Soap Opera Star Victoria Rowell to Host the Scholarship Gala...
Hello World,
Award-winning entrepreneur, Mary Parker, Founder of ALL N ONE Security Services,will award ten scholarships on Saturday, June 4, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta through her Mary Parker Foundation.
“Providing young people a chance at education and a future in their career is what really excites me,” says Parker. “This investment into our community will have long lasting impact.”
Parker started the scholarship program in 2011 awarding two students $2,500 each. In five years, the scholarship program has grown tremendously. To date, more than $100,000 has been awarded to more than 24 students, representing 17 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. “If you are a business owner, and you have something to give, you should be mentoring and giving back. The more I give, the more I get in return,” says Parker.
Ten students will receive awards on June 4, 2016, at 6:30pm at a star-studded gala hosted by soap opera star and award winning actress Victoria Rowell. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, 265 Peachtree Street. The Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Fund will receive the Organizational Partner Award. “This is a very proud moment and helps validate all the effort and the importance of the work we do,” says Tim Mahone, Chairman, Mahone Fund. “It is my hope that we use this opportunity to create educational pathways for our youth and improve the health and wellness of our community.”
Parker, author of The Chick in Charge, is extremely transparent about her humble beginnings. “My parents were sharecroppers,” she recalls. “We lived in a shack in rural Mississippi. It’s those small beginnings that help me appreciate everything I have now.”
The pioneer runs a multi-million-dollar security firm with multiple offices in the United States and Africa. Parker, and her team of nearly 300 employees, have secured major events such as the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, PGA Tours, Trumpet Awards and the commencement speech given by President Barack Obama at Morehouse College.
First of all, my prayers and condolences are with the families of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and the Dallas police officers. Honestly, I’m still processing it all…More on that later…But if you’re home tonight and need a diversion, this is a pleasant option…
TV One is shedding light on mental health in the Black community during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month with the premiere of its original movie, The Secret She Kept, this Sunday, July 10 at 7 p.m. ET (encore at 9 p.m. ET). Inspired by the best-selling novel of the same name by NAACP Image Award-winning author ReShonda Tate Billingsley, TV One’s original feature film, The Secret She Kept, immerses viewers in the story of a prominent family that lets shame, confusion and misunderstandings about mental illness send them down a tragic path.
Kyla Pratt (Recovery Road, One on One, The Proud Family, Dr. Doolittle) stars as beautiful, high-powered attorney Tia Jiles, who has just married the man of her dreams, successful magazine executive Lance Kingston (Gavin Houston, The Haves and the Have Nots, Guiding Light), and is on the brink of launching a major political campaign when a pattern of erratic behavior uncovers her secret: she suffers from mental illness.
“So often, we trivialize that someone is just ‘crazy’ and we don’t recognize that mental illness is real and relevant. I wanted to show not only was this something that deserved our attention, but that we shouldn’t be ashamed to seek help. If our bodies are sick, we get help. I wanted to de-stigmatize the shame that often keeps us from seeking treatment when our minds are sick,” said Billingsley. “I am grateful The Secret She Kept has been turned into a movie. While the book did exceptionally well, the platform TV One provides will hopefully get more people talking about what so many people see as a dirty little secret.“
The Secret She Kept is an exploration of the impact of mental illness on families, which is far too often closeted in the African-American community and provides a thought- provoking and inspirational story which addresses how far to go to save a loved one when they’ve kept a dangerous secret for years. It’s a question facing Lance (Houston) whose recent marriage to Tia (Pratt) seemed to promise a bright future for both of them. But under the surface, a fierce and frightening storm was brewing. That’s because Tia never revealed to Lance what she and her family, especially her mother Virginia Scroggins Jiles played by Kellita Smith (Z Nation, The Bernie Mac Show, The First Family), have known since Tia was seventeen: she has an illness that takes over her mind, transforming her into a woman struggling with bi-polar and schizoaffective disorder both privately and publicly. Determined to end the cycle of secrecy, Lance, along with his sister Beverly Kingston (Vanessa A. Williams, Soul Food, Melrose Place), set out to convince Tia to resume her medication and enter treatment.
