July/August 2021
Volume 1 Issue 3
Understanding The Power of Your Influence
A Letter From The Editor
Now that I am many years settled into fatherhood, I sometimes reminisce on those precious moments when my son was only a baby. Though small and quite fragile, I wanted to make him tough and brawn, selfishly hoping that he would live out the hopes and dreams that I had for my life. That is what dads do, or at least I think they do. My son would eventually grow up right before my eyes to be a very grown man, which I am quite proud of. Still, I reminded of his dependence on me and his mother for everything while he was a child and our responsibility to understand and provide for his needs.
There Are No If, Ands, Or Buts About It!
A Letter from the Editor
What if tomorrow didn’t arrive? All of your plans, hopes and dreams wouldn’t have a street to park on. What if everything that you decided to put off until tomorrow never happened? There would be no reason to save for a rainy day, and you could spare someone the trouble of making promises. What if your last opportunity seemingly expired today? What would you do?
As a baby and not yet able to form words, my son cried and made other baby sounds when he wanted to let us know he was hungry. When his diaper was wet, he didn’t say [dad, I am wet]; instead, he cried. It was my duty to determine his need and translate the information he was trying to share. Thank God I was able to, and my son was fed and cared for. Though I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for him had I ignored his cries or was unable to understand them.
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I’ve been told that I often seem like I do too much. Honestly, I feel like I am not doing enough and I’m a firm believer in knowing that God wouldn’t put anything on me that I couldn’t handle. I sometimes wonder how life would be if I chose to sit idle and accept what it presented to me. I have found that to be very boring. In my opinion, opportunity is a blessing that isn’t afforded to everyone. A challenge to me is an adventure. What is the worst that can happen? If I do nothing, I fail, and if I try I don’t, but instead learn something new about myself. Relinquish your pride and in return acquire life.
As adults and not babies, our methods of communicating our pains, wants, and needs aren’t generally boggled into a baby’s cry. However, it doesn’t mean that we are not crying. When we become prideful and shamed, it can be difficult to express what is truly hurting us, which causes us to internalize these issues and not let them out.
When God blesses His children to be a well or source for others, it often comes with some form of influence. With influence, there is power and the ability to impact someone’s life. Not understanding the power of your influence is just as careless as someone who is driving a car at 100 miles per hour with their eyes closed.
Dorjae’ McClammey
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The best advice ever given to me happened when someone told me to make my tomorrow happen today. In doing so I have pressed my way through doors with a key that only hope provided. I have also learned the difference between what God blesses me with and what life can burden me with as well. I compare it to knowing when to be confident and when to be quiet, because someone may get it confused with being arrogant.
Influence attracts the interest of others. Because influence is often associated with power, it oftentimes attracts weakness. What I am trying to share; If someone is treating you wrong you feel like you are being “hated on”, it might mean that person is actually crying out and cannot convey what’s hurting them. As Christians, we can’t ignore these cries. We should listen with our hearts and seek God’s instruction on how to respond.
If you are in a position of influence, fill yourself with the love of God on a daily basis. I was able to determine what my son’s needs were only because I loved him. God’s love gives us power and the ability to understand the cries and pains of others.
Make you tomorrow happen today, but most importantly make it count. Life is but a whisper and we must put ourselves in a position to hear what it is telling us.
Terry L. Watson
Data Girl Ash
Ashley Scott
Little Rock, AR Also Featured
A Different Stroke of Art
Lorria Grant-Eubanks
Ukwensi Chappell
Meet the face and founder of Gallerie Ukwensi at Ghent Norfolk, VA
Edmond Law, LLC
Attorney Alton Edmond
Cocoa, FL Philadelphia, PA
ChildHood Lost Entertainment Group
Steve and Kaleik
Cutest Baby Photo He is a real cutey. Introducing Asher Grady
Greensboro, NC
Leading The Way in Charleston Eric Watson
Standing On The Rock Pastor Todd Curry
SMN Square, Inc
Shawn Nicholson
God Did It Again
Tifanie Rudd
Data Girl Ash
“I love that I have the opportunity to candidly share unique ways to navigate career opportunities and support others to start their data career journey.”
By Terry L. Watson
Intitially, the plan for Ashley Scott was to to start a skincare company. She had even wrote a business plan and won pitch competitions, and expected to launch in early 2020. However, things took a turn in a different direction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. When she realized she could supply the demand for remote learning and training materials, Ashley changed the framework of her business and focused on consutling. Now she has set her targets on working with data enthusiasts.
Ashley Scott was born and raised in New York City, NY, and has roots in the Caribbean country of Jamaica. She was a first-generation college student in her family and has always been passionate about educating and helping people achieve their goals. One of the ways she was able to do that was by performing community service in hospitals and the Boys and Girls Club in her neighborhood. These acts of kindness allowed her to receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award from former President Barack Obama.
To attend college and excel while doing so was very important for Ashley. She was determined and made good on a promise to herself to break down walls that had adversely impacted her family and community.
“One of the most significant impacts on my life and career was learning how to navigate the college application process. As a first-generation college student, it often felt intimidating learning how to take college admission tests, writing admission and scholarship essays, and deciding on the best school with affordable tuition. At the time, an average of 20% of people who grew up in my community reported completing a four-year degree program and beyond. That wasn’t very promising, yet, despite the odds, I learned the importance of resilience and networking, which helped me make informed decisions about starting my professional career,” she shares.
While the journey was anything but smooth sailing, Ashley says it helped her learn how to thrive under pressure and help others along the way. “I love that I have the opportunity to candidly share unique ways to navigate career opportunities and support others to start their data career journey. Reflecting on my own experiences and remembering the many stories of others who aspired to get in the field but often felt discouraged to apply for data careers, motivates me. I hope to redefine the face of data careers through education and fashion by creating data-inspired apparel and accessories. I’m very grateful to be able to reach audiences globally, such as in Ireland and Canada, and represent aspiring and current Data Girls,” she says. Data Girl Ash also allocates a portion of proceeds to support other women-minority-owned businesses and its Data Girl Scholarship.
