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Nafessa Williams Dennis McKinley Curtiss Cook Sammie Glynn Turman Rev A. Sharpton
Triple Threat Teen Cameron J. Wright By Samantha Ruiz
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t just the age of 14, Cameron J. Wright is a rising actor and musician with extraordinary talents and a passion for performing. Despite his age, Cameron is a triple threat teen who has done it all from acting to singing to live musical theater and his career in the performing arts has only just begun. His career took off when he landed his first-ever role in the national tour of “Motown: The Musical,” where he starred as young Berry Gordy, young Stevie Wonder, and young Michael Jackson. Since then, he has gone on to star on season 1 of NETFLIX’s “Family Reunion” as Mazzi McKellan, whose family decides to move from Seattle to Georgia after getting to know their extended family. When he’s not acting, Cameron is the leader of Nick Canon’s latest boy group Ncredible Crazy Kids (NCK), and can be found recording music for their upcoming album. With the production “Family Reunion” season 2 and Ncredible Crazy Kids’ promotions on hold due to quarantine, Cameron is currently spending his time at home. I caught up with Cameron to discuss his role in “Family Reunion,” NCK’s music, and how he stays creative and productive while stuck at home. We want to start by opening up about you and your road to acting and music. How did you develop a passion for acting and music? When did you realize that you wanted to pursue a career in the arts? Cameron: Well, everything for me started with music. My whole family loves music. When I was little, I grew up listening to music and I wanted to take guitar and piano lessons. I started with the piano. All of that kind of transi-
tioned into singing and from there I started to find my love for performing and being on the stage, which eventually led to acting. I just loved being on the stage and getting to perform for people and put on a show. I had known from very early on in my life that this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a musician. I’m glad that everything just worked out for me. Despite your age, you have already made a name for yourself in terms of acting. You are currently starring in “Family Reunion” on NETFLIX with an all-star ensemble that includes Tia Mowry, Loretta Devine, and Richard Roundtree. What is it like working on such a big show with an experienced cast? Cameron: It’s amazing just getting to be a part of this show. It feels so surreal. I feel like I could pinch myself and wake myself up and it would all be a dream! I feel like I’m living the dream! We learn so much from these legendary actors and actresses that it is really unlike any other experience in the world getting to be on set and work with them. How has this show been different or more challenging from other acting projects that you have worked on? Cameron: I’ve definitely encountered challenges. It’s a different feel, almost like going from 0 to 100. In the beginning, I was like, “Oh my gosh!” It did take some time to get used to the schedule of everything and getting a new script every day due to small changes. It was a little bit challenging, but you eventually get used to being on set and the week-by-week schedule. Your hard work has certainly paid off since the cast of “Family Reunion” also won an NAACP Image Award
Real Love or Real Estate Jimmy Jones
Words By Ebony Davis
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eality tv can sometimes make or break a person’s career. In some cases, it is for the better and in others, it can take a serious turn for the worse. In the case of former Ready to Love Season 2 castmate, Jimmy Jones, reality tv has been a blessing. Granted Jimmy brought a lot to the table before joining the OWN hit show. A graduate of Florida A & M University and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Jones embraced his entrepreneurial spirit early on. It was this spirit combined with OWN Tv’s Ready to Love that let this Atlanta native see no shortage of customers. The self-assured number one listing agent in Atlanta, has become quite popular since his appearance on Ready to Love. Yet, is he as lucky in love as he is in business? It would seem so. Jones’ love interest on the show was, Kimber, and he still actively date. Not only that Jimmy is experiencing a sudden influx of new female Instagram followers averaging 60-70 a day. With those sorts of numbers, I would venture to say Jimmy Jones is not just selling homes but also love. For an inside look into the reality of love and business in Atlanta I sat down with “Sell Your Home”, Jimmy Jones, for an intimate chat. We met in midtown at one of my favorite hotel lounges during lunch hour and chopped it up. Jimmy arrived in a blazer, crisp white button-up shirt, jeans, boots, and sunglasses. With a smile from ear to ear, we began joking back and forth with a little HBCU banter thanks to my attendance at Johnson C. Smith University. Then we got down to business. Let’s talk about one of the
most popular occupations in Atlanta, Georgia...Real Estate. How did you get into real estate? Everything else really was not working for me. Real estate was like a, a plan D. A, B, and C did not work. I took the GMAT to get my masters, failed it. I took the LSAT for law school, failed. I took the DAT for dental school, failed it. I took that real estate exam, knocked it out of the park. And I made a deal with God right before I went in there to take the first part of the test, I was like, God, if you allow me to pass this, I will never quit doing it. I will never quit it because I feel like one of the biggest mistakes in my life has been, I had quit things. Here is what I say, it is okay to quit somethings. I am not saying never quit. I am not a never quit guy. I think you should quit toxic relationships. I think you should quit self- hate. I think you should quit things that are not helping you. You should quit that. Quit smoking. But in terms of different opportunities and things, I feel like if I had to see them out a little bit further out versus cutting them off where I cut them off...) I completely agree. sometimes we hold on to toxic situations longer than we should. Going into real estate, how long did it take you to become successful as a real estate agent? Success is a mindset. I have been in, well over five years. It took me three years to get it, man. I took a year and focused on investment. I worked with one of the largest fastest growing black-owned and operated real estate
Staying Afloat Michael Phelps By Allison Kugel
With his unmatched agility and speed in the water, Michael Phelps holds the
all-time record for Olympic gold medals earned. The closest thing to Aquaman, on two legs, Phelps, like many pro-athletes who have reach his rarified status, was placed on a pedestal that was unsustainable. For more than a decade, Michael Phelps’ life was a relentless march towards breaking Olympic records, out-swimming his competition as he trained and traveled the world collecting gold medals and corporate endorsement deals. His seemingly flawless athleticism and boy-next-door charm made him seem unstoppable. The bloom first came off the rose in 2004, when Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence. That embarrassing event was compounded in 2009, when pictures of Phelps allegedly smoking from a bong went viral, finding their way into mass tabloid circulation. The final nail in the coffin for Phelps was a second DUI in 2014, which he now describes as “the bottom of my bottom,” leading to deep depression and spurning him to seek help for issues that had plagued him since his younger years. The rough road to redemption ultimately instilled a passion in Michael Phelps for mental health awareness and advocacy.
