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12-11-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
JESSE JR. PUTS DISTANCE BETWEEN BLAGOJEVICH: Rep. Jackson declares he's not the target of pay-to-play probe over Obama's senate seat.
*U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to emphatically deny involvement in Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged "pay-to-play" scheme to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant senate seat.
A lawyer for Jackson acknowledged earlier Wednesday that the Illinois Democrat is the so-called Senate Candidate 5 in the federal complaint against Blagojevich. Though the affidavit says Blagojevich named Senate Candidate 5 as an individual potentially willing to raise money for him in exchange for Obama's seat, Jackson said he was assured by federal prosecutors Tuesday that he is not a target of the investigation.
"I want to make this fact plain. I reject and denounce pay-to-play politics and have no involvement whatsoever in any wrongdoing," Jackson said at the press conference in Washington, D.C., calling on the governor to resign. "I did not initiate or authorize anyone at anytime to promise anything to Governor Blagojevich on my behalf."
Jackson's attorney, James D. Montgomery Sr., said Wednesday that Jackson learned he was mentioned in the complaint against Blagojevich the night before the governor's arrest on Tuesday.
According to the affidavit, in a Dec. 4 recording of Blagojevich with an unnamed adviser and unnamed fundraiser, the governor says he may be able to cut a deal with Senate Candidate 5 that provides Blagojevich with something "tangible up front."
The affidavit says an associate of Candidate 5 discussed raising $500,000, and then another $1 million, for Blagojevich. But Montgomery suggested Jackson could have been set up, and said he wasn't aware of any associates making such a proposal.
"I wouldn't put it past someone to be purporting to represent Jesse without authority," Montgomery said. He said Jackson is still interested in filling Obama's open Senate seat.
Meanwhile, Obama has called on Gov. Blagojevich to resign. Spokesman Robert Gibbs says the president-elect agrees with other prominent politicians that "under the current circumstances, it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois."
In response to questions from The Associated Press, Gibbs said Obama believes the Illinois legislature should consider a special election to fill the seat.
J-HUD TO FILM MUSIC VIDEO NEXT WEEK: Clip was originally scheduled to go into production during week of murders.
*Jennifer Hudson will return to work next week to begin filming a video for her new single "If It Isn't Love," according to her label, J Records.
The singer was preparing to film the video in Los Angeles when her mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were discovered shot to death in their Chicago home on the city's South Side on Oct. 24. The body of her nephew, 7-year-old Julian King, was found in a sport utility vehicle three days later.
Hudson has kept out of the public eye since the murders, but she has issued statements periodically thanking the public for their support. Last week, she released a statement after she was nominated for four Grammy awards, including best R&B album for her self-titled debut.
"It's been a childhood dream of mine to release an album, so to receive four Grammy nominations is truly a blessing," she said. "I am extremely honored and humbled by the nominations."
FOUR-DAY INAUGURATION SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED: Plus, Hampton University band scores spot in parade.
*President-elect Barack Obama's team on Wednesday released a preliminary schedule of inauguration events, which will take place over a four day period and include a national day of service to honor Martin Luther King's holiday.
Under the theme "Renewing America's Promise," the schedule also includes a national prayer service the day after Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden take office on Jan. 20.
Obama says in a statement that the events are designed to renew Americans' faith in their country. He says he hopes the events unify the country amid its economic struggles.
Organizers also announced Monday that Hampton University's marching band, "The Force," has been chosen as one of three Virginia groups to march in the Inaugural Parade on Jan. 20.
Close to 1,400 groups, bands, musical acts and drill teams submitted applications, and most included recordings, which were reviewed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, military musicians and others, reports HamptonRoads.com.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, the parade will travel from the U.S. Capitol, along Pennsylvania Avenue, to the White House.
The T.C. Williams High School Army JROTC in Alexandria and the Virginia Military Institute Corps of Cadets in Lexington also were selected.
Parade participants are responsible for paying for their own hotel and transportation, and Hampton University will begin fundraising for the trip. To donate, contact the university office of development at (757) 727-5356.
DMX CAUGHT AT SCOTT STORCH'S HOUSE: Feds arrest rapper in Miami for outstanding warrant after tipster calls in.