Photos by Data Girl Ash
Currently, Ashley is a data professional at a renowned medical school in New York City, a career coach, and a motivational speaker. Additionally, she is a Woman in Data Science Ambassador on behalf of Stanford University, a member of The Recording Academy, and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. Her higher learning accomplishments are pretty impressive as well. She has obtained a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Master in Business Administration with a concentration in Managerial Analytics, both with honors.
With all that Ashley is involved with, she has managed to find time to run her own company, Data Girl Ash. launched in 2020, Data Girl Ash assists others by promoting data literacy through career coaching, teaching, professional presentations, and data-inspired apparel and accessories. “My passion is to empower unrepresented data enthusiasts with little to no technology experience. I also encourage my clients to pursue educational and career opportunities, and provide them with the confidence they need for this indemand field,” she shares.
Ashley has over five years of experience working in various industries such as higher education, healthcare, and business consulting, so applying these skills sets and forming Data Girl Ash made sense. Some of the products Ashley offer are one on one career coaching, resume review, and online professional profile revamping. Each session is tailored specifically to each person, and Ashley creates strategic action plans for her clients, which assist with identifying career goals and preparation for successful interviews.
Despite increased job openings and growth areas in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field, Ashley shares that research suggested there is a shortage of opportunities for people of color, especially women. After learning this, Ashley immediately went into action. She began by hosting several focus groups and virtual fireside chats. She learned that women in underserved communities, including hers, were not encouraged to pursue STEM careers, mainly due to a lack of role models in the field. She successfully applied what she learned by collaborating with global nonprofits and organizations, including Women in Data, BlackTIDES, FEM STEM Bahamas, and IBM Developer, in an effort to increase women’s awareness in the field and assist in creative strategy.
This all happened during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. She shares the pandemic has postiviely impacted her business, and she’s even revamped its mission and purpose. For example, when she posted free data career change advice on social media, Ashley noticed an increase in activity from people requesting career coaching sessions and data educational resources. She’s also had the opportunity to partner with global nonprofits to assist in creative strategy, planning through research, and brainstorm participation for 9,000-plus members and volunteers in 25-plus locations, all who were interested in data careers.
In 2020, she launched the #DataGirl Social Media Campaign to discuss data career options for women and nonbinary individuals, which laid the foundation of her online platform and business, Data Girl Ash. “I started to share free educational resources about my experience transitioning into a data role without a technology background. This led me to share my expertise with people who expressed interest in landing a data career with a combination of education and fashion to promote the awareness of data careers,” she says.
Ashley says her for the future is to continue investing professionally and personally. “I strongly believe in the power of team building. Professionally, I plan to invest in more resources and tools to support business expansion, and encourage more people to pursue data careers and education. Personally, I plan to invest more time in my personal well-being to be the best version of myself, and become an advocate of change for members of my community.”
To learn more about Data Girl Ash, please visit their website. h
Edmond Law LLC
Not Every Superhero Wears a Cape
By Ellen Richardson
by Michael Robinson
One of the most talented attorneys in the state of Florida is not your average superhero. Alton Edmond, Owner and Founder of Edmond Law LLC, knew from the time that he was five years of age that he wanted to be a lawyer. “Since I was 5 years old, I knew that I wanted to be an attorney, which was not going to be easy since I was a kid growing up in the projects of Harlem, Florida, who lived with a single mother on a fixed income,” said Edmond. For this dream to become a reality, this real-life superhero would have to break all his family’s generational curses and even disregard the surroundings that he was raised in to achieve what some may consider the inconceivable. “I have to admit that pursuing this path was not easy at the beginning, but after a high school guidance counselor told me that I would never be a lawyer I made the decision that I was not going to let anyone, or anything stop me from being what I wanted to be.”
As he continued to stay focused on this dream, Edmond would find himself at the University of Florida and eventually Florida A & M College of Law where he became inspired by the many African American professionals who made this University what it is. “When I went to law school I faced a culture shock because when I went to the University of Florida I only had three black professors, but when I got to law school I was taught by people of color from Ivy League colleges and all over the nation. This was one of the first times in my life that I could walk onto a campus and be inspired by black professionals and black excellence, which gave me the realization that I could also be an inspiring professional for other black youth,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
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After graduating from law school and passing the Florida Bar Exam on his first attempt, Edmond would begin to see his childhood dream come true. “After becoming a fully licensed attorney I wanted to become involved in criminal law because I came from a very poor, minority community and there were many things that I witnessed that I did not feel were right when it came to the criminal justice system, so I wanted to do my part to help make a change,” said the future superhero.
Using his desire to work as an attorney who could inspire a change on a state level, Edmond would attempt to return to the place where he served as a law school legal intern to become a prosecutor. “The funny thing is the Florida State Attorney’s office in Orlando, Florida wouldn’t even interview me the first go around,” he said. “It wasn’t until I had obtained a job already that I was interviewed by the Brevard County state attorney’s office.” Although he would not be hired at this office or in the position that he had planned, God’s new plan would give Edmond the opportunity to serve as a defense attorney.
As his new path would emerge, Edmond would begin to serve as an associate defense attorney for two law firms before becoming an assistant public defender for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. “I loved this job but was let go after wearing a Black Lives Matter necktie, which my boss thought was a political statement instead of a human rights issue,” he said. Although this would seem like a setback to most, this opportunity became a step up for the man who would not let anything stop him from achieving his dream. “Two days after I lost my job I started my own law firm.”