Having his Way in Hollywood Geovanni Gopradi Written by Matthew Molina Interview by Rashod Davenport
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rom a fear of public speaking to a star, Geovanni Gopradi has made his mark in the entertainment industry. The Cuban American actor has had roles in multiple movies and shows such as Paul Blart Mall Cop 2, Tyler Perry’s Haves & Have Nots, True Blood, and more. Geovanni started his career acting in Florida after he enrolled in acting classes. He then went from New York to Los Angeles, this is his story. SUAVV: After interviewing a few actors from Tyler Perry projects, I understand that he likes to film very fast with very little prep time. How did you adjust to that type of filming schedule? Oh yeah, he’s known for doing features in a week and I think that is just his style of shooting. He shoots with three cameras and has a very solid crew around him. They all know what they’re doing and they crank out scenes really fast and in a way, from an actors perspective you don’t really get a chance to think about it he just throws you in and as long as you do the prior work your instincts just kick in. In a way it helps you be in the moment because you don’t have the chance to overthink things you just go for it. And Tyler will direct you off camera and throw in different lines or tell you to do certain things sometimes, but for the most part he lets the actor develop and create the character in the moment.
does because it’s the only way that you as an actor can connect with it and find a reason for it to make it feel authentic and real. Tyler directs and writes six shows on air right now so he has a lot of characters flowing in his head, so he really depends on the actors to create. SUAVV: That’s what shows talent and skill. When you went into the show did you expect to be a reoccurring character? Oh no. I was given seven episodes at first but it kept getting extended. It started at seven, then I was given 10 more, and now we’re at 29 episodes. And he does that on purpose. He puts you in with the wolves and if you can run with the pack he’ll keep writing for you and directing, but if you can’t keep up you start getting written off. He definitely always has the last say.. SUAVV: I saw you got into acting because you had a fear of public speaking and you felt this was a way to overcome that? That’s correct. Public speaking or just talking to groups of people in general. I thought public speaking classes would help but it didn’t. Therapy didn’t help me either and it was just one of those things where I had to put myself in a situation over and over again until I got better and for me that was acting.
SUAVV: Were you able to gain an overall understanding of the character that way? Do you know what direction to take it?
SUAVV: That’s pretty amazing. At what point did you feel you wanted to turn it into a career? I know you say acting wasn’t really a dream for you and that you just kinda stumbled into it.
He allows you to go ahead and create the understanding and direction from the writing. So a part of my job is to justify what my character is now saying or doing in comparison to what he said or did. So you have to navigate that by continuously justifying everything that he says and
I did stumble into it. When I was younger I loved watching Bruce Lee films and other action films. I ended up getting really into martial arts and stuff but I never thought of being the person on the screen. It wasn’t until I finished
Climbing to the Top Mychel “Snoop” Dillard By Ebony Davis
“I just have an A-type personality. I’m just not willing to deal with bullshit. Anybody that meets me, it is pretty obvious that it’s kind of hard to get one over on me.” Kind words from a serial entrepreneur, right? It is no wonder Mychel Dillard, also known as Snoop, has led a fruitful career as an entrepreneur and restauranteur. With her no-nonsense attitude, bullshit detector, and aptitude for scouting out new business prospects; she’s cultivated an undeniable recipe for success. Most notably Snoop has partnered with 2 Chainz in the opening of Escobar Restau-
rant and Tapas Lounge. The Detroit native, now residing in Atlanta, recently sat down with us at Suavv Magazine to discuss her success and give insight to those looking to follow in her footsteps. Snoop’s journey began not long after graduating from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. After her time there, she went on to become a financial advisor even diversifying into real estate. Sometime later Snoop made a jump into entertainment. Snoop began creating a calendar cleverly titled “Lose the Leather.” Snoop enlisted the help of her then-girlfriend and model in sourcing talent for the calendar. With her help, Snoop was able to feature 11 additional models for “Lose the Leather. The venture taught Snoop a
Transparent and Vulnerable Sammie
Words by Rashod Davenport
“Y
ou know, I’ve known what it’s like to be Sammie, the singer, songwriter, and performer a lot longer than I do having a sense of normalcy,” Sammie explains as we laugh about life and how things fall apart and come together. Sammie Leigh Bush, Jr. knew that he had a passion for singing as early as four years old. He was that high pitched kid singing in church that we typically say “awwww” to when they grab the microphone. Four years later, he knew that he wanted to pursue singing as a professional career and began doing talent shows around the city. After his big break on the Apollo stage, he was able to sign his first contract at 12 years old. This was the moment when we were all singing this catchy song called “I Like It”. For us, it was the introduction to someone we would grow into adulthood. Nonetheless, Sammie didn’t live the typical childhood that most “kid stars” have. “I’m here because of the gift of music,” Sammie says. “It was just refreshing to be so young and to see so much of the world and to have a positive impact on a lot of kids at that time, during that era, just through my music and gift of song. It was like living a dream every day. My mom and my father did an awesome job making sure that I have balance. I still remained in public school during the duration
of time of my child stardom.” Sammie would go to school Monday to Wednesday and then tour the world pretty much Thursday through Sunday. As you could imagine, it was challenging adjusting from being the child star to an everyday average student. His classmates couldn’t understand how they were able to hear him on the radio or see him on the television to then sitting right next to him in class during the week. However, he played little league football, played basketball, took four years of a hiatus after his first run to go to high school where he was crowned Homecoming King. He played high school basketball for two years, was in the choir, and the Renaissance program. Sammie was able to live the best of both worlds as best as possible. His parents made sure that he didn’t miss out on that time. “ A lot of my industry peers, that grew up with me, that came in the game young, they only know lights, camera, and action,” Sammie Explains. “And I think when the world changes or, you know, of course, music changes and they’re not as hot as they used to be. They kind of act out because they don’t understand what it’s like to just be normal. I found like significance of self during those four years of just being an everyday average, high school student, you know? I used to ask my mom for lunch money. I used to chill by the lockers with my homies. I really got to
Fit For A King Brims Hats Founders Tajh Crutch and Archie Clay III By Noah Wade
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hat do you do when the worlds of retail and information systems just aren’t cutting it for you? You create a massively successful fedora brand with an old friend, of course. That is the basis of the story for Archie Clay III, a graduate of Tuskegee University and Tajh Crutch, a graduate of Troy University, both of whom were searching for something more fulfilling when their post-graduate professional life wasn’t living up to their expectations.
fulfilling as it may be for them, they want their customers to be able to express themselves as well. The customer is able to curate their own hat, creating it in a way that fits their lifestyle and personality.
