams Road. As Officer Payne and her back up arrived, she observed a man run from the trailer. Officer Payne chased the man on foot and tackled him 75 yards from the burglarized trailer. Later officers determined that the suspect was inside of the trailer stealing copper. During the month of September Officer Payne responded to 75 calls for service, backed 45 calls, made nine felony arrests, nine misdemeanor arrests, and issued 10 Traffic citations. Officer Payne’s dedication to duty and attention to detail has brought credit upon herself and the Mobile Police Department.

Charity Auction Benefits the Environmental Center A Charity Auction will be held to benefit the Environmental Studies Center located at 6101 Girby Road. Bidding begins at 8:00 a.m. on October 16, 2010 and will conclude at 3:00 p.m. on December 15, 2010 (no bids will be accepted after this time). Opening bid is $100 and bidding is to be in increments of $10. Submit your bid in person at the Environmental Studies Center, through U.S. mail to Environmental Studies Center, 6101 Girby Road Mobile, AL 36693, or email address esc. mcpss@gmail.com

PAGE 16

Please include with your bid your name, address, phone number, and email address (optional). Current highest bid will be posted on the web at www. mcpss.com/esc and on Facebook at Environmental Studies Center. Highest bidder will be notified by phone after 3:00 p.m. on December 15, 2010 Deborah Crane-Foote is an artist and freelance illustrator. She and her husband, Kenneth Foote, have worked with wildlife rehab in Texas, Vermont, and Alabama. They presently volunteer with the Environmental Studies

Center in Mobile. The Heron painting is a 16x20 acrylic on 300lb watercolor paper. It can be framed either open frame or with mat, under glass. The heron depicted was a resident at the Environmental Studies Center. Crane and Foote Arts is not represented in any gallery, as both artists are freelance commercial artists and only sell art work through The Mountain Licensing or private commissions. More of their work can be seen at www. craneandfootearts.com. A portion of any commissions that arise from exposure

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

through the Center will be donated to the Center. All proceeds from the auction of The Heron will go to the Environmental Studies Center’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Program.

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

In Memorium

Albertina Walker-81 • Gospel Music Singer (The Caravans) • Respiratory Failure

Barbara Billingsley-94 Actress (Leave It to Beaver)

Tom Bosley-83 Actor (Happy Days) Heart Failure

Solomon Burke-70 R&B singer/songwriter Natural causes

Maury Chaykin-61 Actor (Dances with Wolves)

George DiCenzo-70 Character Actor (Close Encounters of the Third Kind)

Harold Gould-86 Actor (The Sting) Prostate Cancer

Dick Griffey-66 Founder of SOLAR Records Complications from Heart Surgery

Bob Guccione-79 Founder of Penthouse Cancer

Bobby Hebb-72 Singer-Songwriter (“Sunny”) Lung Cancer

Cammie King-76 Actress (Gone with the Wind) Lung Cancer

Ron Kramer-75 NFL (Green Bay Packers) Heart Attack

Simon MacCorkindale-58 Actor (Falcon Crest) Bowel Cancer

Johnny Sheffield-79 Actor (Tarzan Finds a Son) Heart Attack

Robert Schimmel-60 Comedian (The Howard Stern Show) Car Accident

Ed Wiley, Jr.-80 Saxophonist/Entertainer (Cry, Cry Baby) Complications from a Fall

James E. Winner Jr.-81 Inventor of The Club Car Accident

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

PAGE 17

C A L E November N D A2010 R

ATLANTA

Concerts Branford Marsalis-Ferst Center, 11/05 Will Downing, Najee, Elisabeth Winters -Woodruff Arts Center, 11/05 Fantasia, Eric Benet, Kandi-Fox Theatre, 11/11 Lady Antebellum-Fox Theater, 11/12 Styx-Cobb Performing Arts Center, 11/13 Better Than Ezra-Buckhead Theater, 11/14 Dave Matthews Band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue-Phillips Arena, 11/16 The Black Crowes-The Tabernacle, 11/19 John McLaughlin-Rialto Center, 11/20 Jason Aldean, Luke Bryant, Thompson Square -Gwinnett Center Arena, 11/20 Dave Koz, Jonathan Butler, Brian Culbertson, Candy Dulfer-Center Stage, 11/27 Vienna Boys Choir-Cobb Performing Arts Center, 11/28

Blues Traveler-Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, 11/12 Styx-Hard Rock Live, 11/12 Trace Adkins-Isle of Capri, 11/12 Martin Short-Hard Rock Live, 11/19 tobyMac-Coast Coliseum, 11/21 Merle Haggard-IP Casino, Resort & Spa, 11/27 Elvin Bishop-Hard Rock Live, 11/26 Jack Hanna- Hard Rock Live, 11/27 Merle Haggard-IP Casino, Resort & Spa, 11/27 Little Anthony & The Imperials-Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, 11/28 Johnny Winter-Hard Rock Live, 12/03 Dave Mason-Hard Rock Live, 12/04 Sister Hazel-Beau Rivage Theater, 12/10 Jo Dee Messina-Island View Casino, 12/11 Benjy Davis Project-IP Casino, Resort and Spa, 12/16 Tommy Lee & DJ Aero-Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 10/17