Viewers are encouraged to participate in a nationwide Twitter Party with Billingsley during the movie’s premiere on TONIGHT July 10, 7-9 p.m. ET using the hashtag #SecretSheKept.
The Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (July) was announced in May 2008 by the U.S. House of Representatives to enhance public awareness of mental illness and mental illness among minorities. The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD) and cosponsored by a large bipartisan group, to also improve access to mental health treatment and s ervic es , and pro mo te public awarenes s o f mental illness. More information is available on the National Alliance of Mental Illness website.
Below is the trailer for the movie…
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If you’re in Atlanta, join ReShonda on the 3rd stop of her The Perfect Mistress/RTBWrites Book Tour! She will be at the East Point Branch of the Atlanta-Fulton County Library System, 2757 Main Street, East Point, GA 30344 (404-762-4842) from 6:30pm – 8:00pm on Monday, July 11, 2016!
I have yet to visit Canada, but it is definitely one of my list of countries to visit in the not-so-distant future! But in the mean time, in between time, I’m taking us to Canada today via my interview with Tamar Huggins, a Canadian-based and award-winning serial entrepreneur who has been featured exclusively in media outlets around the world including Black Entertainment Television, Canadian Living, and The Huffington Post! Tamar is also the author of “Bossed Up: 100 Truths to Becoming Your Own Boss God’s Way,”which is available TODAY! Check out my interview with Tamar about “Bossed Up.”
Seven years ago, my spiritual mother prophesied to me that God wanted me to write a book about business to help other women achieve success. I wrote “BossedUp”as a guide for entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs alike – to help them navigate the challenges and successes they would encounter on their journey.
2. Your book incorporates biblical stories and how they relate to modern day entrepreneurship. What is your favorite biblical story in your book and how does it relate to modern day entrepreneurship?
In the God chapter, I referenced 2 Kings 3 – the story of King Jehoshaphat and his army digging ditches in the desert. As they marched for seven days to get to Moab, they became tired and thirsty. King Jehoshaphat went to the Prophet Elisha to ask for guidance. The Lord spoke and said ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink. And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.’
As entrepreneurs, we must prepare ourselves to receive God’s blessings before they arrive, even if the blessing doesn’t make sense to us. In the case of 2 Kings 3, it didn’t make sense for the men to see rain in the desert – but it’s what they needed – and it was easy for God to do. If you ask God to increase your finances, for example, you need to take the necessary steps to prepare yourself to receive the blessing, otherwise you may risk losing your opportunity.
3. Your book addresses business challenges that entrepreneurs may face such as family time management. How do you address this challenge in your book and in your own life?
In the Balance chapter, I provide several references for work-life balance. My favorite is Boss Truth #85 – Prioritize Your Family. 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us that if we don’t provide for our families, we are worse than an unbeliever. Our #1 ministry as entrepreneurs isn’t our business – it’s our families. It is with that mindset that I prioritize spending time and pouring into my husband and my daughter because at the end of the day, I am building my legacy for them. I tell myself I am not an ER doctor, I am an entrepreneur, so I can afford to take time away from work to be with my family.
4. Tell me about the writing process for“BossedUp.”How long did it take for you to write the book? Was it easy or difficult to write the book? Did you learn anything from writing the book?
God planted the seed to write “BossedUp”within me 7 years ago, but it only took me 9 months to complete the manuscript in 2016. Spiritually, I grew a lot and my perseverance definitely increased. I truly experienced how creative the Holy Spirit really is when we allow Him to work through us.
5. Many adult entrepreneurs show an interest in business as children. Tell me about your interest in business as a child and how it led to officially becoming an entrepreneur at 23 years old.
I always loved the idea of being a boss and that’s probably why I was a bossy child! My teachers always told my parents that I was a natural leader, independent, and charismatic. God built me this way because He knew what He wanted me to become. As a result, I naturally gravitated to opportunities that allowed me to operate in my gifts. It wasn’t until I lost my advertising job during the recession of 2009 that I accepted my calling as an entrepreneur. I was fearful of the unknown, yet optimistic about the freedom and possibilities that entrepreneurship was able to provide, especially during such a chaotic time.