The pair came up with “wearbrims”, a luxury fedora company that is American-made through and through. Both had been interested in fashion prior and thought that fedoras would be a niche product to tackle. “I thought that this is a market we could tap into because there hasn’t been It might be surprising to some, but fedoras have never fully a fedora hat company, a new, innovative fedora hat company in a while,” said Clay. “At that time the only hat compagone out of style. Music producer Pharrell Williams and nies you had were the Goorin Brothers and Baileys….all singer Harry Styles wear them frequently as part of their these companies that have been around since the 1800’s.” public persona, but for Crutch and Clay, their business is He wanted to work in clothing, in fashion, but in an area as personal as it is a fashion statement. “wearbrims” has outside of the normally “oversaturated” industry. “I just been a way for the pair to express their individuality in a thought about me being in the business of being business modern way, while paying homage to a classic style. As
The Art of Glam Tim Johnson
Words by Rashod Davenport
“M
y college roommate asked me to cut his hair one day,” renowned hair stylist and Image Expert, Tim Johnson reminiscences of how he got his start in the hair industry. “I was like...I don’t know anything about cutting hair,’” Tim Johnson laughs. “My college roommate said, Tim, my mom put a pair of clippers in my bag and told me either I cut my own hair, or I get somebody else to cut it because she’s not paying for haircuts.’ “‘Okay. I’m gonna’ do it.’” Tim said to his friend. “You know, I figured since I went to the barbershop every week, cutting hair didn’t look that hard. It just had to be smooth. But what did I know?! So, I went ahead and cut my roommate’s hair and I jacked him up!” laughs Tim. “But my friend came back in two weeks asking me to cut his hair again.’ He wore a baseball cap for those two weeks though.” My roommate said, ‘Man, I’m gonna make you my barber.’ But I was like, ‘Man! Either you’re crazy or you love misery.’ “But I cut his hair again… and (this time) I noticed I did it better,” Tim reveals. “And because I kept going to the barbershop (to get my hair cut), I could see what I had done wrong with my roommate’s hair. So, eventually over I got better. And the next thing you know… my college friends are asking me to cut their hair! I started cutting the basketball team, then and the football team, and soon, everybody was coming to my room to get their hair cut!”
telling him about his dilemma. Tim had a plan to go to barber school. He was beginning to enjoy the trade, had a list of clients, and was ultimately failing out of college. The issue he ran into is that there were only two schools in the area to attend. One was in town with a year and a half waitlist. The other was an hour and a half away. His friend asked a question that would ultimately change Tim’s life. He asked, “Why don’t you just go to cosmetology school?” The question wasn’t an easy answer for Tim. He didn’t want to be seen as “gay” for doing women’s hair. “My friend said, “WHAT? Don’t you sing?” I said, ‘yeah,’ Tim reflects. “He said, “Don’t you love to act?”, ’yeah.”’ He said, “And you’re the best dancer at the club.” I was like, ‘yeah.’ He said, “Tim, they’re already calling you gay. You better give them something to talk about and make some money,” Tim laughs. “I never knew about the money,” explains Tim. “All I knew is that I was able to cut hair and it was fun.” he reveals. “Women, my female friends, and other girls would always ask me to cut their hair and I wouldn’t do it. I just didn’t want the negativity with it,” he says. “I was raised by a single parent and grew up around all my female cousins. So, I already knew what it was like to deal with drama. Then, to have people making up stuff and accusing me of this or that. I just didn’t want to go through that.”
Tim Johnson is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, and is able to sing laps around just about anyone who steps into his realm. He attended Eastern Carolina University in Charlotte, North Carolina to study music. Like most music majors, he found that music theory was a prerequisite for singing his way to a degree and he didn’t have that. So, while failing out of college and having a 0.83 GPA placed him on academic probation, he was then faced with telling his mother what was really going on. She was an IBM employee who paid for his tuition out of pocket. Needless to say, she wasn’t going to be happy.
Tim spent a lot of time turning down the advice of his 19-year-old friend who’d been doing hair since he was 14 and was still trying to figure out how to break this news to his mom. One night while Tim was preparing to go hang out with a group of his close friends. While getting ready, his friend asked Tim to come up to the room because he wanted to show him something. When He came to the room, this same friend threw Tim a set of keys and asked him to grab a box out of the closet behind some meticulously folded sweaters. Tim went to grab the safe---you know the kind that you open from the top--- there were actually four (4) total. Tim threw them on the bed as he was directed.
Before Tim was able to build the courage to have that conversation, he spoke to his friend and former 8th-grade bully about what to do. While cutting his hair, Tim began
“I opened up the first one and it popped open,” Tim explains as if he is still in shock. “Inside of this safe were freshly ironed bands of hundreds, fifties, tens, and twen-
Classic Man Curtiss Cook
Words By Noah Wade
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ome actors may fail to stay relevant in the constantly shifting world of entertainment, but Curtiss Cook is not one of them. Cook, already more than two decades into his career, is experiencing a surge of success playing the role of Otis “Douda” Perry, a businessman and hustler from the Southside of Chicago, in the Showtime hit “The Chi”. He also has another big project set for release later this year as well.
After reading for, and almost landing a part in, another Martin Scorsese film called “The Departed”, Cook had the chance to read back and forth, with Scorsese himself, for “Shutter Island. He got a call that he had booked the job before getting off the train back home to Yonkers. In the film, he played one of the orderlies at the mental hospital that Teddy, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, was visiting in search of a missing patient.
Cook’s impressive resume should come as no surprise. He was the first American to ever be given a full ride to London’s Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, which has produced dozens of acclaimed British thespians including Stuart Matthew Price of Harry Potter fame. His education and skills led him to work in just about every entertainment medium you can think of. From cable TV on shows like “Elementary” and “Bull”, on Netflix in the Kevin Spacey-led “House Of Cards”, in film in “Shutter Island” with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo (one of my favorite movies of all time, by the way) and on Broadway in both “Miss Saigon” and “The Lion King”.
“As the orderlies, we were there about 70% of the time,” said Cook. “We had to always be there. I was like a fly on the wall watching these greats like Ben Kingsley, Leonardo, ‘Marky Mark’ Ruffalo and Michelle Williams.” It was just Cook’s second major film, so he really tried to soak it all in. “It was amazing on so many different levels,” he said. “As far as meeting people and getting to watch people work.”
Selfishly, I had to discuss “Shutter Island” and “The Lion King” with him. The former came out in 2010, while I was still in middle school while I saw the latter on Broadway at five years old in December, 2001. Cook, jokingly, objected to hearing this so as to not feel “old”, but he discussed both projects with such rich detail and admiration for both his colleagues and the individual crafts of film and Broadway respectively.