Discovery Room Interactive Gallery; on-going —Phoenix Fire Museum Steam Engines, Motorized Vehicles, Gallery; on-going Opera Candide-Saenger, 11/22, 24 Symphony Beethoven & Blue Jeans-Saenger, 11/13-14

NEW ORLEANS

Concerts Allen Toussaint, Nicholas Payton, Joe Krown -Lafayette Square, 11/03 Donald Harrison, Idris Muhammad-Louis J. Roussel Performing Arts Hall, 11/11 Mannheim Steamroller-Mahalia Jackson Theater, 11/24

BIRMINGHAM

Concerts Sarah McLachlan-Alabama Theater, 11/05 Jason Aldean, Luke Bryant, Thompson Square -BJCC Arena, 11/19 Fantasia, Eric Benet, Kandi-BJCC Concert Hall, 11/20 Jim Brickman, Richie McDonald, Anne Cochran, Tracy Silverman-Alabama Theater, 12/9 Trans-Siberian Orchestra-BJCC Arena, 12/11 Joan Rivers-Alys Stephens Center, 12/12 Justin Bieber, Jasmine V-BJCC Arena, 12/21 North Mississippi Allstars-WorkPlay Theater, 12/28

MOBILE

Usher - Phillips Arena, 12/05

The Indigo Girls-The Tabernacle, 12/10 Margaret Cho-The Tabernacle, 12/12 Preservation Hall Jazz Band-Woodruff Arts Center, 12/19 Amy Grant, Vince Gill-Fox Theatre, 12/20 Justin Bieber, Jasmine V-Phillips Arena, 12/23 Drivin’ N’ Cryin’-The Tabernacle, 12/26 Mannheim Steamroller-Fox Theatre, 12/29 Zac Brown Band-Phillips Arena, 12/30 Family Shows Cirque Dreams “Holidaze”- Cobb Performing Arts Center, 12/01-05 Holiday Ice Spectacular- Cobb Performing Arts Center, 12/16-24

BILOXI

Concerts Jeff Dunham-Coast Coliseum, 11/05

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis -Hard Rock Live, 11/05

Sarah McLachlan-IP Casino, Resort and Spa, 11/06 Scott Stapp-Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 11/06

PAGE 18

Concerts Rusted Root-Soul Kitchen, 11/01 Southern Culture on the Skids-Soul Kitchen, 11/04 Moreland & Arbuckle-The Shed, 11/05 Galactic-Soul Kitchen, 11/06 Levon Helm Band, Ray LaMontagne, The Secret Sisters -Saenger Theater, 11/07 Shotgun Party-Callahan’s, 11/07 Guitar Shorty-The Shed, 11/12 Eric Church, Jonathan Singleton & The Groove -Civic Center, 11/13 The Hot Seats-Callahan’s, 11/14 Mannheim Steamroller-Civic Center, 11/16 Dax Riggs-Soul Kitchen, 11/16 Cowboy Mouth-Soul Kitchen, 11/19 Larry Keel and Natural Bridge-Callahan’s, 11/21 Jukebox the Ghost, The Meligrove Band, Dynamite Walls -Soul Kitchen, 12/02-03 Shelby Lynne, Allison Moorer-Saenger Theater, 12/04 Through The Sparks-Blind Mule, 12/04 Ricky Skaggs-Saenger Theater, 12/05 Justin Townes Earle, Caitlan Rose-Callahan’s, 12/06 Country Fried-The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint, 12/10 Ballet Stars of New York City Ballet-Civic Center, 11/06 Museums —Exploreum Hands on Hall; on-going Minds on Hall; on-going Science Lab (Ciba Lab); on-going Wharf Wonder; on-going Dolphins, 05/29-11/05 Reptile Planet, 07/5-10/24 —Fort Conde Historic Fort Founded in 1702, Moved to Mobile in 1711; on-going —Museum of Art American Landscapes: Treasures from the Parrish Art, 10/15-01/02 Fairy Tale Art: Illustrations from Children’s Books, 10/22-01/02 Poetic Containers of Light: The Haverty Collection of International Studio Glass, 10/15-01/02 Material Imaginings, on-going —Museum of Mobile Old Ways New Days I&II; on-going Walls and Halls; on-going

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

Smokie Norful - Mahalia Jackson Theater, 11/26

Fantasia, Eric Benet, Kandi -Lakefront Arena, 12/04

Shinedown, Will Hoge-House Of Blues, 12/09 Trans-Siberian Orchestra-New Orleans Arena, 12/09 Irma Thomas-The Sugar Mill, 12/10 Aaron Neville Quintet Feat. Charles Neville -House Of Blues, 12/10 Will Downing-Morial Convention Center, 12/18 Better Than Ezra-House Of Blues, 12/30-31 Family Shows Judith Owens & Harry Shearer’s Holiday Sing-A-Long -Contemporary Arts Center, 12/18 Disney Live-Lakefront Arena, 12/26 Muscow Ballet “Great Russian Nutcracker” -Mahalia Jackson Theater, 12/28