*DMX was back in a Miami jail Tuesday afternoon after federal authorities arrested him on a bench warrant at the Palm Island home of producer Scott Storch.
The rapper, born Earl Simmons, was picked up for missing a Dec. 5 court date in Phoenix. A woman in Georgia tipped off the Maricopa County Sheriff's office to his whereabouts after hearing there was a $5,000 reward for any info leading to his capture, reported TMZ.com.
X was being held at the Miami-Dade County jail and is due to return to Phoenix, where bond is set at $120,000. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of drug possession, identity theft and animal cruelty in Arizona.
Attorney Charles Kozelka says the 37-year-old entertainer was unable to attend the Phoenix court date because he's been in and out of rehab in Florida for several weeks.
BRAXTON TALKS ABOUT RECENT SURGERY: Singer tells Us Weekly about procedure that kept her from 'DWTS' finale.
*Toni Braxton has opened up to Us Weekly magazine about her reason for skipping last month's season finale of "Dancing With the Stars."
As previously reported, the 41-year-old entertainer underwent surgery the week before to remove a benign tumor from her breast. She was aware of the tumor before she appeared on the ABC show, but didn't schedule the surgery until after she was voted off on Oct. 20.
"Getting the boot on the show was actually a blessing in disguise for me," she tells Us Weekly in its upcoming Friday issue. "My grandmother on my dad's side died of breast cancer, and I have aunts on both sides that have breast cancer."
Though Braxton is still recovering, she is scheduled to appear on the "Dancing With the Stars" tour, which begins Dec. 17 in San Diego.
TYLER PERRY WINS COPYRIGHT LAWSUIT: Woman suing actor over 'Mad Black Woman'
script had insufficient evidence.
*Actor-screenwriter Tyler Perry has emerged victorious in a federal copyright infringement lawsuit brought against him by a woman claiming his film "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" was based on her play.
Jurors in Marshall, Texas found that Donna West did not provide enough evidence to support her claim, according to the Associated Press. In her lawsuit filed in May 2007, West argued that Perry could've lifted material from her play "Fantasy of a Black Woman" when it was performed three times in 1991 in Dallas, or gained access to the script in 1998 when he presented his plays at the Dallas Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
Perry, who testified during the trial, insisted that his screenplay is an original work.
"We are very pleased that the jurors understood that Tyler Perry is an incredibly talented person who has no need to copy the work of others,"
attorney Veronica Lewis said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
West, who lives in North Texas, asked for damages and profits made from Perry's 2005 film, which earned some $50 million in theaters. Her attorneys plan to seek a new trial.
"Obviously we're very disappointed. We thought we'd made our case,"
said Willie Briscoe, one of West's attorneys. "I believe that we conclusively demonstrated that Mr. Perry had access to Ms. West's work, that there were striking similarities between her work and his work."
Also named in West's lawsuit: the actor's company, Tyler Perry Inc., because it sells the movie online and by mail; and Lions Gate Entertainment, Inc., which funded and distributed the film.
PAULA PUTS FOX ON BLAST OVER STALKER: Abdul says 'Idol' producers ignored her concerns and allowed Goodspeed to audition anyway.
*In an interview on Barbara Walters' Sirius XM radio show, Paula Abdul accused Fox and "American Idol" producers of ignoring her pleas not to allow Paula Goodspeed to audition for fear of her previous obsessive behavior.
"I said this girl is a stalker of mine and please do not let her in,"
Abdul told Walters Monday, adding that the producers thought it would be a hoot to bring her on anyway "for entertainment value."
"It's fun for them to cause me stress," Abdul said. "This was something that would make good television."
At the behest of producers, Goodspeed appeared on the show more than once, Abdul said.
The 46-year-old former Laker Girl said Goodspeed had written her "disturbing letters" for nearly 18 years and that she's had a restraining order against the woman at times.
The entertainer also accused Fox of making her home address public, although she added that Goodspeed found the place on her own after an
audition: "She followed me home with her mom."
When Walters asked why Abdul remains on a show that put her in peril, Abdul replied: "I'm under contract."
NPR CANCELS 'NEWS & NOTES' TO SAVE MONEY: Program hosted by Farai Chideya victim of company-wide budget cuts.