On Broadway in “The Lion King”, he stepped in for the role of Banzai, one of Scar’s henchman hyenas, just before 9/11. Production, of course, had to be stopped for the time being, but would soon resume and Cook would stay in the show for the following two years. “Lion King”, is, essentially, Disney’s first big Broadway blockbuster, and Cook described it just as an audience member would. “When that elephant walks down the aisle and that sun rises up, it’s breathtaking,” he said. “The authentic African sounds and the singing….you’re transported.” He met his wife, who is still a member of the “Lion King” ensemble, during his time in the show. Besides “The Chi”, Cook’s other big project is the Steven
Let It Rain Ciera Payton Words by Chanler Brown
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had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the adept Ciera Payton, an actress, entrepreneur, writer, social activist, and educator. Her breakout role was the female lead in Flight of Fury (2007), and her most recent and notable roles were in Tyler Perry’s feature length film A Madea Family Funeral (2019) and television drama series The Oval. She has over 50 acting credits to her name ranging from television programs to feature length films to voiceovers, written the onewoman-show Michael’s Daughter that details her experience and struggles with having an incarcerated father, founded the Michael’s Daughter Project which is a youth summer camp that empowers youth through creative writing, theater, and film production, and created her sensitive skin inclusive beauty line Sincerely Cosmetics. Born in Mississippi and raised in New Orleans, Payton weathered the carnage from the devastating Hurricane Katrina which included the loss of her home and personal belongings. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Payton expands on her childhood by revealing
that she used to separately live with her mother, father, and grandmother during different parts of her childhood. She also disclosed that she moved to New Orleans to live with her father when she was about eight years old. After Hurricane Katrina, she relocated to North Carolina then later moved to New York. She moved to Los Angeles to further pursue her interest in film and television. How has New Orleans prepared you for everything you go through career wise? “There’s such a flavor and a vibe in New Orleans that really teaches people how to be confident and how to be real and to be true to yourself—have dignity, have morals. What I love about New Orleans, even the times I’ve worked down there, people in New Orleans don’t get all crazy over celebrities or fame. People are fans of course, but we see people as people. There’s no room to be pretentious or to put other people down or to be judgmental. So, I grew up with that feeling and growing up around that energy with being real and being raw like honoring your culture—honoring and remembering where you came from…That has definitely helped me along the way with my career because with this career, I’ve experienced so many extreme lows and extreme highs and through all of it I’ve been able to keep a level head and stay grounded…Growing up in the neighborhood I’ve grown up in—growing up in poverty taught me to appreciate everything. No opportunity is too small. Whenever I’m playing complicated characters, it’s cool to have that background because I don’t come to the character like I’m above them. I come to the character like I am them and I could relate to them no matter what their status is or what their occupation is. I can see
Divine Intervention Dennis McKinley
Words By Rashod Davenport
Jay-Z and Pharrell made a song this summer called Entrepreneur. One of the parts of the song says: “Serial entrepreneur, we on our own/ Stop sittin’ around waitin’ for folks to throw you a bone/ If you can’t buy the building, at least stock the shelf (word)/ Then keep on stacking ‘til you stocking for yourself ”. These are strong lyrics for our generation. Dennis McKinley is one of those entrepreneurs that relate to Jay-Z’s lyrics. Starting his business right out of high school, Dennis started purchasing and flipping real estate in Detroit with a group of his friends. It wasn’t the starting point for the current franchise owner, but it was his business. Growing up in the inner city of Detroit, Dennis’ family moved to the suburbs in his teenage years where he
met his next-door neighbor, Tina Brundage, who instantly asked him if he wanted a job. After doing all kinds of odd jobs to make money before that time, he agreed. And that’s where this story begins. “She was one of the few Black-owned McDonald’s franchisees’ in Detroit,” Dennis says with a tone of pride. “It was kind of the first real job that I had. I used to wake up with her at six o’clock in the morning, every day, and stay there with her, sometimes until midnight. I would think to myself, ‘man, this is the tenacity man and work ethic that you really need to be successful.’ That was kind of my first run at real business. There were times when she used to leave, and I would be in charge… and I was only 16. You know? I had managers there that were 30-40 years old. I
In Case You Missed It...
Teyana Taylor She MADE It Photo By Bryce Thompson
Teyana Taylor, whose devotion to community and social activism has been a constant factor throughout her career at G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Recordings, celebrates the commencement-deprived Class of 2020 in the inspirational video for her new track “Made It,” prominently featuring many of those remarkable graduates. “Made It” and “Bare Wit Me” (with its hard-boiled 1930s gangster-themed video), which premiered across all platforms today, are cornerstones of THE ALBUM, Teyana’s forthcoming new project due this summer. A snippet from the red-hot “Bare Wit Me” dance sequence trended across Twitter.