Founded in Black History Month of 2017 Edmond Law, LLC offers criminal litigation, juvenile delinquency, criminal traffic violation, business/contract law and even the preparation of last will and testaments. “I became an attorney because I wanted to become an advocate for people that cannot advocate on their own and I wanted to be the voice for the voiceless people of society, and this is exactly what I built this firm to become,” said Edmond.
In his efforts to inspire others to empower others to achieve their own personal goals, this defender of people and voice for the voiceless also took this time to expand a motivational speaker, workshop, and events organization that he began after graduating from law school. “Edmond Inspiration, LLC was founded with the goal to motivate others to overcome what holds them back,” said Edmond. Whether this involves poverty, bullying, low self-esteem, racism, and many other forms of adversity, I speak and hold workshops to provide the hope that people need to hear.” Despite starting this as a for profit company, Edmond is now turning this into a non-profit organization that assists children from his hometown of Harlem, as well as children from Emma Jewel Charter Academy, in Cocoa, Florida, in obtaining scholarships. “I am on a variety of community boards in Brevard County, FL, but the one that is the nearest and dearest to my heart is Emma Jewel Charter Academy, which is a charter school that was established in one of the poorest areas of Brevard County. This K-8th grade school takes in children who are failing at other public schools, and we help them not only become educated, but we also support them in other areas where they have been struggling. My goal is to use my speaking company to give a scholarship to one young man and woman who grew up in this school, so that they can go on to college. I also want to help a young man, who is growing up poor in Harlem to go on and achieve his dreams through a good education.”
As if these efforts to help others were not enough, Florida’s own superhero has also done his part to continue supporting those who are wrongly accused, primarily in the black community. “On June 6, 2020, I helped to organize the largest peaceful human rights protest that had ever taken place in Brevard County,” said Edmond. “The local news reported on this, there were helicopters flying around, but we were blessed to have the FBI, ATF and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to monitor threats and keep the estimated 50,000 protestors, and other area businesses safe.” Along with holding one of the most successfully peaceful protests of its kind, Edmond also put forth his effort to improve the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office last year. “I became a candidate for Brevard Sheriff in 2020, who was trying to do my part to rectify some of the social justice issues that are going on in this county sheriff’s office. This effort included my efforts to assist this department in locating the funding necessary to install body cameras on deputies that would provide evidence for future court cases.”
While Edmond has yet to be elected to the political side of the Brevard County justice system, he is definitely making a difference and we at Huami applaud this superhero. He is an inspiration to us all!
St. Peter, The Rock, Inc.
By Teyah Glenn
Todd Curry, also known as “Pastor T”, is a leader in the body of Christ. He is also a prolific teacher, community activist, and award-winning producer and songwriter.
For the past five years, he has shepherded the flock of St. Peter, The Rock, Inc., a ministry located in the Eastwood Community of Pinehurst, North Carolina. His message can be described as flourishing, as Pastor T aims to spread his “Kingdom Minded” philosophy to everyone, both young and old. As fate would have it, St. Peter, The Rock is the same church his father, Bishop C.L. Curry, preached to and served for several years.
Pastor Curry is the youngest of three children. He was born to Gretchel Curry and the late Bishop C.L. Curry in Grand Forks, North Dakota. “Growing up in the church, I was reared in fear and admonition,” he says. He remained faithful as he worked as an Associate Minister, Minister of Music, Sunday School Teacher, Youth Leader, and Choir Director, up under the tutelage of his father for 28 years. “Church is all I knew. I loved music from the very beginning. I started out playing the guitar that my father bought me and eventually learned how to play the organ and the keyboard,” Curry said.
Curry shares that he learned early in his faith walk that “You can be anointed but not appointed and need to sit back and learn.” Curry did just that, and when the time was right, his father, Bishop C.L. Curry, saw something in his son and gave him his blessing to go forth in full-time ministry.
While many pastors to pass away while being in office, that wasn’t the case for Curry’s father. The late Bishop worked tirelessly to serve God. While Curry would lead the ministry on Sundays, his father would be sitting in the congregation watching him proudly as he delivered the sermon to the church, encouraging him to spread the word to God’s people. “I thought my father was completely stopping, but he would still come to church every single Sunday, and every Monday, we would have our talks. He never once tried to tell me how to run the church. He was always sitting back proud,” Curry explained.
Curry and his wife of 26 years, April, affectionately known as Lady A, have always had a heart for ministry and outreach. They have taken in numerous youth under their training and have justly opened their hearts to serve the lives of their ‘special needs’ children, which led them to open up Curry’s Haven, LLP in 2008. Curry’s Haven is a six-time nationally accredited organization set up to train, support, house, and serve special needs children and adults. They also regularly reach out to help behavioral and troubled youth, who are also a part of their organization.
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Photos by Still Shots Photography
Curry’s passion for the unsaved and less fortunate has transformed into the outreach ministry, TLC Unlimited, Inc. With TLC Unlimited, Inc., they can serve individuals who need clothing and food and help get them back on their feet with job placement, schooling, and shelter.
Along with withholding many titles in the church and the community, Pastor T is the lead singer of his musical group, Todd Curry and FOCUS, which is under the umbrella of TLC Unlimited. The nationally acclaimed, award-winning group has won several national awards and even appeared on BET’s Bobby Jones Gospel for their Sunday morning showing. Out of 42 groups of every music genre across the country, they were one of two gospel groups selected by the State Department of the United States and allowed to audition for the Rhythm Road Project at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. FOCUS was also chosen as one of the nation’s top 10 groups by judges with the Gospel Music Channel and American Heart Association.