6. You live in Canada. Tell me a little about living life in Canada as a black woman and how it may differ from living in the United States as a black woman.
There is something to admire about the black business community in the United States – something that we just don’t have here in Canada. The level of support that black female entrepreneurs have in the States, whether financial or community-based, is much stronger than it is here. I believe this is due to a difference in our cultural mindsets. I always admired the black business communities in Atlanta and desperately wish people in Toronto had the same collaborative and supportive mindset.
7. Finally, how and when did you become a Christian and how has it impacted your life?
I was christened as a Catholic and went to Catholic school, so Christianity was always a part of my life. It wasn’t until about 15 or 16 years old that I gave my life to the Lord, and I was baptized in the Pentecostal church in my early 20s. I wouldn’t be where I am today without God as an active part of my life. I cannot take credit for any of my ideas or accomplishments because they all came from Him. God is truly the CEO of my business and my life. When you have the Creator in control, you can expect nothing but success and happiness.
For more information about Tamar, go to her website, tamarhuggins.com, and to buy “Bossed Up: 100 Truths to Becoming Your Own Boss God’s Way,” go to Amazon.com.
In the spirit of true crime documentaries, this outrageous fish-out-of-water comedy centers on bright-eyed New York lawyer Josh Segal (Nicholas D’Agosto), who heads to a tiny Southern town for his first big case. His mission? To defend an eccentric “rollercizing” poetry professor (John Lithgow) accused of the bizarre murder of his beloved wife. Settling into his makeshift office behind a taxidermy shop and meeting his quirky team of local misfits, Josh suspects that winning his first big case will not be easy, especially when his client is always making himself look guilty.
The cast also includes Jayma Mays, Steven Boyer and Krysta Rodriguez.
Jeff Astrof and Matt Miller serve as writers and executive producers. Jeffrey Blitz directs and also serves as an executive producer. “Trial & Error” is produced by Barge Productions and Good Session Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Check out the trailer below!
So will you be watching Sherri Shepherd on “Trial & Error” tonight at 10 p.m. EST on NBC?
Award-winning recording artist, songwriter, musician and now author Tasha Page-Lockhart takes her readers on a journey from childhood to becoming BET’s “Sunday Best” Season 6 Winner with her debut bookAnd The Winner Is…Tasha Page Lockhart Uncut. She received a national recording contract with platinum-selling recording artist Kirk Franklin’s Fo Yo Soul Recordings label, an imprint of RCA Records after she won the competition. Four songs from the competition that she performed charted in the Top 20 on Billboard’s Digital Gospel Songs chart including “Love” featuring Sunday Best Season 6 Runner-up Kefia Rollerson (No. 7), “Don’t Do It Without Me” (No. 8), “You Bring Out The Best In Me” (No. 10) and “I Will Call Upon The Lord” ((No. 20).
In 2014, Tasha released her debut album Here Right Now, which charted at No. 87 on The Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the Top Gospel Albums chart. The album features the Billboard Top 10 radio hit single “Different.” She was nominated for three awards at the 30th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards in 2015, winning the coveted New Artist of the Year.
However, the journey to success was a difficult one. Tasha’s intense real- life accounts will leave you undoubtedly inspired as she reveals details of overcoming trials and tribulations in her book. It is the heartwarming story of redemption and unwavering faith that she passionately shares.
“I’ve never had the opportunity to really share my story and journey as a recording artist when booked to sing so sharing my story through my book elaborates on how I became a winner over various areas of my life and how you can become a winner also,” Tasha says.
During her childhood, Tasha was molested by some family members and trusted family friends. While she was in high school, she played basketball and had dreams of aspiring to be a WNBA player. Yet, those dreams would soon change, when at 17 years old, she got pregnant, and had a child at 18, causing her to become a high school dropout. This caused her life to spiral out of control, and she became homeless and got addicted to drugs, causing her childhood boyfriend Clifton Lockhart to depart for Atlanta, Georgia, in 2006.
Today, Tasha is married to Clifton and they have 2 children, Ronald & CJ and they reside in Detroit, Michigan.
In honor of mothers on Mother’s Day, I want to introduce you to 12-year-old Alena Pitts and her mother Wynter Pitts who co-wrote the new book Hello Stars, the first book in the Lena in the Spotlight series from Faithgirlz! Below is the synopsis of the book.