Simply Design Justin Q. Williams Words By Rashod Davenport Photos by Sean Cason
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nterior design is a gift that many think they have but don’t fully understand. Some of us can decorate a nice room, and our friends will come in and say “Oh this is nice!” or “Okay, I see you!” However, there are rooms that are DESIGNED and the entrance response is simply “DAMN!”, “WOW!” or “OH MY GOD!”. I’ve learned that those responses are what our parents and grandparents would call “speechless”. Justin Q. Williams is an Interior Designer whose work consistently leaves his clients just that...speechless. Justin was born in the small town of Opelika, Alabama, and would relocate to the southern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. While the transition wasn’t easy, Justin often times tells the stories of how his mother made huge sacrifices to make sure that he had a sense of consistency and stability. As he describes it, she was a project manager of his upbringing and every decision mattered. The stories of his morning school commute, after school pickup routine, the involvement of family friends, and more showed that Mama Crystal (as we call her) was willing to do whatever she had to for her child. “Yes... Yes I did,” Mama Crystal responds as I tell her the stories that Justin has told me. “That’s what you do for you kids and your family. And he appreciated it. As he’s gotten older, I could tell that he really appreciates the sacrifices that I’ve made for him...(We take a moment as she tells me that I’m about to make her cry). He told me in 8th grade that he needs to work in order to achieve things like go to college and do the things that he needed for himself. I’m glad that he waited a bit (laughing). I had to take care of my responsibilities as a parent. He has his responsibilities with growing up in to his adulthood. So that in order for him to accomplish what he wanted from his life, I didn’t hold him back from anything. I didn’t put any kinds of pressures on him in any kind of way. When you are a child growing up, you have to find your own niche in life, you know what I mean? You have to find the way you’re
comfortable and knowledgeable of what you want to do. Because this is you, this is your life. It’s not my life. This is his life. And his life is a blessing from God.” He was always considered the popular kid mainly because of his charismatic personality and friendly demeanor. With an inept love for music and instruments, Justin was a band kid who would eventually become a first chair trombone player, drum major, and a Marching Bobcat at Bethune-Cookman College. Yet, there was a moment at 12 years old that really placed this award-winning designer on the interior path. Changing the furniture around in the house was a hobby of his. His bedroom never kept a layout too long, and any other room in the house was always game for a furniture shuffle. When his parents realized how much he loved doing this, they supported him by purchasing two computer programs, Chief Home Architect and AutoCAD. “I bought the AutoCAD Software for him because he kept talking about how he wanted to design his bedroom,” Justin’s father, Mr. Otis says. (Funny... I call his mom ‘Mama Crystal’ and his dad ‘Mr. Otis’) “He wanted to paint his bedroom different colors and do different designs in there. So I told him, ‘Go ahead. If you mess it up, you’re going to pay to get it fixed.’ But he did a wonderful job on it. He was always into architect at first. Every time we wanted to do something to the house, he would draw it up for us “This is how it’s supposed to look”. Justin took the programs and fully designed the addition to the family home and presented it to his parents. Astounded by the design, they called a contractor, shared the plans and Justin gained his first apprenticeship. He spent that summer bringing his vision to life. When the job was complete, the contractor told his parents that not only was Justin great at what he was doing, but he had a gift. Justin would continue to apprentice with the contractor until he graduated from high school. That gift of design would begin to take Justin further than he had ever dreamed. But it
Photos by Bobby Quillard
Tales of a Legend Glynn Turman Words By Rashod Davenport
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magine doing what you were born to do from the age of 12. Not on purpose, but by happenstance. That’s the story of Harlem-born iconic actor Glynn Turman. Known by many for his role of retired Army Colonel and math professor Bradford Taylor from classic 90’s sitcom A Different World, Mr. Turman has been a blessing to the screen and stage from his debut role of Travis in Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 debut and Tony Award-winning Broadway Classic A Raisin In The Sun, starring Ruby Dee, Sidney Portier, Lou Gossett, Ivan Dixon, and more. Being nominated for 4 Tony awards in 1960, including Best Play, Best Actor in Play, Best Actress in a Play, and Best Direction of a Play, it’s needless to say that the first acting opportunity for Mr. Turman was one that would stand the test of time. However, all he wanted to do was play baseball with the other neighborhood kids. Though born in Harlem, Mr. Turman was raised in the
west village area of Manhattan. Which at the time was an enclave of artistic and talented people including Lorraine Hansberry who was a friend of Mr. Turman’s mother. She told his mother that she had written “a little play” and had a role for a little boy that she needed to have cast. Asking Mr. Turman’s mother if he would be interested, she was shocked when he said “No”. “I was 12 years old,” Turman laughs. “I had no idea of what a play was. And I had things I wanted to do, like play baseball, you know. Right. But I ended up auditioning and these other kids were there and I didn’t have any idea what they were there for because there was only one part for one little boy in the play. And that was me. Well, I guess that attitude won me the role, you know? That’s the kind of play, you know, it changed the landscape of theater and of black performance and Black people in America. It was an iconic story.”
Photographer Bobby Quillard
‘RUTHLESS’ Hustle JAIME M. CALLICA Words by Rashod Davenport
A few months ago, someone said, “Tyler Perry has a new
show on TV that you need to watch.” I’m thinking another House of Payne or Meet the Browns was going to be the concept. They said “NOOOOO. This shit is CRAZY! It’s called RUTHLESS.” Now, to be very transparent, I had a HORRIBLE work schedule while still trying to maintain SUAVV, so TV was not on my mind. I received an email request to interview one of the show’s leads, Jaime M. Callica. After being on the phone with Jaime for about an hour, I agreed to binge-watch the show and to text him when I was done to let him know what I thought…. OH MY GOD!!! Let me rewind this a bit. Jaime grew up in Toronto, Canada, and would eventually move to Vancouver with his family. As a kid, he did everything from being a martial arts black belt to ballet and tap dancing. He had what he would call “a pretty good childhood”. Jaime had some bonding
time with his grandmother doing something that we have all had the “pleasure” of doing...watching soap operas. Personally, once I heard the soaps theme songs, I knew it was nap time. For Jaime, it was time for him to watch his idol to see what he would do next. “I grew up watching The Young and the Restless with my grandmother,” Jaime says laughing. “I would always watch Victor Newman, (Eric Brayden’s character in the show). He was a billionaire megalomaniac. He would just buy businesses from people that did him wrong, just to shut the business down in the name of spite. And I was like, Oh one day, I’m going to be that dude. I’m going to be the Black Victor Newman. Not buying businesses to shut them down but buying businesses and being wealthy. And so I really fell in love with the idea of business courtesy of watching YNR. I really loved the character that was Victor Newman.”