*National Public Radio has canceled its lone African American-themed program "News & Notes" as part of company-wide budget cuts to address a projected $23 million deficit in the current fiscal year, according to a company memo.
The program "Day to Day" was also eliminated, and workers were fired in reporting, editorial, and production staffs; station services; digital media; research; communications; and administrative support. The cuts represent a 7% reduction in NPR’s current workforce.
"It is important for you to understand why we chose to cancel 'News & Notes' and 'Day to Day,' and the implications for programming strategy and commitments," NPR's interim CEO Dennis Haarsager said in a memo to employees. "Neither program was attracting sufficient levels of audience or national underwriting necessary to sustain continued production under these tough financial circumstances."
"News & Notes" was a one-hour daily program hosted by well-known broadcast and digital media journalist Farai Chideya and produced at the NPR West studios in Culver City, CA. A roster of respected experts contributed regular segments on a wide range of subjects, with input from the program's audience.
MIJAC'S GLOVE HEADED TO HIGHEST BIDDER: Glittery item and other personal effects part of five-day auction to benefit MusiCares.
*A number of items belonging to Michael Jackson, including his trademark glove and the gates to his Neverland Ranch, will be auctioned next year with partial proceeds to benefit the Recording Academy charity MusicCares.
The items, along with 2000 more of Jackson's personal possessions, will go on display by Julien's Auctions before the five-day auction begins on April 21, 2009, reports the Associated Press. Bids will be accepted in person and online. The sale is to be broadcast live on Auction Network.
Jackson plans to donate a portion of the sales to MusiCares, a charitable organization founded by the Recording Academy to help musicians in need. The remaining profits will likely go toward paying down his considerable debt.
He went into default on his sprawling Neverland property earlier this year, before an investment company bought the loan. Last month, Jackson's lawyers reached a settlement in a $7 million breach-of-contract case brought by a Bahraini sheik.
MARIAH'S BIGGEST BALLADS ON ONE DISC: Album, due on Inauguration Day, includes 'Hero,' 'Vision of Love' and 'One Sweet Day.'
*A collection of Mariah Carey's best-selling slow songs are now available on one CD.
"Mariah Carey: The Ballads," due Jan. 20 from Sony, features 18 of her biggest hits, including nine No. 1s – among them "Hero," "Vision Of Love," "One Sweet Day" and "Dreamlover."
The disc marks the first time that all of Carey's most popular ballads have appeared on one CD. Below is the track listing:
Hero
One Sweet Day (Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men) Vision of Love Without You Can't Let Go Love Takes Time I'll Be There (Featuring Trey Lorenz) Thank God I Found You - Make It Last Remix (Featuring Nas & Joe) Endless Love (Featuring Luther Vandross) I Still Believe My All The Roof When You Believe (Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston) Anytime You Need A Friend Always Be My Baby Dreamlover How Much (Featuring Usher) Reflections
MOTOWN LOOKING FOR YOUR PHOTOS: Pics taken in front of 'Hitsville U.S.A.'
needed in promo for new box set.
*To promote the Dec. 9 release of "Motown: The Complete No. 1's," a 10-CD box set featuring over 200 chart toppers from 50 Motown artists, fans are invited to upload photos of themselves standing in front of the famed "Hitsville U.S.A." headquarters.
The photos collected at http://www.classic.motown.com/hitsville) will be displayed in a gallery section on the Web site, continuing the theme presented in the box set – which includes a different Motown great posing in front of the historic studio on each of the 10 CD covers.
Lucky winners will be chosen at random from the entries, with the first place participant to receive a copy of "Motown: The Complete No. 1's"
autographed by Gordy himself. The others selected at random will get complete sets of "The Definitive Collection CDs" by various Motown artists.
The box set comes housed in a package that is a replica of the original Motown offices on 2648 West Brand Blvd., where the building still stands as the Motown Museum. Also included is a 100-page photo booklet with rare images and an introduction by Smokey Robinson.
ROOTS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED AS FALLON'S HOUSE BAND: News first leaked in the fall.
*Weeks after news leaked of The Roots being hired as the house band for NBC's forthcoming "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," the host made it official Monday with an announcement on the show's newly-launched Web site.