PENSACOLA

Concerts Celtic Thunder-Saenger, 11/19 Mannheim Steamroller-Saenger, 11/23 Gallagher-Civic Center, 12/08

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

A Jazz Concert Review by Carmen Brown:

hearMobile.net South Coast Smooth Jazz

Top 10

1. Pushing The Envelope--Gerald Albright

2. This Is How We Rock--Marcus Johnson

3. Sending My Love--Norman Brown

4. In The Groove--Walter Beasley “LIVE”

5. Sugar On The Bone--Steve Baxter

6. X11--Brian Culbertson

7. Diamonds--Jonathan Fritzen

8. What The Funk--Nils

9. Roll On--Four 80 East

10. Oceanview--Phillip Brooks

Marcus Johnson

Gerald Albright

Norman Brown

‘iJAZZ Renaissance’ Concert Hits “Perfect” Note with Nat Adderley, Jr. Quintet, Sandra Booker Quartet and Theodore Arthur, Jr. Trio Offering Stellar Performances... Legendary “Lil Greenwood” Honored In Tribute

produced by Ron Bookman Presents

here were five people in the multicolored, carpeted hallway. Two ticket takers, a security guard and a slight, bespeckled young man in black who was looking at his hands, or rather, looking at his fingers which were curled in towards his palms, and me. Nods were exchanged and he went into the ballroom. Minutes later, I followed. The Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center in Mobile ballroom had been transformed to assume the feel of a jazz nightclub. The stage was draped in black and white; tables topped with red and white linen and roses added to the ambience. Splashes of blue from strategically placed pin spots highlighted the walls. High-tech revolving lights of purple and gold (Mobile’s Mardi Gras colors) created an aura of anticipation for what was to come. After a few words with ‘iJazz Renaissance@Mobile’ producer Ron Bookman, he asked me, “Have you met Nat?” He meant Nat Adderley, Jr., the evening’s headliner. Adderley, an accomplished keyboard player and arranger, bears the birthright of a famed jazz family: his father, Nat Adderley, was a composer and jazz cornet and trumpet player, while his uncle, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, was a jazz alto saxophonist. The reason for him looking at his fingers became clear. They were his gear for the debut event in the iJazz series. Following a tribute to jazz legend, Lil Greenwood (vocalist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for 14 years), the clock struck show time. The Theodore Arthur, Jr. Quartet (Arthur, sax; Shad Collins, organ; L. C. Lyman, drums; Jerome Bryant, percussion) opened the show with a six-song set. Included were a moving cover of Charlie Parker’s “My Little Suede Shoes” and a rousing version of “Let The Good Times Roll” that featured Arthur on vocals.

After a brief intermission, vocalist/ songwriter Sandra Booker opened her set with “On A Clear Day”. Between scatting, vamping, shimmying, trading licks with the band, and stories with the audience, Booker delivered a solid, crowd-pleasing performance. The New Orleans native/California transplant was supported by a first class band Jeremy Manasia (piano), Tal Roneh (bass), Charles Ruggiero (drums) and guest percussionist, Jerome Bryant. She closed out with two originals, “Café du Monde” and “Laissez Les Bon Temp Roullier” from her album “When Love Happens: The Loving Day Concert”. “A Performance of the Songbook of Nat & Cannonball Adderley” launched with “Fiddler On The Roof” followed by Duke Pearson’s “Jeannine”, both crisp and to the point. During the Nat Adderley, Jr. Quintet’s soulful rendition of “Autumn Leaves,” one concertgoer was moved to the point of sharing her Sleepless in Seattle-like moans with the rest of us. The quintet (Adderley on piano, cornet player Longineu Parsons, saxophonist Diron Holloway, bassist Ricky Ravello and drummer Vaughn Hall) attacked, teased and blazed through a straight ahead jazz set of nine tunes that also included two Cannonball signatures, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “The Work Song.” Adderley closed the evening with a special request, an unplugged solo performance of “A House Is Not A Home”, a number he played often while carrying out his duties as musical director for Luther Vandross. The audience clamored for “more” as the house lights came up to signal the end of a magical evening. As he walked down the steps from the stage, Nat was looking at his fingers, curled towards his palm. Would like to think he was thanking them for a job well done. D

NAT ADDERLEY JR. LIL GREENWOOD THEODORE ARTHUR JR. SANDRA BOOKER

November 2010: Volume 10, Issue 04

STEPPIN’ OUT: The Arts, Entertainment & Empowerment Guide of the Gulf Coast

PAGE 19

MOBILE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

“The World of Languages” presents

Saturday, November 20, 2010 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Mobile Civic Center & Expo Hall Adults: $10.00 Seniors: $8.00 7-15 years: $5.00 6 & under FREE

Advance tickets: Mobile Civic Center Box Office: (251) 208-5812

INTERNATIONAL FOOD, FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT! SYBIL H. SMITH CHARITABLE TRUST

KRISTA BURROUGHS MIKE DOW SATY PUTCHA

www.mobileinternationalfestival.org

Contributors: AT&T Alabama Power Foundation Regions Bank International Shipholding Corporation

Info: (251) 470-7730