Drum Major for Justice
Reverend Al Sharpton Words By Allison Kugel
For many Black Americans, he is next to a Messiah. For
many non-Black Americans, he is thought to be an agitator, riling up already uncomfortable societal quagmires that are better left swept under the rug. Media image aside, Reverend Al Sharpton is neither of these things. The boy raised by a single mother in working class Queens, New York, developed a passion for civil rights activism as a preteen. He began marching alongside Reverend Jesse Jackson and other prominent civil rights activists at the tender age of thirteen, seeking to progress the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of civil disobedience and taking the high road to equal rights under the law for Black Americans. As the years progressed, though the American civil rights movement has remained something of a moving target, much of the fight has landed at Reverend Al Sharpton’s doorstep. Families of victims of police brutality, fatal racial discrimination and other hate crimes come to him in their quest to gain the media attention they need to enact criminal justice and legislative reform on behalf of their loved ones. The powerless and voiceless look to Reverend Sharpton to get their voices heard. As Sharpton, himself, put it to me during our conversation, “People have called me an ambulance chaser, but we are the ambulance.” He is referring to victims’ families who have been helped by Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN), providing everything from the media attention these families need to pressure prosecutors to take action towards justice, to gaining the attention of congress for policy reform, as well as emotional and financial support in some instances. Now, with his new book, Rise Up: Confronting A Country At The Crossroads, Reverend Al Sharpton outlines his unrelenting position on the weightiest political and societal issues of our time, recounts some hard lessons learned, and offers an inside glimpse into the mentors who shaped the man we see today. Most importantly, Reverend Sharpton outlines his plan for an America at the crossroads. Allison Kugel: In light of recent news in the Breonna Taylor case (no criminal charges were filed in her death), what was your first reaction when you heard that decision? Reverend Al Sharpton: It was alarming, but not surprising. I didn’t have confidence in this investigation, because of the obvious policies of the prosecutor. The prosecutor guides the grand jury and there is nobody in there besides the prosecutor. This prosecutor is a protege of Mitch McConnell. I did not think that he was going to do anything. I did feel that the indictment of the other officer, [Brett] Hankison, for the endangerment of everybody but Breonna was just as offensive. What they are saying is that he was
reckless in who he was shooting at and putting others at risk. What about who they shot, and her being at risk? It is one of the reasons why we do what we do, in saying there needs to be new laws. We just had a big march with tens of thousands of us, three weeks ago. Among two of the things we wanted are The George Floyd Policing and Justice Act that sat in the House, but the Senate hasn’t taken it up. It would strengthen the laws that would have eliminated the no knock laws and put this whole thing in a different perspective. That’s one of the things I talk about that in this new book (Rise Up, Hanover Square Press). Allison Kugel: Many people believe that you just show up wherever the action and media attention is. It’s important for people to know that you and your National Action Network (NAN) are the ones who work to bring national attention to these cases in the first place. For example, it was your organization, NAN, that brought national attention to Trayvon Martin’s murder and to George Floyd’s murder. Without your hard work, the world wouldn’t know the names Trayvon Martin or George Floyd. Why isn’t this common knowledge? Reverend Al Sharpton: A lot of the media just doesn’t say it. Ben Crump (Attorney for the Floyd family) and the families have said it. In fact, Breonna Taylor’s mother’s first interview was on my show (MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation”). They couldn’t get a national show before my show. Sybrina Fulton (Trayvon Martin’s mother) wrote about it her book on Trayvon. Ben Crump brought them to New York to ask me to blow up Trayvon [in the media]. Trayvon had been buried for 2 weeks. I didn’t even know about Trayvon until they came and met with me in my office. We made it an issue and called the first rally and had about 10,000 people out there. It ended up being the day my mother died, and I went ahead with the rally anyway. I said in the eulogy to George Floyd that people call me to blow things up, and I have an infrastructure with NAN where we support the family, we help them get legal advice and media advice, and we stay with them. Sometimes people can’t cover their expenses if they need to do a rally. Some of them need to pay their rent, and NAN helps with that. They call us because they know we’ll come. Allison Kugel: Who is your heir apparent once you reach a certain age and you are no longer able to do this work? Reverend Al Sharpton: That would come up through the ranks of NAN (Sharpton’s National Action Network). We have a lot of young people in our youth and college division, and some of them have a lot of potential. It is not up to me to choose who it will be, but I think it will come up from the ranks of the movement. That is why I built an organization. I could have just resigned from NAN several years ago, not worried about raising five to ten million
Soul Searching Rome Flynn Words by Rashod Davenport
“My break the first big project that I did was a film called Drumline: A New Beat on VH1 and it was the first big film that gave me visibility and got my foot in the door,” Rome tells me. “I got to work with Nick Cannon, Alexandra Shipp, Jordan Callaway, and VH1 and just the entire cast. Drumline was such a cultural film that the second one, even if it was good or not, people just tuned in and watched it anyway. That was the first big role I’ve gotten.” Los Angeles is the home of 170,000 union-represented actors. Let that sink in for a moment. These are just the actors who are qualified to be in the union. There is maybe 2-3 times that number of aspiring actors nestled in the city as well. One of the most challenging tasks of making it in that city. Is getting your face seen and your foot in the door. Rome Flynn did just that. Rome is a guy whose face
you will recognize before the name. Or, you may just refer to him from his characters. Though being on the acting scene for a short 6 years, it’s safe to say that this actor is here to stay. His entry into the industry may have been the sequel to Drumline, but his true start of acting trails back just a bit further. And trust me, the streets were not lined with tinsel. Rome grew up on the southside of Chicago in the Robert Taylor Homes with 7 siblings. Growing up in a house where attention was scarce, Rome found that he had a talent of doing impersonations and accents which would he would show off to try to keep the family full of laughter. He also realized that he had a talent for sports. Eventually, he would end up playing on the same Langford High School basketball team that NBA Champion Andre Ig-
A Star is Born Nafessa Williams
Words by Rashod Davenport Photos by Michael Letterlough, Jr. @michaelletterloughjr Makeup by Rodney Jon @madebyrjon Styling by Yvonne @styledbyyvonne Hair by Kee Taylor @sosheargenius
This article not only showcases the amazing talent and transitional role of Nafessa but pays tribute to one of her acting and musical icons and inspirations Diana Ross.
We all grew up with our favorite superhero. For most of
the boys, it was He-Man, Superman, Spiderman, or Batman. If you were a comic book kid, you were more into Green Lantern, Iron Man, and Venom. Nonetheless, we all had someone we would pretend to be. There were fake capes, and makeshift weapons out of all kinds of household items. For Nafessa Williams, her superheroes were the actresses that she saw on TV who looked like her. The actress and model is one of the lead stars in the DC Comics Series Black Lightning which can be seen on Netflix. She plays the role Anissa Pierce aka Black Thunder, the lesbian daughter of Superhero Black Lightning. Acting was her passion and to have that brown girl representation to give her confidence, she knew that it was only a matter of time before she could be that images for other little girls.
While breaking down all kinds of social barriers, The Philly born and bred beauty is up for the task. “I wanted it to be Rudy Huxtable,” Nafessa laughs as we talk on the phone. She is in Los Angeles in her apartment and I am in Atlanta. It’s warm on both coasts and she is just coming in from a run. “I remember watching TV and I was really young and I identified with the brown girls Keshia Knight-Pulliam, Tatyana Ali, and Lark Vorhees. I would watch TV and be like, “I look like them.” I’m really grateful that I had those images to look up to. And let’s be honest, who didn’t want to be Claire Huxtable. I remember watching TV really, really young and being obsessed with TV. Things like coming home, writing down my TV Guide in my composition book of my favorite shows, and I would
Motivation to Workout Post Covid By Alex Carneiro
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f your motivation to exercise during the pandemic is as elusive as flour and antibacterial wipes, that’s not surprising ,and you’re not alone. In most states, gyms and studios completely closed down for the general safety of everyone. This left many without a physical location to de-stress, socialize and most importantly take care of their bodies and mind. Several states have re-opened their locations but many of us feel now more than ever unmotivated to get back. So, here’s 4 ways to get your groove back and come back even stronger than ever
-Set New Fun Goals
Working out without a plan ends up being the number 1 reason most people fail in the first few weeks of their new fitness regimen. It’s like driving a car with no destination. Eventually the fuel runs out and you’re stuck. Set some goals up. If you’ve gained 15lbs during the pandemic then set to lose 20-25lbs. It’s not enough just to go back to where you started, challenge yourself to become even better. Perhaps set a friendly competition with a friend and both of you challenge each other during 1 month to see who loses more weight. Loser buys the other a new set of headphones or a new workout shirt.