Ministry and music go hand in hand for Curry. His freshman project, “It’s All Good” along with his sophomore project, “Quit Playin Church”, was released by his own record company, TLC Unlimited, Inc., and received National Digital distribution with Trevano/Ingrooves/ Universal Music Groups. Their albums were available for purchase at stores including Walmart, Kmart, Best Buy, and Barnes & Noble, to name a few. Their music can be heard on Sirius Radio, Pandora, and many other streaming services and stations across the nation.
Curry has recorded with the ministries of St. Peter, The Rock, Inc. The ministries include the Choir, Children/Youth Choir, Men’s Chorus, Praise and Worship teams, and a new young group of sisters called “Lyric”. His recent project is entitled “Standing on The Rock”. The
album made the Billboard top 25 Gospel Album Chart and the Gospel Music Association Top 25 Chart showcasing the top albums in the country. This phenomenal project has also qualified for the First Ballot of the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards in four categories and made the Nominee Finalists Roster for The Stellar Awards for Traditional Choir of the Year. Only four nominees were chosen: The Chicago Mass Choir, Rev. Luther Barnes, Ricky Dillard, and Pastor Curry and the ministry choir.
Eventually, Curry hopes to bring the choir sound in gospel music back to the church, one song at a time. In the meantime, he plans to allow God to continue to order his steps and lead the way. A few of these steps directed Curry back to school and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). In honor of his father, he was granted an opportunity to walk across the stage and finish college with a 3.91 GPA in May of this year. To God be the glory!
St. Peter, The Rock Inc. 192 Esther Road - West End, NC 910-295-0936 - www.therockstpeter.com h
Gallerie Ukwensi at Ghent
“Black is not the absence of color, it’s a particular color…there are seven (colors of black). They all may look the same, but when you stack them on top of each other, the variations are more pronounced. That means I have a palette that is just as complex as any other color on the spectrum.”
-Kerry James Marshall Artist, from the film Black Art: In
the Absence of Light
By Gamal Williams
by Ukwensi Jones
Black artists and their work have long been marginalized as untrained, uneducated, and lesser than their White counterparts. The terms “Black art” and “Black artists” by definition prove this marginalization. The artist is seen as Black first, and then through a less than approving lens, their work is viewed in its own little box, unworthy of comparison to the likes of a Rembrandt, a Van Gogh, a Picasso, or a Warhol. The aren’t seen as impressionists, abstractists, sculptors, cubists, expressionists, or realists. They are merely Black artists that make Black art that only Black people could understand and appreciate. Ukwensi Chappel sees art as art.
In 2018, Ukwensi Chappell opened Gallerie Ukwensi, located in the Ghent District of Norfolk. Ukwensi (he explains it’s pronunciation in his energetic tones as “Oooo, Quincy”), opened Gallerie Ukwensi to do what other gallery’s wouldn’t: expose and educate people to the beauty of art crafted by Black artists. A tour through his gallery reveals something deeper, something powerful and beautiful, rooted in centuries of exclusion. Ukwensi takes the time to greet every customer, young or old, Black, White or purple, rich or poor. He doesn’t just greet people; he engages with them.
Ukwensi, or “Uki” as his friends call him, watched as I marveled at the beauty held on his walls. As I leaned in to admire a piece, Uki would offer the story behind the art, revealing something special and personal about the artist that inspired the work. When asked why he knew so much about not only a particular piece, but the artists themselves, he said “Most gallery’s in the area didn’t greet me when I came in, and if they did, they didn’t tell me about the art. But every piece has a story, and every story was an experience by the artist.”
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Ukwensi’s art, rich abstracts made of layers of crushed glass and pigments suspended in clear enamel that form 3-dimensional kaleidoscopes, line the main wall. Uki calls his work “My windows to your imagination.” No matter what you think you see in his work, its correct. I told him I saw a deep sea scape in one piece; an alien world in another. Uki smiled and tilted his head. “If that is what you see, then that’s what it is. It’s your imagination.”
As we continued the tour, I was astonished to discover the backgrounds of some of the artists. High school teachers, college students, and working class people’s work hung amongst artists that made their living solely through their art. What was more surprising, was that they weren’t all Black. “Yes, my plan was to become the #1 gallery for Black artists because they don’t get a shot. But I wanted to highlight all artists,” Uki explains. “If their art spoke to me, I wanted them in here. We have Black, White, Asian, and Hispanic artists.”
At the conclusion of our tour, Uki offered me a glass of wine or water. He then sat in the soft, leather couch below one of his pieces in the lush seating area in the heart of Gallerie Ukwensi. We were soon joined by two other artists featured in the gallery. Artist Gia Labidi, a dynamic powerhouse of triumph and beauty, and self-taught painter Ralph Thomas, whose infectious energy and slight Southern twang lights up any conversation. Gia and Ralph had no business to conduct. They were merely stopping by, an action I soon found was welcomed in Gallerie Ukwensi. To Uki, Gia and Ralph weren’t just business partners, they were friends, each with a mutual respect and appreciation for the others.
“I was driving by on lunch one day and saw the gallery,” Gia Labidi, a sculptor and painter for more than 20 years recalls. “I gave him my card so I could be on the list to be notified of the opening. He called me not too long after and wanted my work.” Gia’s work has been displayed nationally and internationally. “Uki wants to give us a voice. He is endearing and whomever walks through that door, he engages with them.” There was pain in her voice when she spoke that last sentence. When asked why she felt Gallerie Ukwensi was important, the pain is put into words. “The only place we could be seen, was in Black gallery’s. Its irritating that White artists are just artists. They aren’t labeled,” Gia stated, “…and our art isn’t supported. It’s been 20 years since there was a black owned gallery in Ghent.”
