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UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY

Remembering Jazz legend McCoy Tyner

MARCH 19 - 30, 2020 VOL. 9 NO. 7

Augusta University’s Lilian Wan poses for a photo in the historic Laney-Walker District. Wan, a local historian, was recently presented the 2020 Historian Award by the The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. (March 6, 2020 - Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Black history revealed AUGUSTAN’S QUEST FOR TRUTH & ACCURACY IN LOCAL HISTORY

JACKIE M’s and Son National recognition is a game changer for local restaurant

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Lillian Wan

Local researcher, chronicler, historian driven to recognize local black history and passionate about getting it right Q&A by Frederick Benjamin Sr. UPW: I think our readers might be interested in your family’s roots in the African-American community in Augusta. Tell us a little about that enterprise.

those efforts and why do you think they were important?

WAN: It had not been taught very well at all in public schools in the 1960s and onward for years as to the WAN: My family ran a small gro- history of some of the events and cery store for almost 20 years along actions that desegregated so many what is now named Martin Luther areas of our lives so that people King Jr. Blvd. A cousin before that could live more equally without the had run in the same location which injustice against many of us simply is across the street from the First Mt. because of our color. Information Moriah Baptist Church. We worked was not readily available in the local and lived in the neighborhood of daily newspaper due to the lack of what is now called Turpin Hill. indexes and to the prejudices for We were just one block from John many decades of many of some Swint’s department store which of the writers in withholding facts was the first department store for or skewering information off and blacks when Mr. Swint opened in on over the years until the 1980s 1958. The Howard family business onward. I knew our neighbors had of Henry and other Howards was warned us that the daily newspaper just a few doors down the street delivered to black neighborhoods in the 1940s and 1950s were marked from our grocery store. with a black dot in the upper left to UPW: What do you think indicate papers that had news on prompted your interest in his- black neighborhoods for certain.

I had also wondered if the change tory and historical sites in the in the daily paper coverage was Augusta area? due to the advent of local black WAN: I had lived among areas weekly newspapers like the Augusta I took for granted and had not News Review which ran 1971-1985, realized was historic until I stud- the Augusta Focus which ran Nov. ied them. Like realizing that Mr. 1981 - August 2007, and the Metro Swint’s department store was the Courier which began in 1983.

It is a shame that those three first one that blacks could shop at when other department stores were papers were so small they could still segregated as of 1958. I learned not afford to have copies scanned that the church across the street, the and saved so that their information First Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, had could be more readily accessible started back in 1888. Then I was than the paper formats they came grateful to know that I was able to in. Some issues of the Augusta attend public school thanks to the Focus were saved to microfilm foryears of work by lawyer John Ruffin mat at the Heritage department of who led a 10 year lawsuit to deseg- the downtown main branch library regate schools when the federal vic- on 823 Telfair Street. They also tory of the 1954 Brown vs. Board of have most all the copies of all three Education was not enough. Grades weekly newspapers. The Paine 1-3 were desegregated back in 1964, College Library has all the issues of then the other grades in 1966. All the Augusta News Review.

The daily newspaper’s Archives those years of hard work in order to get a lot of people the right to became available electronically by do things that other folks could do fall 2002 after OCR scanning to TIF just because of the lighter color of then PDF format around October of that year so that it was easier to their skin. search through older newspapers to UPW: You were able to get specifically look for local black hismuch of your research made tory data. It had been very hard and available to the public during the time consuming to search through Black History Special Editions of just the microfilm format. But once AUGUSTA FOCUS many years ago.

What do you remember about continued on next page

UPW: Currently, which organizations besides Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History do you work with directly or indirectly?

WAN: I have assisted a number of historians, authors and some organizations on their work on articles or books or talks on local black history such as the Haines Alumni, Dr. Leslie J. Pollard’s book titled Segregated Doctoring: Black Physicians in Augusta, Georgia, 1903-1952 that came out last year, the Augusta African American Historical Society, and Historic Augusta. I also tend to send and print out items related to Paine College History for their historian, Dr. Mallory Millender, and their library.