–Try Something New
If prior to the pandemic you were already unmotivated to workout then chances are you’re not magically going to be now. I suggest you find something new such as a spin class, kickboxing studio or another type of activity you haven’t tried yet. When we change our comfort zone our brains become way more excited to keep focus and attention. It might be slightly uncomfortable at first, but it keeps your system in shock and intrigued for what’s coming next, this in turn keeps you likely more motivated.
-Not Ready for the Gym? Use Technology
Many of us may be worried about going to public places. Totally understandable. A home workout routine is what
I will encourage you to do. With so many online trainers, classes and gyms offering free workouts these days there are hundreds upon thousands of free options for you to try something at home. Don’t forget, your body is the best machine ever created, don’t be scared of trying a full body home workout using a resistance like light a backpack, a gallon of water or milk, or even some books. If you live in a state that has outdoor trails than start working on these and get your step levels up. If you have a dog than start walking him/her more often and challenge yourself to longer walks weekly. The idea is to get up and start moving more.
-Find a Workout Friend
One of the biggest challenges for many during covid has been realizing how much we miss socializing with our close friends and family has become. The things we took for granted are now a luxury. While respecting social distancing and your own state’s laws, find a friend that you trust to keep each other accountable. Whether it’s meeting at a park for a walk or jog, meeting them at your local gym or anywhere else you can exercise, by having someone else there you will feel more energized and motivated to not only exercise but also regain that sense of being social again. You can additionally create new challenges for yourself with them and try different things so you don’t feel bored doing the same activity. Find perhaps a new trail or try a new physical activity with them. The key is basically having an accountability partner to get your moving.
Reinventing Fitness Cassius
Written by Rashod Davenport
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OVID-19 has created a platform for many people. In the beginning of the pandemic, we said, “if you use this time wisely, this could be the best moment of your life.” There has been no other time when we have had the opportunity to focus on ourselves and be uninterrupted in that process. While we struggled as a community with the lack of ability to go to the gym, there were a few people who brought the gym to us. With many turning to instagram and youtube as a source of workout tips, Cassius put himself out there as a trainer. Cassius began training by happenstance when his father literally kicked him into a training. Visiting his father at work one day, he walked by his father who was holding a meeting. His father’s client stated that Cassius looked like a trainer and asked if he was. His father said “yes he is” and helped arrange their first session. From that moment, not only did Cassius began training multiple people, he and his father started researching how to make that natural skill a paid profession. SUAVV: Leave it to parents to volunteer your services. (Laughing) How were you in shape to a point where someone would think you were a trainer just meeting you? Cassius: I played sports for the majority of my life. So I’ve been playing football, basketball, and track from about seven years old. And as far as, lifting weights and stuff like that, I saw my father lifting weights, at an early age, in our garage. So I was that little kid that would have that twopound dumbbell trying to lift it, like Pops. That’s what really got me started. Cause my dad, he took the supplements, he had the trainer and he had a woman trainer back when I was a child too. She was hardcore. Like she had him built bodybuilder style. So that’s what really got me into fitness. SUAVV: Most women trainers are ruthless. They really don’t care. They tend to push a little harder than the guy trainers do. Then look at you crazy when you’re grunting and yelling. Cassius: Oh yeah. That was a huge rule in her gym. There was no yelling allowed. You know, guys would have a bunch of weight and they would yell and get it up. She did not play with them yelling. She was just like, stop making all that noise. And I remember her telling my dad to stop all the yelling and it’s not doing anything. I’m not going to say I haven’t yelled to get the weight off my shoulders. Because that would be a lie. SUAVV: Likewise. But I try to keep it as low as possible. So when you decide this is going to be your job? Who did you begin training after that first session?
Cassius: That summer I was training kids, some in high school, some on their way to college. I trained the elderly, which are probably the best (clients)I ever had. Those are people who I actually became really good friends with. I actually paid my first semester in cash before my scholarships kicked in because I was training. Yup, yup. I remember I came, I came there and I had all my money with me cause you know, training, they pay you in checks and cash. So we filled out all my paperwork and because my loans and all that stuff didn’t kick in yet because I was still an out of state student. Because, originally, I’m from Virginia. So she was telling me how much money was leftover. And I was like, can I pay it now? She was just like, all of it. And I said, yeah, and I just dumped out all the money and rubber bands and all types of stuff. (Laughing) That lady didn’t know if I was a drug dealer or a stripper. She was like What do you do? I was just like, man, I just had a really good summer. That’s all. It was ones, fives, twenties, and tens in there. SUAVV: That’s the first place they go. Especially if you’re your and fit LOL. Hell, I would have looked at you sideways. (Both Laughing) So you go to school, come home from college, and then did you go right into training? Cassius: I finished around 2018 and then afterward I was actually in the back office doing the accounting for about a year and a half. And then recently I went back into training and then the pandemic hit and all of the gyms shut down. And unfortunately, so did the gym that I was working with, which was probably the best situation for me at that time. Because I was a trainer, I was an ambassador for the gym, and I ran their whole marketing and social media campaigns. And it was clicking on all cylinders. And then when the pandemic hit I literally had to do what everybody else has, I had to reinvent myself. SUAVV: Yeah. And that’s crazy because that’s where we ended up finding your page. We were looking at home workouts because we were looking through for the magazine and like seeing who was doing what and like what to reach out to. Cassius: Yeah. Most definitely. I think this is probably the biggest blessing in disguise that I’ve ever been through because when it happened, I’m not going to lie to you. My world was upside down for about a day and I think I heard Magic Johnson say I give myself one day to be upset and cry about it. And then the next day it’s over and then be on to the next. I gave myself one day of whoa is me. And then I was like, I gotta do something. And I was kinda like, you know what, I’m gonna just grab these bands and workout from inside the house. I hadn’t had a video reaction like that in a while. And then I was like, you know what, I’m gonna do this every day because I know so many different
Mind Right, Body Right Kevin Dwayne By Rashod Davenport