Ralph Thomas, who taught himself using paint-by-numbers kits, echoes Gia’s sentiments. “Most times, art gallery’s don’t even want to
speak to you if you’re a Black artist. They look at you like ‘Oh, you doin’ Black art.’ I’m like ‘No, I’m doing art that’s just as good as anything you have up in here!’” Uki nods in agreement. Then, the gallery door swings open, and three ladies enter. They are young, Black, maybe in college or attend Maury High School up the road. Uki politely excused himself and his eyes squinted as his smile pushed his cheeks into them. They are a bit surprised that not only were the greeted so fast, but that the towering man that approached them smiled. They smiled back then walked with wide eyes and gaped mouths as Ukwensi highlighted every piece. They were learning, enjoying, experiencing, and it all started with two words from Uki:
“Hello. Welcome.” h
Deputy County Administrator of Public Safety
By Gamal Williams
by Calvin A. Brown
A young man is hanging out in his neighborhood with some friends. The group are approached by two officers, and what started as a calm conversation, quickly turned hostile. One of the officers told the group to leave the area and go home. The teenager informed the police that he and his friends were in their neighborhood already, then pointed to his home just a few houses away from where they stood. He told the officer that was where he lived. It was to no avail. The boy complied and began to leave, yet as he passed the officer, the officer began to harass him. The officer accosted and grabbed him, then slammed him to the ground despite protests from neighbors and his mother as she ran screaming towards the situation. The boy was arrested for disobeying an officer, fingerprinted, and pushed through the court system, before all charges were later dropped and his record expunged.
During his 27 years in law enforcement, Eric Watson, the former Charleston County South Carolina Deputy Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief of Operation, fought against occurrences like the one above. After college, Eric began his law enforcement career as a Detentions Deputy at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston, SC. After three years in corrections, he received a lateral transfer to become a Deputy Sheriff for the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. With tours as a patrol deputy, a detective in the Criminal Investigations Division, patrol supervisor, the Office of Professional Standards, and Sheriff’s Office spokesperson along the way, Eric rose to the rank of Chief Deputy of Operations, one of the highest command positions in the Sheriff’s Office.
Stories of unjust arrests are all too familiar within the African-American community. There are far too few stories like Eric Watson, a Black man holding one of the most powerful positions within law enforcement. Yet the first story is what motivates Eric Watson. Why?
Eric Watson was that boy.
“When I was arrested, they didn’t even tell me what I was arrested for. I didn’t find out the charge until we got to the station,” recalls Eric. “The worst part was, there were two Officers; one was White, the other was Black. The Black Officer started teasing me when I was in the back of the police cruiser crying, saying ‘look at the little baby cry.’ When we got to the station, I challenged the Black officer and protested that I was arrested on a bogus charge. When he asked where I actually lived, I showed him my I.D. I lived at 18A Washington Street, and they arrested me on Washington Street. He knew he was wrong, but they threw me in jail anyway.”
Eric defines the incident as pivotal, not just because he was arrested on a false charge, but because while he sat in the police cruiser, he heard the real reason why he was in handcuffs and on his way to the police station.
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“While we were enroute to the station, the Black Officer asked his partner ‘what happened back there?’ The White Officer responded, ‘I don’t know, I just snapped.’ It was in that moment I decided that this (becoming a cop) was what I wanted to do. I needed to know what they knew and what gave them the right to just take someone’s freedom unjustly. I used that to motivate me.”
“Being a Black Officer anywhere in this country, we bring a unique approach. I grew up in the projects. I didn’t have access to quality education or real tangible jobs. I grew up in a drug infested, poverty stricken environment,” he explains. “But on the flipside, I am a first generation cop. My mother didn’t want me to join, my family and friends didn’t want me to join. Being a cop, my community looks at me as an outcast, as an individual that took part in an organization that for decades has oppressed our community. But my counterparts in law enforcement don’t see or understand the why: why people are committing these crimes, why they are doing what they are doing.”
Eric developed and implemented a mentorship program within the Sheriff’s Department, aimed at new recruits (mostly White), to teach them that it is important for law enforcement to relate to the community, to understand them, and treat them as human beings. New recruits joined Eric at food drives and other community outreach programs. “I told my new recruits that the people that trust us the least, need us the most. It is important that we develop that trust,” Eric proudly stated.
In 2020, Eric was offered a new opportunity: to leave the Sheriff’s Office and create a new directorate as the Charleston County Deputy County Administrator of Public Safety. From his new position, Eric continues his efforts to improve police relations and their attitudes towards the African-American community, and vice versa. He now manages Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Charleston County 9-1-1 Consolidated Dispatch, and the Awendaw Fire Department. He also serve as a law enforcement liaison for Charleston County Government. One of the innovative ways Eric has deployed his power and vast experience in the field, was to help identify new strategies to deescalate situations where the deployment of police may not be the best course of action. He has also served on multiple nonprofits boards and volunteers his time mentoring youths as a way to give back to the community.
This past August, in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Health, Consolidated Dispatch began utilizing mental health counselors in the 9-1-1 call center to identify situations where a mental health professional would be better suited to respond vice the police. Additionally, he procured a $4.4 million budget increase for EMS, allowing for raises, better resources and equipment, and the hiring of additional staff. It’s this type of insight and forward thinking that can give us hope a better relationship between the African-American community, and not only the police, but all state and local emergency services can and will be better.
“I didn’t enter this profession to become a millionaire; I entered it to make it (law enforcement) and my community better than when I got into it.” h
ChildHoodLost Entertainment Group Steve Gardner & Kaleik Hayes
By Gamal Williams - Photos by ChildhoodLost Entertainment Group
Steve Gardner was one of the lucky ones growing up in South Philadelphia. At age six, his mother fell ill, yet Steve wasn’t swept up into the foster care system, another Black child endlessly waiting for a rescue that rarely comes. Family members, including the mother of his half-brother, Kaliek Hayes, stepped in and raised him. Kaliek’s mother, Regina, offered a safe environment to a child that wasn’t her own. Again, Steve was lucky.