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of articles on black history that was noted in the daily newspaper from 1792 up to 1910. That 36 page index is now available online at http://www.augusta.edu/library/ reese/special_collections/documents/guide_to_items_in_ augusta_chronicle_relating_to_black_history.pdf

UPW: You have always had a keen interest in historical markers, monuments and buildings in the Laney-Walker Historical area. Can give us an update on how those projects have evolved?

WAN: I was extremely fortunate to know long time historian and columnist J. Philip Waring for a few years until he passed away in December 1997. At that time, his 50-year-old column, “Going Places,” had run across three newspapers that he wrote for. Mr. Waring not only wrote about history, he also worked to make history. He had served on a committee that made sure to put up the first local monument to a local African American back in 1985.

He started work on that committee back in 1980 and on Nov. 3, 1985, Augusta had it’s first black monument for Dr. Scipio Solomon Johnson Jr. which stands now in front of Dr. Johnson’s former home and office near Twiggs Circle.

Dr. Julius Scott was the first living black person locally to be honored with a free-standing monument when a plaque was dedicated on April 22, 1994 near Paine College. Two monuments seemed a small amount compared to the many other monuments that had been set up for others around the city for many years.

In February 2000, the late Edward McIntyre established the Augusta African American Historical Association (now the Augusta African American Historical Society). “Its mission is to research, record, preserve and disseminate the rich, history, culture and contributions of African Americans from the Augusta area.” They began with five monuments after the city finished the sidewalk project of the highly busy and visible Laney-Walker Blvd. The five monuments the group began with honored Dr. James E. Carter Sr., Dr. George N. Stoney, Dr. John Hope, Dr. A.R. Johnson and Rev. William Jefferson White on Dec. 6, 2004. Since then I have provided some biographical information where I can for upcoming monuments.

The Laney Museum have worked for years to also get markers by the Georgia Historical Society established in various black neighborhoods. Since at least 2005 they have worked to have at least 10 GHS markers, the most recent one unveiled on Feb. 5 at Rev. C.T. Walker’s home at 1011 Laney-Walker Blvd.

UPW: You were recently honored by the Laney Museum. Tell us a little about that event and the reason they cited for your acknowledgement.

WAN: It was such a thrill to receive the Historian Award for 2020. They had noted in their newsletter: She has been an asset to the Laney Museum for many years and Augusta University’s Lilian Wan stands near a street sign in the historic Laney-Walker continues to provide the museum with resources that are District. Wan, a local historian, was recently presented the 2020 Historian Award by the The used in the development of annual exhibits, lectures and Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. (March 6, 2020 - Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent publications.”

Hobbs

Lillian Wan from page 2 the Archives came live online by subscription to the libraries, it was amazing to then search and find data that the first black columnist permitted to write regularly in the daily paper about news was Rev. Dr. Silas Floyd beginning with the August 8, 1915 issue. It was also in

later years that we realized that the great historian Edward Cashin, who had worked for years through microfilm to index and make notes on history information in the daily newspaper for his many talks and books and articles and history classes, had also created a 36 page index

POSTSCRIPT: A message from Lillian Wan The past decade has seen a boon in the electronic resources now available through our libraries. Subscriptions to online databases which contain scanned books, journals and articles from even over a hundred years ago saves time in trying to order items through interlibrary loan by providing immediate access to many such items. The resources to study black history of Augusta to even the 1800s have greatly improved. Visit your local libraries!

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IN REMEMBRANCE

McCoy Tyner’s music and legacy will continue to inspire fans and future talent for generations to come.

McCoy Tyner Passes at 81; Jazz loses a Giant On March 6, 2020 jazz legend, Alfred “McCoy” Tyner died. He was 81.

McCoy was an inspired musician who devoted his life to his art, his family, and his spirituality. McCoy Tyner’s music and legacy will continue to inspire fans and future talent for generations to come.