Young Lena Daniels never thought she’d get the chance star in a movie. Headstrong and determined, she has her life planned out to the minute. But when her best friends, Savannah and Emma, tell her about an audition for a part co-starring her favorite singer, she knows there’s nothing else in the world she’d rather do. And now that she’s gotten her wish, Lena finds that being in the spotlight is harder than it sounds. She got everything she never wanted! Her face turns up everywhere she goes, and everything in her life is flipped upside down. Lena wonders if this is a dream come true or a horrible nightmare. Even a visit from her best friends during filming turns into a disaster. With her little sisters—Ansley, Ashton, and Amber—and her mischievous pup, Austin, constantly at her side, Lena must face the challenges of everyday life while chasing her dreams of being a model and actress on the big screen. Lena tackles tough choices, learns the value of perseverance, and keeps her hopes high. She knows her faith and family will keep her feet on the ground and her eyes on the stars.
As an author for Faithgirlz, which is offered through Zonderkidz, the children’s division of Zondervan, Alena is the youngest, African-American female author with a major book publisher! You may already be familiar with Alena, who portrayed Danielle Jordan in the 2015 hit film War Room! Below is my interview with Alena & her mother Wynter…
1. How does it feel to be the youngest, African- American female author to be represented by a major book publisher?
Alena: Kind of surreal still. Like it hasn’t really hit me. So it’s crazy. I’m just grateful that it happened to me! And then I’m like, ‘Thank you God!’
And how did you get a book deal for Hello Stars?
Alena: So, my mom was like, ‘Hey Alena, do you want to write a book together?’ I was like, ‘Sure.’ My mom was like, ‘That would be so fun!’ I really didn’t think that was going to happen, but she was like, ‘Let’s just pray about it.’ So I prayed about it not really expecting anything to happen. So like two weeks later, we got an e-mail from Zondervan asking if we wanted to write a book for them. So I was like, ‘Wow, this must be God’s plan!’ (Laughter)
Wynter: It literally happened just like that! It was just this random thought I had one day, and I just looked at her and said, ‘It would be so fun if we wrote a book together.’ And that was it. And then, a few weeks later, we got an e-mail from Faithgirlz saying they wanted to talk to us about the project. It was so bizarre. Because of my ministry with girls, I had done some Faithgirlz product giveaways and helped them promote some things so I had a relationship with the publicist there. Since then, I found out the publicist mentioned our names to their team over the last year or so, but I didn’t know anyone else on the team!
2. I understand that Lena’s story is based on what has happened in your life as you starred in War Room.
Alena: Well, the book is about Lena Daniels, and my nickname is Lena. That was where I got her name from. And the book was about how she wanted to be in control, and she had her whole life planned out until God was like, ‘No, you’re going to be in a movie and then, you’re going to do this for me. And none of this stuff you have planned for yourself is going to happen.’ And she was like, ‘Wow, I can’t be in control.’ But she found out over time that going with God’s plan is way better than anything she ever dreamed of and that’s kind of like my life.
I had my whole life planned out, my job and what I wanted to do when I grow up. But then I got an audition for a movie. And I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy!’ And I had to learn to give it all to God! And let Him be in control. So the story line is based on my entire life. And a lot of the funny things that happen in the story are actually real.
So you had your whole life planned out already at 12 years old?
Alena: Yes. My original plan was to do a couple of things. One of my plans was to go to law school and become a lawyer because I love to debate and stuff. But then I figured out how long law school was! Then I was like, ‘Nah!’ Then, I was like, I guess I will be a singer and learn to play some instruments. I still kind of pursue that. But another part of me was like I want to be a professional volleyball player which I still want to do. But based on my life, anything is possible, and you don’t have to stick with one thing your entire life. That’s really boring.
3. So Hello Stars is just the first book in the Lena in the Spotlight series. What can your readers expect in the future books in the series?
Alena: Expect more surprises, more plot twists.
Wynter: Lena continues to grow in her faith and in learning to let go of her plans.
Alena: Yeah because she doesn’t fully learn to let go in the first book! So she goes along on that journey in all three books.