Though young, the kindness bestowed upon him instilled a protective, nurturing spirit in Steve. “Growing up, I always tried to look out for my younger brothers and siblings. Be that caretaker. I always tried to put myself in their position, whether it was forced upon me or willingly, I always felt it was important to be that rock for my brothers and sisters.”
Kaliek looked up to his big brother. “Steve was always just…” he pauses, trying to gather the words to adequately express his heart, “… he was just that rock. He always looked after me. I remember he would take me with him to his job. I was like 10 and he was 15. It didn’t matter, he always looked out for me.” Steve explains he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t on the streets. So, I kept him with me pretty much everywhere I went.” All of that changed when Steve was 17, Kaliek was 12. A boy from the neighborhood brought a gun to the basketball court they were playing on.
“None of us thought the gun was real, it looked fake,” recalls Kaliek. “We thought it was a starter pistol,” continues Steve. “So, I asked to see the gun, another kid had it, and he fired the gun.”
The bullet struck a dear friend of Steve and Kaliek’s, entering the back of his skull and exiting his cheek. The boys watched in horror as their friend died in front of them. “All I could think was ‘I don’t ever want to be in that position again.’ I don’t own a gun, haven’t touched a gun, and this was over thirty something years ago.” Steve says somberly. “It still affects us to this day, it changed us. We went on different paths; me the straight and narrow; Kaliek a more seedy one.”
For Kaliek, the trauma, and the inability to express how he felt, started a cycle of self-destruction. “He was a good friend of mine, like, he was someone I could just talk to, ya’ know? After that, and everything that happened after, I just didn’t respect anyone. I was a good kid up until then. I went from doing good in school, making sure the house was clean before my mother got home, to carrying a gun and running the streets. Something just snapped for me.”
Kaliek became one of the many children swept up into the trappings of the streets, his childhood lost due to unaddressed trauma. At age 16, his mother put him out when she discovered drugs in their home. By age 18, he was a father of three and in federal prison on drug related charges. Prison is supposed to provide rehabilitation, yet Kaliek found something different; an unexpected mentor presented itself. “I met man in prison. He had a lot of time, but he was so positive. He humbled me, made see things differently. I would write Steve and tell him that when I came home, we needed to do something ‘cause I didn’t want to come back to prison.” Kaliek began writing, telling not only his experiences, but those of friends and
acquaintances, humanizing children that looked and sounded and lived like he did. He presented his collection of writings to Steve, who became inspired and began contributing to the stories. When it was done, the brothers released their literary work, a book titled “ChildHood Lost.”
“We had no way to advertise it though. We took the book to a brother we knew, Bilal Islam. He was writing and directing plays and he loved it,” states Steve. With Bilal’s help, ChildHood Lost the book, became ChildHood Lost the play. “We write plays about kids, for kids, and talk to the real things they go through,” Kaliek states.
According to www.childhoodlostentgroup. com, the ChildHoodLost Entertainment Group has a simple mission, “to passionately using theater to showcase art with a purpose as both an intervention and preventative tool.” ChildHoodLost takes a different approach to the medium of theater. Violence, promiscuity, substance abuse, trauma, and crime are just some of the topics their 14 plays have addressed since debuting in 2012. The play “LEGACY: A Story of Boys that Moved Men” took a unique approach on Black History, telling the tale of a man that falls asleep only to meet Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Garvey, and Malcolm X as teenagers. “After the Eulogy” depicts a support group for parents, trying to cope with the loss of their children after gun violence. “The -N- Word” fostered constructive dialogue about racism.
Theater isn’t the only way ChildHoodLost engages with Philadelphia’s youth. Chess Chat, a program where children meet with mentors at the Urban Art Gallery in West Philadelphia (as well as online) to play chess. Chess Chat’s motto? In life, as in chess, forethought wins. “It’s more than just chess. We actually talk with the kids while we play. Talk to them about whatever is on their minds,” Steve proudly explains.
It’s a simple, yet powerful concept, harkening to a saying often used in the Black community; Each one, teach one. Steve and Kaliek have used theater and chess as a vehicle to not only reach and teach children, but to set the example for adults as well. As a January 16th, 2020 ChildHoodLost Foundation Facebook post states “If you want to change our city, start with grabbing up ONE youngin’ and teach them All You Know!” Steve and Kaliek don’t need the lights or the cameras. They have taken action! h
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TifanieRudd God Did It Again
By Ellen Richardson
Photos by Santana B Photography
When you sit down and think about your career path, can you honestly say that you love what you do? Maybe you are someone who fell on hard times, which led to a criminal record. As a result, you are probably having a difficult time finding a good job. If either of these statements make you stop and think, then you have come to the right place. Allow us to introduce you to your fairy godmother – Tifanie Rudd. The Chief Executive Officer of M8D 2 Rise, Inc. uses her God-given gift and passion to restore and build the lives and self-esteem of individuals who have challenges in gaining competitive employment.
Before becoming a real-life hero for many in her community, this Guilford County native learned what was required to survive at a young age. “My work ethic is something I inherited from both of my parents. They taught me the importance of working hard. They both became entrepreneurs after years of struggle,” said Rudd. “To say that the struggle was real is an understatement.”
Watching her mom work so hard would eventually give rise to this self-professed people lover’s desire to help those in need. While this yearning began with a career in the nursing field, it would not be long before Rudd’s life plan changed. “I was on the job for about a year before I experienced what so many do in the world of advanced careers – envy and hatred for early success,” said the born philanthropist. Despite receiving awards, like employee of the month, Rudd lost her job and, in its place, was given a feeling that many of us might be familiar with – that feeling of losing a purpose. While this often takes many people down, this is where Rudd’s new life would begin.