Fallon's show will premiere March 2 on NBC in the slot to be vacated by Conan O'Brien, who is in turn taking over "The Tonight Show" from Jay Leno. NBC announced Tuesday that Leno is staying with the network to host a weeknight talk show at 10 p.m.
The Roots will get in a handful of live dates before taping begins on the show, including Dec. 30 in Atlantic City, N.J., and a four-date run in Japan in mid-January, reports Billboard.
NFL UNION APPLEALS PLAXICO SUSPENSION/FINE: Grievance challenges Giants of violating collective bargaining agreement.
*The NFL Players Association filed a grievance on Tuesday challenging the suspension and fine given to Plaxico Burress by the New York Giants after the receiver accidentally shot himself in a nightclub more than a week ago.
The union accuses the team of violating the collective bargaining agreement last week when it placed Burress on the reserve-non football injury list, suspended him for the final four games of the regular season and fined him an additional week's salary for conduct detrimental to the team, reports the Associated Press.
Placing Burress on the non-football injury list also will keep him out of the playoffs. The Giants (11-2) won the NFC East title on Sunday.
Union spokesman Carl Francis said the grievance will be heard by an arbitrator after the season ends.
Under the contract that Burress signed in September, the Giants owe the Super Bowl star $1 million of his signing bonus on Wednesday. Team spokesman Pat Hanlon had no comment on either the grievance or whether the team would pay the signing bonus.
Francis said the union would consider another grievance if the Giants withheld the payment.
Burress was shot when the .40-caliber Glock that he was carrying in his pants slipped down his leg. The man who caught the go-ahead touchdown pass in the Super Bowl then reached for it and accidentally pulled the trigger and shot himself.
He faces a felony weapons possession charge that requires a mandatory minimum 3 1/2 years in prison.
MLK BITS: Aretha Franklin booked for free Kennedy Center concert; Colin Powell helps deliver $1 million donation for Mall memorial.
*Aretha Franklin will perform a free concert next month in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell called on citizens to help fund a memorial for the slain civil rights icon while delivering a $1 million check to the cause.
Franklin will sing Jan. 19 (Martin Luther King Day) at the John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington in a show sponsored by the performing arts center and Georgetown University. Tickets will be available at the concert hall on the day of the show.
The event will also include performances by violin duo Nuttin' But Stringz and Georgetown University's Let Freedom Ring Choir.
Meanwhile, the foundation building the forthcoming MLK memorial has so far raised $102 million of the $120 million needed to complete the project slated for the Tidal Basin between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials.
Powell delivered a $1 million check Monday on behalf of UnitedHealth Group Inc. The Minnetonka, Minn.-based company has paid him in the past to be a speaker at some of its functions.
Since leaving office, Powell has helped raise funds for the memorial to the slain civil rights leader, and personally donated $10,000 last year, according to his spokeswoman.
"MLK is a little different — it's not a president, it's not a war.
It's a man who fought a war of peace and fought the second civil war,"
Powell told The Associated Press. "He changed America in a very significant way."
The memorial's design, with a towering statue of King and quotes from his famous speeches, will not be "something that you just go and stand and look up at it," Powell said. Instead, visitors will "walk in the memorial ... and you're seeing the words of King."
ITTY BITTY BITS: Corey Dillon's lawsuit; Diddy downsizes bling; James Reynolds on Armed Forces tour; 'The Black Candle.'
*Former NFL rushing champion Corey Dillon is suing a Los Angeles repair shop claiming he agreed in May 2007 to pay for $55,000 in repairs and for a twin-turbo system for his 2005 Ferrari F430, but the people who ran the company duped him into investing $470,000 into their business, reports TMZ.com. Dillon claims it's been 14 months and his car is still not fixed.
Corey is suing for the return of all the repair money, and the return of his $470,000 investment.
*Sean "Diddy" Combs says he will cut back on wearing bling and tone down his fashion out of respect for people struggling in the faltering economy. He tells the New York Post's Page Six: "Out of respect, I've been trying to dress less flashy. It's one thing to be stylish; it's another to be over-the-top. You gotta know when to hold back and not rub it in."