4. You portrayed Danielle Jordan in War Room? How did you get to audition for that role?
Alena: My aunt [Priscilla C. Shirer] was one of the main characters in the movie, and she asked me if if I wanted to audition because they were looking for a little girl to play the part of Danielle. I was like, ‘Sure, I would love to do that.’ But I really didn’t think I would get it. But I kept auditioning and auditioning, and it came down to me and this other little girl. I was like, ‘Wow, this could actually be real. This could actually be what I do in the future.’ I just kept praying about it, and I got a call and I was asked to be in the movie. I was like, ‘Goodness. Sure!’
5. What was it like being on set every day with the Kendrick Brothers, a the Christian brothers who produced the film?
Alena: I like to say it was like church. In the morning, we had prayers. It was different than a normal movie set. And it was a lot better than a normal movie set. And then throughout the day, we would stop and pray if something went wrong. And it was really fun because there were a lot of kids there who were a part of the movie like the double-dutchers.
(Check out behind-the-scenes footage of the double-dutch scenes from “War Room” below)
Where was War Room filmed?
Alena: It was filmed in Charlotte, North Carolina.
And now you want to be an actress?
Alena: I wouldn’t say that. But like I was saying before, if another opportunity comes up, I would definitely say yes to something I felt had God had for me. But I wouldn’t say I would be an actress for the rest of my life.
Wynter: I just encourage her and tell her that when God lays things on her heart or brings things to her just like auditioning for “War Room” to just say yes to it. Even in writing the book. I want her to say yes to the opportunities that God brings her way.
6. As a co-writer for Hello Stars, how did you contribute to the book?
Wynter: Well, Alena would write the outline and the plot, and she would sent it to me. And then I would help to stretch it out. I would add words and make the story longer.
7. Other than the book Hello Stars, is there something from the War Room experience that the both of you took away that stays with you today.
Wynter: For me, just the whole point of the movie is that prayer works. And not just saying, ‘Lord, give me this, give me that.’ But when we have a heart that really wants to serve God and wants to see Him glorified in our lives, when we commit that to prayer, He is able to do amazing things!
Alena: Yes, prayer works and prayer is possible. When I was younger, before the movie, I really didn’t think prayer was something for me. I thought it was for older people because they always had testimonies about everything that happened. But I never heard a little kid talk about the power of prayer so I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s not for me yet.’ I will wait until I get older. But then during the movie, I started to pray, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is something that happens for everyone.’ God doesn’t just listen to older people. I like to say that God’s favorite people are little kids! And I will keep saying that until I get older. (Laughter)
Below is a video of Wynter and her daughter Alena talking about Hello Stars.
About the Author: Alena Pitts is a young actress and model from Dallas, Texas. As the oldest of four girls, Alena first cut her teeth in acting through making home videos and dramas with her sisters, using their entire home as their recording studio. She has a natural love for all things creative which falls right in line with her gifts and talents. The Kendrick Brothers’ War Room marks Alena’s professional acting debut. With only school theater on her young resume, Alena jumped at a chance to audition for the role of Danielle Jordan. In addition to school and acting, Alena models and is a frequent contributor for the magazine For Girls Like You.
About the Co-Author: Wynter Pitts is the founder of For Girls Like You magazine and the author of For Girls Like You: A Devotional for Tweens and You’re God’s Girl. The mother of four girls, Wynter’s mission is to empower and equip girls to walk boldly into becoming who God has created them to be and to provide parents with the resources and support needed to raise strong Christ followers. In addition to publishing the quarterly magazine, Wynter is a frequent blogger, a contributor for LifeWay’s ParentLifeMagazine, and a public speaker. She is also the niece of Dr. Tony Evans. Wynter, her husband, Jonathan, and their four daughters (ages 6-12), reside in Dallas, Texas.
Thanks to Alena and Wynter, I’m giving away a free copy of Hello Stars to the first person who emails the answers to these questions: What star from a ’80s to ’90s sitcom starred in a Kendrick Brothers film? What was the name of the sitcom? And what was the name of the film? Email your answer to me at jacqueline@afterthealtarcall.com.