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ith COVID-19 restricting a lot of our gym workouts a bit and requiring most of us to become creative with our fitness, we decided to sit with trainer, coach, and IFBB Pro-Natural competitor Kevin Dwayne and speak about his fitness journey, gather some tips, and create a plan to start getting our bodies back in shape. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Kevin shares his workouts and different moves on his Instagram page where you can follow for a variety of options to give you a little muscle confusion and help get your body revamped. SUAVV: How did you first get involved with your fitness lifestyle? Kevin: It stemmed from me growing up. I recall as I was younger, growing up, seeing my mother active, she would work out at home. She would do a lot of exercises and things of that nature. I saw her activity level and how she took care of herself and her health by constantly moving her body, you know? I think I picked up on that as a kid and as I went to middle school and then definitely into high school, that’s when I really got more involved with it(fitness). She got my first weight bench and from there it just kind of stuck with me to continue working out. I actually worked out at home and created home-style workouts for years prior to actually joining a traditional gym. SUAVV: That’s a pretty different path into fitness. But we love it. Now, is that where a lot of your movement come from? From watching your workouts, a lot of it looks like you can do them from your home. Kevin: No, actually it’s a mix of being so used to doing a lot of homework out for many years. Because again, I didn’t join the gym until 2007. But, the years prior, it was a lot of home-based workouts. So, as I’ve grown and evolved as a trainer and a coach it’s become a combination of things that are done from a home-based workout to, just picking up other movements and understanding how the body works even more. And even incorporating some of the things I do from practicing yoga, a lot of stretching, things of that nature and just functional movements of how the body moves. All of that plays a part in me creating the workouts that I create for myself and for my clients. SUAVV: Okay, perfect. There are so many people who don’t understand the importance of stretching. So, I’m glad you said that. When did you decide that you wanted to actually become a trainer? How did that happen? Kevin: I started training part time in 2010 while I was working full-time. But as time went on from 2010, until like 2013, I just wanted to do it more and more. It started with one client and it grew and I continued to build clien-
tele for a while. Then, I ended up taking a break because I moved from Atlanta to New York for work. Remember, I was still working full time and my background is in education. So I moved to New York, to work for the department of education. But after being there for about a year, I just got to the point and said “you know what, I’m ready for a total life change” and I moved back to Atlanta. I went back in education again for about another year or year and a half. And then at that time I say, “I want to take it full time, step out on faith, go full-time with training.” And it just took me up until 2016. That’s when I decided to actually step away from my previous career and go full time to training. SUAVV: I’ve Gotcha. New York is definitely a city that will make you think about the life a little differently, (both laughing). So, we all know that some of the trainers are people who just feel that because they work out, they can train others. Do you think that people should be a little more educated in the body before becoming trainers? Kevin: Yeah. I definitely agree. Yeah, one definitely should take the time to understand the anatomy of the body and how it moves, how it functions, how the muscles work, and how they interconnect with each other, before you go and want to teach someone how to work their body and build their muscles. And granted and unfortunately at times, we do have a lot of people out here, thanks to social media, who have become trainers, but aren’t fully technically trained so to speak. Like I said, my background is in education, so I’m big on knowledge, understanding, and growing. And in that, and I think trainers should maintain their certification, just like any other profession that has to maintain their professional license. You know, you’re dealing with the anatomy of the body and you’re trying to teach people new practices and behaviors so that once their time is done with you, you want them to be able to workout alone in an effective way. SUAVV: Okay. That makes sense. Overall, you want your clients to gain the confidence and knowledge to continue their lifestyle change after their sessions are completed. Being a gym goer, you know we see people working out all kinds of wrong ways. As a trainer in the gym, what do you see as the biggest mistakes you see people making in the gym and making in working out? Kevin: A lot of times it is lifting weight that’s too heavy and it compromises the form. And then to flip that back on the other side, it’s the form. Majority of the time, it’s the form. It’s the improper form and trying to perform exercises where your body isn’t in its right formation to actually fully benefit from the move that you’re doing or the muscle that you’re trying to work. And then you jeopardize yourself with injury. If you don’t perform exercises correctly,
5 W
hich Supplements do I need to take to burn fat?
Fat burning will mainly come down to your diet. Meaning you are consuming less calories and you are moving more, and this can be done through exercise or daily steps. Supplements for reducing body fat are mostly ineffective, have insufficient amounts of research to back up their fat-burning claims, and some are likely to even be harmful if taken in high doses. If I have high blood pressure, what are some tips you could recommend to help me lower it safely? That’s an excellent question. First thing that I would recommend is focusing on your diet. We’re going to cut back on sugar and refined carbohydrates, we’re going to eat less processed foods, we’re going to consume less sodium, up our potassium intake and drink more water. It’s also really important that we lose weight and this can be done by increasing our activity and exercising more. If you are a smoker, that needs to stop immediately or be dialed back significantly. If you’re interested in supplementing to help, focus on garlic, CoQ10, vitamin D, magnesium and more fiber. But of course, check with your doctor before starting any supplement regimen. What foods should I stay away from? I’m not a big advocate of cutting out any food groups entirely, but having things in moderation I believe is more sustainable for long term success with a healthy lifestyle. As a general recommendation, 80/20 is a good rule of thumb, meaning 80 percent of the foods you eat are lean protein sources, vegetables, fruits and complex carbohy-
Questions with SUAVV Trainer JC White drates, and the other 20 percent will be those fun foods we enjoy. But first try to fill up on the 80 percent before you eat the 20 percent so that you’re eating less of the 20 percent. What foods should I try to eat each day? Some food groups that I would focus on eating each day are lean protein sources, such as chicken breast, wild caught salmon, ahi tuna, lean ground turkey, greek yogurt and lean cuts of steak. For your carb sources, I recommend oatmeal, quinoa, green leafy vegetables, rice, baked sweet potato and fruits, such as berries and citrus. Other foods that will help you to have a well-balanced diet are almond milk, lean regular milk, almond butter in limited quantity, and eggs. How can I strengthen my immune system? This is very relevant with Covid-19 and everything I just spoke about above with overall health. Some of the main things you need to focus on to have an overall strong immune system, include getting adequate sleep (7-9 hours per night), hydration, exercising regularly, eating a diet with plentiful fruits and vegetables, managing stress and making sure you are fully recovering after workouts. If you want to supplement, some things that have decent research behind their effectiveness in helping the immune system or shortening the length of the common cold, include zinc, vitamin D, garlic and probiotics. These are not the end all be all to immune health but they may help improve your chances of fighting colds and infections. But make no mistake- lifestyle, sleep, nutrition, a healthy body fat to weight ratio, and hydration are king.