Born in 1938 in Philadelphia, he became a part of the vibrant jazz and R&B scene of the early ’50s. His parents imbued him with love for music from an early age. His mother encouraged him to explore his musical interests through formal training.

From 1960 through 1965, Tyner’s name was propelled to international renown, as he developed a new vocabulary that transcended the piano styles of the time, providing a unique harmonic underpinning and rhythmic charge essential to the group’s sound. He performed on Coltrane’s classic recordings, such as Live at the Village Vanguard, Impressions, and Coltrane’s signature suite, A Love Supreme.

In 1965, after over five years with Coltrane’s quartet, Tyner left the group to explore his destiny as a composer and bandleader. Among his major projects is a 1967 album entitled The Real McCoy, on which he was joined by saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Ron Carter and fellow Coltrane alumnus Elvin Jones.

His 1972 Grammy-award nomination album Sahara, broke new ground by the sounds and rhythms of Africa.

Since 1980, he has also arranged his lavishly textured harmonies for a big band that performs and records when possible. In the late 1980s, he mainly focused on his regular piano trio featuring Avery Sharpe on bass and Aarron Scott on drums. As of

John Coltrane Quartet: left, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, John Coltrane and Jimmy Garrison. today, this trio is still in high demand. record label, Half Note Records. The He returned to Impulse in 1995, with label launched on September 11, a superb album featuring Michael 2007, upon the release of Tyner’s Brecker. In 1996 he recorded a spe- latest CD, “Quartet,” featuring Joe cial album with the music of Burt Lovano, Christian McBride, and Jeff Bacharach. In 1998 he changed labels “Tain” Watts. Recorded live on New again and recorded an impressive Year’s Eve 2006, the album features Latin album and an album featuring a working band at its finest with some of today’s “legends in training.”

Stanley Clarke for TelArc. In the summer of 2005, Tyner Additionally, the record shows that joined forces with the Blue Note Jazz Tyner, who now carries the torch as Club in New York and became the the only surviving member of the first client of Blue Note Management. John Coltrane Quartet, is still at the That summer, Tyner began work on top of his game as a composer, persome unique projects, including per- former, and bandleader.

In a review of Tyner’s latest formances with tap-dancer Savion Glover and the development of the album “Quartet,” Thomas Conrad Impulse! Septet, featuring his trio of JazzTimes wrote “‘Quartet’ succeeds not only because everyone with some of today’s top horn men.

Tyner’s partnership with the Blue plays so well, but also because they Note has led to the formation of his play so well together. The pairing own record label, aptly titled McCoy of Tyner and Lovano is synergistic.

Tyner Music. The label is a subsid- The McBride/Watts rhythm section, iary of the Blue Note’s In-House for intelligent propulsion, is state-of-

the-art. ‘Quartet’ succeeds once more because of its excellent sonic quality. It was recorded by engineer Phil Edwards at Yoshi’s in Oakland, Calif., over New Year’s Eve weekend 2006.

Almost always, even the best-sounding jazz albums require you to make a choice. You can have the visceral in-the-moment reality of a live recording, or the full bandwidth resolution of a studio session. This one has both.”

McCoy Tyner’s second release for the McCoy Tyner Music label titled GUITARS is scheduled for a September 23, 2008 release. The recording features the stellar rhythm section of Tyner, Ron Carter, and Jack DeJohnette with four modern guitarists (and one banjo) of our time: Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, John Scofield, Derek Trucks, and Bela Fleck. The package will be a CD/DVD featuring state-of-the-art technology that allows the viewer to manually choose which musician(s) they would like to view in the studio at any time during each track. In 2009, Tyner will release his third recording for McCoy Tyner Music, a solo piano performance recorded live in San Francisco during the summer of 2007.

Tyner has always expanded his vision of the musical landscape and incorporated new elements, whether from distant continents or diverse musical influences. More recently, he has arranged for big bands, employed string arrangements, and even reinterpreted popular music. Today, Tyner has released nearly 80 albums under his name, earned four Grammys and was awarded Jazz Master from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2002. He continues to leave his mark on generations of improvisers, and yet remains a disarmingly modest and spiritually directed man.