“I have to admit that I did a lot of crying, but before long, I decided that I was done crying Fand ready to make my next career move,” said Rudd. After going back to school at Guilford Technical Community College, in 2004, Rudd began to see a crossroads turn into her new path. “After going back to school, I decided to get a degree in Psychology, and before long I was given the opportunity to participate in an internship program. The funny story about this assignment was that I was sent to a company that I really did not want to work for,” she says.
Like many confusing assignments that God may send to us, Rudd began to see the purpose for where her Heavenly Father sent her within a few weeks of this assignment. “The assignment was to work with people
with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities, and I did everything that I could to get out of this type of work, but this didn’t happen, and before long, I realized why,” said Rudd. “During my time helping these people, I began to find my niche or my calling – to serve the underserved.”
As she began to learn the importance of “learning to love people right where they are” and how to become a voice for the voiceless, Rudd said that she could feel her spiritual pathway open right before her. This road would not only keep her working with a company that she was not even sure she wanted to intern for but would also lead to a bachelor’s degree in Ministry, in 2013 and a master’s degree in Christian Counseling, in 2015, from Grace Christian College. During this time of rising from the ashes, Rudd also had a new life-altering experience that led her to where she is today.
“I lost my brother,” said a saddened Rudd. “My brother struggled with crime in his life, and he was trying to get out of the streets. He was trying to stop getting into trouble with the law. He strongly desired change, however, due to his criminal history, he struggled to sustain a livable income, and his employment opportunities were very slim. He passed before having an opportunity at a second chance.” Despite losing her brother before helping him find his new path, the woman who was gifted with a spirit to serve began to use her latest loss to develop her own company.
Formed in 2011, M8D 2 Rise, Inc. is a supportive employment agency in which individuals with life barriers are assisted with gaining and maintaining competitive employment as well as God’s purpose for their lives. They currently serve multiple counties in North Carolina, including Guilford, Rockingham, and Alamance. They will soon begin serving Mecklenburg county. “God is doing it again,” Rudd says.
What exactly does this acronym mean? “M is for the Milestones in life, the number 8 is for the new beginnings that we receive each day, the D is for Determination and what should we all be determined to do? TO RISE against all that comes against us and tries to stop us from us from tapping into our inner strength,” said the woman who has risen above all that has tried to stop her from her God given purpose. “When we tap into our inner strength and into the support that is around us, the sky is the limit. I started to do this by helping a gentleman who reminded me a lot of my brother. Unfortunately, this young guy served 12 years in federal prison and just wanted a second chance.” Before long, Rudd’s newest company, which started in a garage, was helping people all over this community realize that no barrier is too big to use the power inside of you to rise above the circumstances to become all that God has created you to be.
According to Rudd, she has continued to become a successful boss lady in a man’s world due to the strength that God has given her as well as two inspirational mentors that never let her give up. “I have been blessed to have two incredible mentors. The first being Rev. Odell Cleveland who has continued to remind me to ‘fly
higher when people throw attacks at you because people cannot get to an eagle’. The second is Greensboro City Council Member Goldie Wells, who always says ‘not to tell people where you tie your goat’ because when people know how to get to you, they will use this information against you.”
As her efforts to help others rise above all that tries to hold them back, Rudd has continued to expand this company to include services like life coaching and even a women’s ministry called M8d 4 H.E.R. Ministry. This born people person is also publishing her first book that is meant to help women learn that they can persevere above everything. The self-published novel entitled When the Tree Moves, will be released to the public in August.
Rudd is a mother of three amazing children and blessed to have five beautiful grandchildren. She is also a certified spiritual life coach and the founder and executive directive for the nonprofit M8d 2 Rise Eagles. She has been commissioned as Chair on the Status of Women Board (Women And Violence), and several other boards in Greensboro. h
Lorria Grant-Eubanks
A Different Stroke of Art
By Arielle Kilgore
Photos by Lorria Grant-Eubanks
Everyone has a passion, but a few people get to turn it into a career. For Little Rock, AR resident Lorria Grant-Eubanks, the magic happened for her.
She is the owner of A Different Stroke of Art located in JFK North Little Rock, AR. Her studio arranges different art sessions for people who are seeking to find a passion within themselves.
A Different Stroke of Art offers silk scarf painting, summer camps for children, sip-n-paints, and art kits on the go. Other classes include pottery, private lessons, and handmade decorated face masks. Their products and services are available throughout the United States and even internationally.
During Lorria’s summer camps, she would host art classes and allow students to explore on field trips. Her groups would take the city bus and travel to museums or other historical places, searching to find the meaning of art. When Covid-19 shut down some of the exhibits, she provided yoga or social circles to help young adults express and educate themselves.
How did it all begin for Lorria? “I remember drawing and sketching as early as age two. I was really blessed with the opportunity of having parents who allowed me to follow my passion for art,” she shares.
In college, she majored in Speech Pathology and Ideology with a minor in studio art. “The bug hit me and I thought, “Oh my God,” I can do poetry. I can do this, and I can do that,” Grant-Eubanks exclaimed as she relived her college epiphany. However, she chose only the journey of speech pathology and continued her work at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science. Ironically, art would resurface and play an exciting role in her field of study. “While working with patients with severe brain damage, the only way to get patients to remember certain things was to draw,” she says.
Lorria eventually went back to school to get her Master’s in Art and taught students for over a decade. From her in-home art studio with 20-25 children, to her space on JFK North Little Rock of 60 people, Lorria
“I remember drawing and sketching as early as age two. I was really blessed with the opportunity of having parents who allowed me to follow my passion for art.”
has found a way to teach kids and adults to express themselves through art. Her reason for teaching, she shares its her natural love of people. “People inspire me. Just to be able to talk to an individual, find out who they are, and where they came from really motivates me. Seeing people enjoy art inspires me.” Her students and clients come back for her inviting presence as a free spirit and loving person, not just to draw.