*James Reynolds of “Days of Our Lives” is one of five actors who visit U.S. military personnel stationed throughout Germany and Kosovo from Dec. 17 through Jan. 2 as part of an Armed Forces Entertainment holiday tour. “Being a former U.S. Marine, I think of an Armed Forces Entertainment tour like this, as continuing service; to be able to reach out to these young men and women and bring them a piece of home is the highest of honors,” explains Reynolds who is s chairman of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 2009 National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans. Bill Brochtrup of “NYPD Blue,” Ramon DeOcampo of “The West Wing,” Lissa Layng from the film “Say Yes” and Amy Danielson from the feature film “Take Out” are also on the bill.
*"The Black Candle" DVD is being billed as "the first ever documentary about Kwanzaa." Featuring narration by Dr. Maya Angelou as well as her original poems, writer-producer-director M.K. Asante, Jr. takes viewers across the U.S., Africa, Europe and the Caribbean to examine the evolution of Kwanzaa, which now has some 22 million celebrants. The film also explores Kwanzaa's seven principles and how those principles are applied to everyday life.
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: The Hair of the Dog
*The proposition seemed fairly clear and logical: If transformation into a post racial society is to be real and substantive it must necessarily be about more than race and race pride; it must be about ideas. And if that is the case then opposition to one that shares a common ethnicity but differs in philosophy is not blasphemous. If, however, the letters I received following my recent column that argued this proposition are any indication, I have sorely missed the boat. If in fact that is the case it won’t be the first time and I imagine it certainly won’t be the last.
The more reasoned arguments I received (meaning those that actually attempted to make a case and didn’t just call me ugly names) went something like this: while Obama's policies on taxes and health care etc. are not unimportant, they are not nearly as significant as the death blow his election represents to those that claim “America is all about racism.” The fact that even uneducated whites voted for Obama makes it difficult to continue to draw road maps to the racist, evil heart of America.
More importantly, there is now a Black role model in the oval office. Young people will no longer see the thug life as “hip.” Instead, they will embrace their inner nerds because the leader of the free world now looks just like them. And he is a family man!
These benefits trump policy disagreements and ought not to be dismissed. In other words, to get over our racially obsessed hangover, it is necessary to take a bit of the “hair of the dog” as it were.
I remain unconvinced. It simply defies logic that in order to get past race, one must first take it into account.
To ignore any candidate’s ideas is to relegate their election to the purely symbolic. Symbols are not without their importance, but will the mere presence of a Black man in the White House “get us over the hump?” One can only suppose that the failure of Condoleezza Rice, Rod Paige, Colin Powell, Clarence Thomas and a host of other powerful Black members in our federal government's failure to influence similar rewards is due to their – what? – lack of Black authenticity? Other ethnic groups do not seem to need public role models in order to flourish. What is the larger comment on Black culture when the growing list of academics, doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs in our community are unable to alter the entrenched attitudes of anti-intellectualism, and gangster worship? Apparently for black youth only a role model with his finger on the button will do.
What I found particularly interesting was the claim of silencing the victimologists while presenting arguments that largely address cultural attitudes. The grand pooh bas of race, however, largely dismiss the cultural argument. They believe that the problems lie in a racist system that cheats black people from birth. For them, the issue is the white racist power structure of which any Black president is merely a pawn -- a tool -- at the very least an aberration. These professional racists will not go down without a fight. Witness the recent reports detailing the statistical disparities between Blacks and Whites and the bizarre claims that an increase in gun purchases since the election is driven by racism. Before the election night champagne had turned flat, the hard left was reminding us that in spite of Obama’s election America is still racist from the ground up.
There is real promise of substantive movement towards a post racial America and I, for one, am all for it. Movements, however, begin with ideas and any true transformation of American culture will likewise be grounded in philosophy – in the way we think about the ideas that are at the foundation of our Republic. There is simply no other way to make this transition. We will find the going a lot easier when we finally decide that there are some things more important than the color of a man’s skin.
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.
ASK ADVICE CHICK: Answers to YOUR Dating, Sex, Life, & Love Questions!