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OUR BUSINESS

Raising The Stakes

Jackie M’s And Son has seen a dramatic increase in business ever since online review forum Yelp named the restaurant one of its Top 100 Places to Eat in the country. Second-generation owner and chef Clinton McCalla Jr. is pictured here with his son, CJ.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION IS A GAME CHANGER FOR LOCAL RESTAURANT When a restaurant serves good food for nearly 20 years, it’s understandable that folks might want to dish out a few accolades.

The family-owned and operated Jackie M’s and Son restaurant has enjoyed various titles — “best independent sandwich shop in Georgia,” to include many others. Still, when online review forum Yelp declared the Philly-style eatery one of its “Top 100 Places To Eat” in the country, it raised the stakes — which meant more cheese steaks in South Augusta.

“We went from doing regular business and improving sales on a yearly basis to having our business increase 125 percent after one week,” explained second-generation owner and chef Clinton McCalla, Jr. “We had to adjust some things.”

Frequent traffic became the new normal. Lines poured out of the restaurant, located at 3308

Milledgeville Rd. The demand put a strain on the supply, McCalla said.

“The first day after the (positive review), I was cooking for 12 hours straight. The next day, our staff said we were about to run out of (food),” McCalla said. “We had to tell folks to bear with us, because we’re not a big corporation.”

The daunting challenge hasn’t deterred Jackie M and Son’s tradition of customer service. Recently, a familiar customer slid in a few minutes after the restaurant’s midday cut-off. McCalla let him in anyway, which led to a praise dance and good-hearted laugh.

That tradition began in 2001, when Clinton’s parents, Jackie and Clinton Sr., opened the restaurant. Mrs. McCalla boasts both an accounting degree and a culinary arts degree. She passed her culinary experience down to Clinton Jr., who became part-owner of the business after he com-

pleted his culinary studies.

Certainly, the growing praises are much louder than any growing pains. Growth has happened so fast for Jackie M and Son’s that their new hours are different from the hours listed in front of the restaurant and on its website.

Before the big boon, opening hours were 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. While the days of operation have remained the same, the restaurant takes an afternoon break between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to recharge manpower and resources.

Clinton Jr. embraces it all with the understand that the Yelp rating is a direct reflection of customer feedback and support.

“This has been extremely rewarding,” he said.

“People upload Yelp reviews of their own volition.

I appreciate the city coming out and supporting what we’re doing.”

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SportsVIEW

A FAMILIAR SITE - NORTH AUGUSTA HS LADY JACKETS won their fourth consecutive state title last Saturday with a 70-57 win over South Pointe High School in the South Carolina Class AAAA girls’ state championship game. The game was held at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. Tyliah Burns led all scorers with 33 points, and helped the Lady Jackets with a 25-12 finishing flourish in the fourth quarter. The Lady Jackets are coached by Al Young.

North Augusta High School’s J’Mani Ingram (12) attempts a shot over South Pointe High School’s Makayla Jamerson (42) in last Saturday’s South Carolina Class AAAA girls’ state championship game. Ingram scored 14 points in the Lady Jackets’ 70-57 win.

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A Lakeside lacrosse player (R) runs down the fiield as a Grayson player (L) defends during a varsity game held at the Panthers stadium.

The Rams defeated the Panthers 16-9 in the final score.

(March 7, 2020 Evans, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

March 7, 2020 (Evans, GA) - A Lakeside lacrosse player (L) runs down the fiield as a Grayson player (R) defends during a varsity game held at the Panthers stadium. The Rams defeated the Panthers 16-9 in the final score. (March 7, 2020 - Evans, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

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SportsVIEW

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Nina Simon Tribute sizzles before appreciative full house Something magical happened at Humanitree House on Feb. 22. Hosted by proprietor and creator Baruti Tucker “Nina Simone Tribute : Healing Black History” played to an appreciative and full house.