Lorria passion goes beyond her business. She says that art is something that everyone can do, engaging the community to come together. It also provides a form of therapy. She desires to teach art to young adults or seniors with mental disabilities. In her previous line of work, art helped patients express or communicate.
All in all, A Different Stroke of Art serves as a safe space and open service for Lorria’s customers. Nevertheless, she wants everyone to know that her space is for those who need it. Her logo, an African American painter in overalls, and a paintbrush behind her back are just that. In light of this, she sees the challenge and misconception that it may bring to have a wider audience. The studios’ goal is for people to love and for every person to experience the joy of painting no matter who you are. “The paintbrush doesn’t decide who gets to create the picture. It just wants an artist to use them.”
Lorria Grant-Eubanks
As for her plans for the next year, Lorria hopes to expand her business. Expansion is not only her goal, but a dream she shared with a friend. “My friend suffered from mental illness, and was not able to carry out the dream with me. However, I’m going to do it for the both of us,” she says.
Once approved of a government grant, she would be able to place different services in bigger, better rooms. She could also move her program, “Artistically Speaking,” in a space by itself to cater to more kids.
Just like “Artistically Speaking,” there are other community services that Lorria participates in. Pulaski County youth services partake in an afterschool art program taught by her. She transferred to online classes during the pandemic and eventually made free kits to-go for the whole county. She also works with URL Children’s International afterschool art program. As a collaborative piece with her husband, they would have a night of music and painting. As her students served the guest, the public could listen to jazz and paint their art kit provided to them. The following year, she created Valentine’s Day baskets for couples in the pandemic.
“It just brings me joy to see how the Lord has opened up so many doors for me, allowing me to share what I love with the world.”
Nicholson SMN Square, Inc.
By Arielle Kilgore
A company is only as good as its leader. Without a great guide, the company or business can experience stagnant or depleted growth. Shawn M. Nicholson, a business leadership coach, helps other companies, small businesses, and individuals obtain the successful leadership they wish for. Ultimately, his coaching can provide inevitable prosperity for all who work with him.
Shawn is the founder of SMN Square Inc., located in Richmond, VA. It is a consulting/coaching business that helps the executives of small companies, organizations, or non-profits find sustainability in their corporation by learning how to communicate effectively, self-awareness of employees and directors, and have sustainable habits that can grow their staff. As a result, the seven-month program gives the company a chance to rise within themselves and be better clients for their customers.
“I’m a third-generation entrepreneur on both sides of my family, my maternal and paternal. I often tell people that I knew exactly what I wanted to do, even at the age of eight. I wanted to be a business owner.”
Shawn grew up watching his father and his father’s brother manage a business in construction. In that time, he watched as they led other employees and gave instructions that helped build the company. Although he did not choose his father’s business, he learned that you must care and provide great leadership among your peers to receive wealth and successive victory.
“We provide the building blocks for success, and I model that off of literally building a house. In building a house, there is a lot of underground work that has to be done to have a good solid footing to pour the foundation on,” Shawn says.
Shawn provides different pathways for individuals to take, like one-on-one coaching or team leadership activities. He also provides an assessment and stakeholder interviews that help determine the kind of leader you are and what needs to be worked on for the corporation at hand to stay above water. In light of this, the time and effort put into the transformation is not his only reason to help, but it’s Shawns’ drive to change institutions that keep him going.
Photos by Shawn Nicholson
A small business in stature, SMN Square, Inc. provides connections from corporate friends and other business stakeholders for individuals who need more guidance. His philanthropy draws more customers every day because his prerogative is not self-derived. It is to provide the best help most efficiently and sufficiently possible.
“To see them flourish and be successful and sustainable, that’s the greatest joy there. It’s truly a blessing to be able to see my vision come to pass,” he shares.
As SMN Square, Inc. grew in time and clients, their only challenge was not the pandemic but a previous event in U.S.history--the Recession. It was then that Nicholson had to liquidate most of his assets due to a slowing economy. It was his building blocks and firm foundation, he explains, that carried him through this rough time. He eventually acquired back what he lost but would still like to grow in capital and connections.
His goals go beyond the vocational schools he has established in Richmond and Hampton, VA. There are plans soon to have another vocational leadership school internationally in Cape Town, South Africa. He hopes to expand himself way past the borders of America so other people may have the same opportunities for advancement.
“I’m trying to expand with [vocational schools] and create more trades there. I’m trying to create more entrepreneurs and establish more business,” he says.
SMN Square, Inc. extends their generosity outside of their clients. Shawn offers his expertise to colleges in his area like Stratford University and Virginia State University Reginald F. Lewis College of Business. VSU, a local historically black college, partners with Shawn to help bring the next generation of black entrepreneurs and great business leaders. “I love working with those young people there. It’s a variety of affluent, self-driven students that are excited about the world of business,” Shawn explains. His guest appearances consist of him teaching the theories of business and practical knowledge of the world today.
His other contributions are to the J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College board in dual enrollment and the workforce. Soft skill training and participating in hiring events in like manner are other ways Shawn and his company give back to those who sow into him.
Additionally, strategy, innovation, and vision are core pillars for SMN Square, Inc. to push their clients to be better. “My goal is to be able to duplicate and replicate myself across the country, across the globe, if you will. Regardless of where they are in their respective places, that other person can have the same success and the same sustainability. The same outcome as what I’ve been able to have through my experiences and my failures,” Shawn says.
To learn more about SMN Square Inc., please visit their website.
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