If you hadn’t noticed, I took a brief hiatus from blogging. About three weeks ago, just before Memorial Day, my husband and I took a quick road trip to Tampa, Florida for his birthday so all of my extraneous energy was directed to that impromptu endeavor. And then the day after we returned, Memorial Day, I learned that a dear friend suddenly passed away. So it’s been difficult to collect my thoughts, much less write them or anything else down.
But here I am, back at a blank page, ready to reveal the ruminations I’ve had since my friend and soror Sherry “Elle” Richardson passed away, two weeks ago today, on her birthday.
This is how I looked when we first met. Yes, I was a geek at first
I met Sherry in 1992. I was a freshman at the University of Georgia in Athens, and she was a transfer student and sophomore. I met her along with another girl whom she had befriended before they met me. The three of us were fast friends, initially bonding over our desire to not be there at all. LOL! The three of us didn’t want to attend a white school, plain and simple. All devotees of “A Different World,” we were hungry to experience a historically black college or university, an HBCU, for ourselves. We wanted the funky marching band, the opportunity to meet our own Dwayne Wayne, Shazza Zulu or Julian Day (dependent on your taste in men), the endearing yet tough tutelage of black professors and the adventures that unfolded in dormitories teeming with people who looked like you but were from everywhere. Instead we were the minority, one of a few black faces at a school where we expected to learn but we couldn’t guarantee much else. But over time, we grew to love our historically white university and all that went with being a Georgia Bulldog in Athens at that time.
If college was a trip and it was, then Sherry was my travel agent. We had so many adventures together! A sheltered preacher’s daughter, I longed to party a la Ariel in “Footloose,” and Sherry was the perfect partner in partying. We practiced dancing in the mirror before we could “shake what your mama gave ya” in parties at Memorial Hall, where most on-campus parties were held! And if we felt like it, we ventured to Atlanta and partied in clubs all over town too. Our belief was it we weren’t dripping sweat when we left a party then we hadn’t partied.
But Sherry wasn’t all about partying though. We both wanted to establish ourselves as leaders on that colossal campus. One of the ways that we concocted to do so was to pledge a sorority. We noticed that most of the black women who seemed to be leaders were members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, plus they won all of the step shows and looked good doing so. Since she was a year ahead of me, Sherry was ready to pledge, but as a freshman, I wasn’t quite ready or qualified. Sherry decided that one of the ways that she could get the attention of the Deltas was to take part in the Miss Black University of Georgia pageant, which was sponsored by the sorority. Not only did she take part, she won the competition! I’m sure you can guess what happened after that. And when I was ready to pledge the following year, 1995, she successfully advocated for me to become a member of our illustrious sorority.
Partying in Atlanta after we graduated from college…I got better with time fortunately…
After she graduated in 1995 and I graduated in 1996, we kept in touch. In fact, I introduced her to many of childhood friends who promptly loved her as much as I did. In fact, some of these friends hung out with her without me at times. One of our first adventures as brand new adults was a girls trip we took to Jamaica in 1997. It was such a heady experience to travel with your girls on your own dime! The four of us belted out our rendition of TLC’s “Creep” over and over and over again at a karaoke spot one night. I remember shutting down a “hole in the wall” club another night. One day, we watched a brave friend jump from the cliff at Rick’s Cafe in Negril. We called the trip the “Girl Dems Sugar,” a song by Beenie Man that we heard repeatedly wherever we went on the island. And since Sherry was a film producer by profession, she filmed our adventures in a beautiful video that I have to figure out a way to see now since no one has a VCR anymore.
On the Metro in D.C. on Inauguration Day (don’t ask me why I have on pink and green?!)
Speaking of a VCR, fast forward years later, in 2009, several of us caravanned from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. to see the inauguration of President Obama. It was amazing that Sherry, one of my first friends at an institution where I feared I would be lost as a minority, and I witnessed the inauguration of the first black president of this country together. We bought thermal underwear, hand warmers and more to brave the bone-chilling temperatures on the mall that memorable day and shed it all to stun at the Southern Ball that night.