By AdviceChick at ameritech.net
Dear Advice Chick,
*I know you mentioned being molested when you were a child. I don’t know if I was actually molested, but my stepfather used to always hold me close to him and kiss, lick, and fondle me in ways that made me feel dirty and ashamed. He never entered my body though. Was I molested?
Now, years later I feel out of control. My relationships with men suffer and I am holding on to pent up anger. I am very angry with my mother because I told her about this years ago and she did not do anything. To be honest with you she called me ugly and said I was lying because no man could ever be attracted to me because I am black and ugly. These words hurt me to this day. I am thinking about seeing a counselor because I am sad and I don’t know where to turn.
Advice Chick replies,
Yes, I was molested when I was a little girl. Like your situation, he did not penetrate my body, but he did penetrated my life. Talk about the interruption of everything! My entire life changed from that day to this day.
We’re not here to talk about me. We’re here to talk about, and to try to get help for, you. YES you were molested. What he did was a terrible thing. Your mom also did a terrible thing. You are NOT to blame. I see you crying, it’s ok. Go ahead and get it out.
According to Stephanie Jones, author of The Enemy Between My Legs (http://www.stephanieljones.com) 1 in 3 females and 1 in 5 males are molested. Those are terrible odds.
Seek counseling and seek a support group. Sometimes it helps to talk openly about your situation with others who have experienced a similar situation. I read Stephanie’s book, The Enemy Between My Legs and I highly recommend it to you, and any reader, female or male, who has been molested. I recommend it to mothers who look the other way when you KNOW something is not right with your child. I recommend it to the pathetic males who can’t control their dicks and abuse children in this heinous way.
Resources:
The Enemy Between My Legs
http://www.stephanieljones.com
RAINN Local Crisis Center Search
Send YOUR questions to Advice Chick right NOW! Please put “Dear Advice Chick” in the subject line so your email isn’t deleted as spam. Thanks! Send your emails t advicechick at ameritech.net
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Ask Advice Chick about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING related to dating, sex, love, and life! She is THE resident dating expert at EURweb.com, and calls on over 11 years of dating and relationship industry experience.
THE PULSE OF ENTERTAINMENT: Mary Mary reaches new heights in new CD, 'The Sound,' on Columbia Records
By Eunice Moseley
Mary Mary takes us to new heights with, ‘The Sound’ on Columbia Records
On the newest Gospel release from Mary Mary, “The Sound,” on Columbia Records, sisters Erica Campbell and Tina Campbell take Contemporary Gospel to yet another level. In the new CD, currently in stores, you will hear Gospel lyrics and messages on top of tracks (and vocal styles) of Pop, Hip-Hop, Rock, R&B, Urban and even one with a Broadway musical flavor to it.
“There is more to our life than Sunday morning church music,” Tina said about their cutting edge Gospel sound. “That’s not what works best when you are driving in your car. People love God so much…”
Mary Mary is one of the best-selling Gospel acts in the business today. The Inglewood, California singers have garnered a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Gospel Album; three Dove Awards; six Stellar Awards; a Soul Train Award, and an American Music Award for Contemporary Inspirational Music. The sisters have already carved a name for themselves in the Gospel music history books alongside other contemporaries such as Kirk Franklin.
“(In traditional Gospel) Young people can’t be young,” Tina points out as to why traditional Gospel is not reaching the young population. “…Hold my attention!”
“The Sound” will certainly hold your attention, no matter what your age because the production, creative lyrics, message and vocal ability will keep you listening. I was truly pleased with the cutting edge “sounds” coming from this album. The one that I was utterly impressed with is the title track, “The Sound,” it’s like something you would hear in a Broadway musical in a Rock/Pop selection.
The sister duo, who received their first big break in 1998 with a song placement on the “Prince of Egypt” soundtrack, enlisted the help of their long time producer Warren Campbell (Erica’s husband, no relation to Tina’s husband) who produced Mary Mary’s first two albums that reached RIAA Gold and one, the debut, reaching RIAA Platinum status. Also on the album is David Banner on “Super Friend,” one of my favorites songs on the album, which has a Pop sound and Andrae Crouch, Tramaine Hawkins, Walter Hawkins, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Joe Legon, Karen Clark-Cole, Rance Allen and Daryl Coley on “It will all be Worth it,” another favorite of mine.