The performers included Karen Gordon, Niki Haris, KB Brown, Olivia Cookie Pontoo, Nefertitti Robinson, AE Elim, Vanessa Harris, dancer Karen Brown and Chashawna Wesby.

Adding an educational and health component were clinicians Natalie Bryan, Tiffany Hodge, and Poncere Daniels. The evening was emceed by Kigwana ‘Kigg’ Cherry.

At left: Chachawna Wesby aka Passionate performs. Below: Karen Brown performs “Four Women”

by Nina Simone

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BOTH DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES BERNIE SANDERS AND ELIZABETH WARREN made campaign stops in Aiken, S.C., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, the day before the South Carolina primary.

Sanders entered the Palmetto State primary as the frontrunner, but after a dominant win by Joe Biden and the Super Tuesday follow-up, find himself in a virtual dead heat with the former Vice-President. Warren, who finished a distant third from both Biden and Sanders has announced the end of her candidacy.

2020 SC PRIMARY

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MAKIN’ A DIFFERENCE COMMENTARY by Ken Makin THE BLACK HISTORY GUIDEBOOK, VOL. II

Retribution Oh, you all thought The Black History Guidebook was done because Black History Month was over? Y’all must not know how I operate! Here’s Volume Two: retribution (n.) — punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act The American education (and propaganda) system teaches us that we live in a nation of rights. That might be true for other Americans, but it is not true for Black folks. When it comes to our people, we live in a nation of retribution.

We are punished without impunity or mercy. There are Black people sitting in jail for long sentences because of petty crimes. The criminal justice system preaches rehabilitation, yet practices retribution.

The aforementioned cruelty is built into this nation’s psyche. Because America treats Black folks like second-class citizens, benevolence is rarely, if ever, part of the equation.

No, what’s important is the lesson.

And that lesson? Know your place.

The danger of such retribution is that, ultimately, it comes without cause. Any perceived slight, hint or disrespect, much less revolution, has to be squelched.

This is why I started the

Guidebook with a conversation about Reconstruction from the Black perspective. That era ended violently at the hands of white folks who couldn’t deal with Black progress and prosperity.

The brutal actions of those individuals have never been dealt with, save for some half-hearted apologies.

Those actions are not a part of the distant past, as some would have us believe. The end of Reconstruction birthed Jim Crow, and later led to the War on Drugs, which led us to the current state of the prison industrial complex. Add on the postObama racial animus, along with the resurgence and boldness of hate groups, and we’re a lot closer to the Reconstruction period than people would like to admit.

With this understanding, we, too, should want some form of retribution against America for its crimes against our people. Here’s the question — what does that look like?

Using a term like retribution suggests violence. While profound change and revolution in American and world history have involved violence, that is not my solution. If the punishment for racial crimes cannot or will not be paid in blood, then it should be paid in a more familiar currency — money.

Retribution should come in the form of reparations.

“If the punishment for racial crimes cannot or will not be paid in blood, then it should be paid in a more familiar currency — money.”

I wish I could see your faces at the very mention of the word. For some folks, reparations are an unattainable goal. My response to those folks are twofold: one, don’t let white supremacy cloud your political imagination, and two, it is not unprecedented for America to offer up reparations.

Japanese-Americans received a restitution payment in 1988. Don’t believe me? I pulled this directly from a government-operated website, archives.gov: The Office of Redress Administration (ORA) was established in the Civil Rights Division by Section 105 of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. ORA acknowledged, apologized, and made restitution for the fundamental injustices of the evacuation, relocation, and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II (WWII). The redress program was charged with administering the ten-year program, which, by operation of law, officially closed on February 5, 1999. ORA was responsible for identifying, locating, and authorizing tax-free restitution payment of $20,000 to eligible individuals of Japanese ancestry. Since the redress program’s inception, ORA has provided $20,000 in redress to more than 82,219 eligible claimants, totaling more than $1.6 billion.

Of course, the payout to Americans

of African descent would be much more than a billion or two billion dollars, by virtue of the sheer number of Black folks in America. I would also contend that $20,000 is not a sufficient amount for every Black man, woman and child in this country.