Also check out their “God in me” selection which has a Hip-Hop/R&B flavor and “I Worship You,” a sweet anthem of love for God.
“I want to hear something I enjoy and can dance to,” Erica added about the selections on their new CD. “(People) over 50, can’t understand…youth can appreciate. We’ve been banging records like this in our church on Youth Records (since they were youth).”
Though I am about 50 years-old myself, I personally can understand their point of view and I have always been an advocate for “reaching the unsaved on a level that they can understand where you are coming from and what you are trying to tell them.”
“In the life of Jesus, He spoke to them in a language they could understand,” Erica pointed out.
Best known for their debut hit, “Shackles (Praise you),” Mary Mary said they believe that there is a “divine” plan by God for everyone. For Mary Mary that plan was to spread his Word by using their contemporary “sound.”
Learn more on the sister duo at www.mary-mary.com.
AUDREY’S SOCIETY WHIRL-BUTTS GALA
Dignitaries Gather To Celebrate The Bicentennial Anniversary Of The Abyssinian Baptist Church And To Honor The Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III
By Audrey J. Bernard, Lifestyles/Society Editor
*The Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC) along with former President William “Bill” Clinton and other dignitaries, paid tribute to Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, and celebrated the 200th anniversary of The Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York at a White Tie Gala on Monday, November 10, six o'clock in the evening, at the resplendent Waldorf-Astoria.
Themed Abyssinian 200: True to Our God, True to Our Native Land, the breathtakingly beautiful party commemorated 200 years of Abyssinian's community-building efforts while also acknowledging Dr. Butts as a visionary leader and an extraordinary global citizen.
The event attracted over 1,000 affluent guests who were elated to don white tie attire as they attend black tie events on a regular basis.
Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated actress Cicely Tyson – stunning in a red b. michael’s couture gown topped off with a stunning necklace -- and notably handsome accomplished stage, television and film actor Avery Brooks, served as gala emcees.
Abyssinian Baptist Church is one of the oldest and most prominent African American institutions in America impacting the cultural landscape of America, and the nation’s first mega-church.
Under Dr. Butts' dynamic leadership, Abyssinian has had a pervasive impact as an empowering center of transformation in the context of real world, social issues.
"I've known Rev. Calvin Butts for many years, and I can attest to his commitment to making a positive impact on not just the community, but also the world around him," said President Clinton. "His rare vision encourages citizen action, and inspires others to act for the betterment of their communities and themselves."
The historic event commemorated 200 years of Abyssinian's community-building efforts while also acknowledging Dr. Butts, an iconic champion of social justice and reform, as a visionary leader and an extraordinary global citizen.
During his tenure, ADC's mission has been and continues to be a manifestation and outgrowth of the community leadership championed by Dr. Butts and demonstrated by The Abyssinian Baptist Church.
As a founder and the current chairman of ADC -- a community-based, not-for-profit organization responsible for more than $600 million in housing and commercial development in Harlem -- Dr. Butts was instrumental in establishing the first new school built in Harlem in over 50 years, the Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, a public, state-of-the-art intermediate and high school. He is also the visionary behind the Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School, which opened in September 2005.
Dr. Butts serves as president of SUNY College at Old Westbury; chairman of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NBLCA); chairman of the board of North General Hospital in Harlem; and is a member of the Board of the New York Blood Center and New Visions for Public Schools.
He is the recipient of numerous international commendations and honorary degrees, and continues to give lectures and speeches to colleges, universities and various organizations around world.
"I am both honored and humbled to be a part of the achievements and impact that Abyssinian Baptist Church has made on our nation and that the Abyssinian Development Corporation has made on our community," said Rev. Butts.
"As we celebrate the church's 200th anniversary and its storied past, we also celebrate the future as represented by ADC's development efforts and stewardship that will help us thrive as a community for centuries to come," Rev. Butts concluded. (Photos by Gideon Manasseh)
Audrey J. Bernard is an established chronicler of Black society and Urban happenings based in the New York City area.
VERONICA'S VIEW: Yes, I Drank the Kool-Aid and It Tastes Good.