My reasoning is simple. The systemic oppression of Black folks from slavery to the moment you read this column is clear and undeniable. That oppression is so specific to our people that the unalienable rights that this country promises to all Americans have been purposefully kept away from us over an extended period of time.

The reasoning is simple, and so is the solution. PAY WHAT YOU OWE. Black people built this country, and we have never been paid our restitution, nor our respect. Whether America makes that right or not, it is clear that we find ourselves in need of reclamation, which I will talk about in the third and final volume of The Black History Guidebook.

Ken J. Makin is the host of the “Makin’ A Difference” show. Episodes are available at soundcloud.com/ makinadifference. Send your feedback to makinadifferenceshow@ gmail.com or send a text to (803) 270-2331. Your feedback could be a part of the next column!

“From Mozart to Motown - An Evening with Russell Joel Brown” Returns May 15, 2020 “From Mozart to Motown- An Evening with Russell Joel Brown” will be at The Historic Miller Theater on May 15th. This a high-energy, tour de force performance by Broadway actor and Augusta native, Russell Joel Brown. Backed by a 7-piece band and 15-member high school student ensemble, this performance features 10 different styles of music: classical, spirituals, Broadway, jazz, blues, country, African, R & B, rock, and gospel. The show is a benefit concert for Boys With A Future.

Tickets are available at The Miller Theater on April 3rd, but special Group Sales begin on March 6th with discounts for groups of 10, 20, 30 and more! Quantities are limited so groups are encouraged to buy quickly.

Five sold-out audiences at Augusta’s historic Imperial Theater between 2002 and 2004, solidified the pop-

Publisher

ularity of this show that appeals to young and old alike. Popular songs such as Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”; Lynard Skynard’s “Sweet Home Alabama”; “Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera; Duke Ellington’s “Take the A Train”; and the traditional spiritual, “Give Me Jesus”, are just a few of the songs that Russell Joel Brown has interpreted with his chameleon-like voice. A voice that is sometimes soothing, and oftentimes a powerful baritone. Production numbers, with sizzling choreography and beautiful costumes round out the evening and include a Motown retrospective of “My Girl”; “My Guy”; “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”; and more!

An Augusta native, Russell Joel Brown is a veteran actor, singer, and dancer of the Broadway stage. He appeared on Broadway and interna-

UPW

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tional tours of Disney’s “The Lion King”, “Smokey Joe’s Café”, “The Scarlet Pimpernel”, “Big River” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’”. Also to his credit, he sang for the funerals of such luminaries as Thurgood Marshall, Arthur Ashe, Cab Calloway, and Dizzy Gillespie. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College.

Mr. Brown impacts the lives of children and adults alike by supporting August area non-profits in raising much-needed funds. The Jessye Norman School of the Arts, Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, Colton Ballet Company, and many others have benefited from Mr. Brown’s fundraising concerts and appearances. His one-man show, From Mozart to Motown sold out the 850seat Imperial Theater 5 times, guest appearances at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s “Star-Spangled 4th of July”

and “Tuesday’s Music Live” concerts garnered standing room only audiences, and his tour de force performance as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in “Ragtime” was the talk of the 2019 theatrical season.

Reflective of his passion for pouring into the lives of young people, Russell Joel Brown developed and currently serves as Director of Boys With A Future, a world-class after school program for inner-city boys in academic and life crisis in the Harrisburg area of Augusta. This program seeks to revolutionize this underserved area through education, the only sure way out of poverty and into a fulfilling and well-rounded life.

For more information, photos, or to schedule an interview please contact Rhian Swain at rhian@redwolfadvertising.com or call 706-993-1551

URBAN PRO WEEKLY

Publisher FREDERICK BENJAMIN SR. 706-306-4647 urbanpromedia@yahoo.com

Executive Editor KEN MAKIN 803-270-2331 editor@urbanproweekly.com

Contributors VINCENT HOBBS Photography & New Media