Veronica Hendrix
*The victory of President-Elect Obama still tastes good. Weeks after the election we are still walking a little taller and smiling a little broader because the phase “in our lifetime” is here and now.
I will always remember where I was when the nation elected the first African-American President. And I will never forget that sense of where we were collectively and communally as the nation attempted to ferret out what an Obama-Biden administration will mean for them.
As we deconstruct how he traversed a road that has never been traveled by an African- American, it’s clear that his journey was a confluence of works and faith of biblical and historical proportions.
While his election certainly feels like a redress of the past abuses and inequities exacted against enslaved people, make no mistake that when the majority of the over 66.8 million people cast their vote for Obama they weren’t thinking “redress” in that voting booth. They were thinking about whom could best address the declination of our nation and our world and they voted their consciousness. That was the collective thinking. And as fate would have it, that candidate just happened to be a descendant of our ancestors.
I blink incessantly when I think that we will have a black man living in the White House who is not the hired help, but a public servant elected to lead the greatest nation on earth. And we will have a black woman living in the White House who isn’t showing up to work in a uniform. And the thought of knowing that a few non-traditional hair care products and techniques will be happening up in the White House makes me chuckle.
And yes, I smile when I think that we will have our first Black family, our very own Camelot Noir whose elegance and intellect transcends what this nation has been accustomed to. President Elect Obama not only campaigned on change, he is diametric change on so many levels for America. I continue to be astounded and grateful.
Surely the advent of the First Family will change the way African-Americans and particularly African-American men are viewed and treated in this county and around the world. For too long they have been treated more like lepers than leaders.
Unfortunately Obama’s presidency won’t magically uplift a race of people and erase all the negative and dismissive perceptions about African-Americans. Some folks will find it just as easy to default to the tired old premise that Obama is somehow an anomaly, someone who is not like the rest of the “half” of his race. He’s just different.
I believe what his presidency has a real chance of doing is changing the perceptions we have of ourselves. It has a chance of inspiring us and especially our children to make decisions that reflect how we perceive ourselves. It also has a chance of motivating us to engage in pursuits and endeavors that show the world how we feel about ourselves as well.
The sense of pride we feel of one of our own being at the helm of America is the momentum we need to shatter those old perceptions and challenge those old limitations we imposed on ourselves. The campaign chant “yes we can” is now "yes we did.” Success is just as contagious as failure and it can be compounded like interest in a savings account.
You see Obama’s road to the White House didn’t exist until he paved it, cobblestone by painstaking cobblestone. He had many challenges and he overcame many of the same deficits growing up many folks in our community face everyday. Maybe it’s time for us to pave a new road.
President-Elect, Obama has wasted no time in crafting bold plans to change the fabric and infrastructure of America. And I love the emails that populate my Blackberry keeping me informed and asking me to stay engaged. But I believe he had bold plans early on in his life that he executed, which developed him into an agent of change he is today. If there is an example for us and our children to dissect study and follow, we don’t have to look much higher than the next president of the United States. Maybe we should become change agents and proselytize new recruits.
I don’t suffer from any delusions about his election and what it means to this country. The perception of African Americans might take a generation to change. But I still live in a state of euphoria about the possibilities that await us.
I know there will be no special dispensation for me or you just because of the color of our skin. But I can’t help but feel optimistic - because now there is evidence that exceeds hope – that we have a shot at reframing ourselves and reclaiming our future using the same kind of dogged determination, sacrifice, faith and indomitable spirit that is embodied in our next president.
If we are willing to work tirelessly in our homes, relationships, schools, businesses, places of worship and communities we can ride the wave of “succession success.” We have an opportunity to delete the words “lesser class citizens” from any reference to our race. Yes, I drank the Kool-Aid, and it tastes good. (If you have comments about Veronica’s View email them to vsview@yahoo.com.)###
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle." — Deepak Chopra
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Dec. 11: Singer Jermaine Jackson is 55. Actress-comedian Mo'Nique is 40. Rapper-actor Mos Def is 36.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Check out Akosua, an Oakland, CA based Ghanaian-American composer, vocalist, and guitarist (www.akosuamusic.com).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Dec. 11, 1917: Thirteen black soldiers hanged for alleged participation in Houston riot. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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