At the Southern Ball, one of several balls that President Obama and First Lady Obama stopped by…
And then in September 2012, we were back in Jamaica again as one of our friends, a childhood friend who now claimed Sherry as one of her besties, was getting married on the island. We were roommates, and it was a wonderful opportunity to catch up in a way that is sometimes hard to do as adults with jobs and other responsibilities. As we were there for a wedding, we discussed what love and marriage meant for us and pondered what that would look like for us as women nearing 40 years old.
At my book release party in 2012…
That next year, 2013, I helped Sherry celebrate her 40th birthday at a Hawaiian luau-themed party she had a her home. A month later, she came to my Southern tea-themed bridal shower followed by my wedding in August of that same year. As college students who lived down the hall from another one another, we saw each other every day. Naturally, as single women staking our claim in our chosen professions following college graduation, we didn’t see each other every day anymore. But we saw each other pretty regularly when our extended group of girls got together to explore the city from brunches, Memorial Day picnics, sisterhood retreats (which she created) at various homes and destinations, the “Sex and the City” movie premiere and more.
But I must admit, when I got married, I cocooned myself in newlywed bonding and didn’t avail myself to random hanging as much as I once did. I noticed the same pattern among friends who had gotten married before I did so I realized it was normal although not always advisable for maintaining friendships. When I heard the news of Sherry’s passing, I realized it had been quite some time since I had seen my friend…I only hope that Sherry knew how much I treasured my friendship with her over the years although recent life events dictated my time.
At a friend’s bridal shower…
Although I am a committed Christian, I cannot pretend that I have an inkling as to why God chose to call my friend away from this earthly realm. Since her homegoing, as I’ve walked throughout my house or driven somewhere, found myself saying, “Imagine Sherry is no longer here?” As I’ve gotten older, I’ve experienced the passing of friends, family members and church family, but it doesn’t make it easier or predictable. These experiences only emphasize that life is truly a transitory state. We should savor all that this life, though temporal, has to offer, but most importantly, we have to be saved or become a Christian to go to Heaven, which lasts for eternity.
So that’s all I have except to say I will miss and love her forever. And I thank God I knew her…
Happy Father’s Day to all of the fabulous fathers out there with a special shout-out to my father-in-law and my father Dr. Denzil D. Holness, a man who is a father and a friend! Although my father is my favorite father, I want to highlight another father today. When I saw Vincent McCant’s essay about his struggle to parent his son Jack on his Facebook page earlier this week, I knew I had to share with all of you who read this blog! With his permission, check out Vincent’s essay below…
Essay: Black Fathers, Fight for Your Right to Parent…
Very few people outside of my family and close friends know that I was embroiled in two custody battles recently, spanning a total of four plus years.
I have a 12-year-old son, who I care greatly for. He is my world and my only child.
I met his mom in the summer of 2003 at a summer concert. His mom is a creole girl from Louisiana, very attractive and the ex-girlfriend of former-heavyweight champ, Mike Tyson.
Things escalated very fast during our brief relationship and soon I was having my first child, a son. The minute I found out we were having a son, the relationship ended for a variety of reasons. Because we were not married, I chose to have a paternity test done, then I hired a lawyer. The next step was legitimizing my son through a formal custody order, with child support included.
Having a son at the age of 33 forced me to become more responsible, because at that point in my life I was living only for me. I spent wildly, partied all the time and, quite frankly, was a player.
Having a child got me back in school, more serious about life and wanting to live a different lifestyle. I was traveling back and forth overseas quite a bit on business for the first two to three years of my son’s life, only seeing him once a month. While living in Beijing, China, I decided enough was enough and left a very lucrative career with a high six-figure salary to be home more with my son. It was a tough decision, but it was necessary.
I completed my master’s degree with honors in the summer of 2006, with a focus on supply chain management and immediately began consulting for major companies like Home Depot, Coca-Cola, NCR and others. I had been an IT leader for years, who directed major software implementations involving ERP and procurement.
Fast forward to 2007, I was now a full-blown, hands-on father, spending as much time as I could with my son. He reshaped my life and gave me a new purpose and meaning. I became a better person overall because of him.
As a more responsible father, I became increasingly uneasy about his environment, his school and most of all, his performance in school. Despite living almost an hour away from him, I was very involved with his school, teachers and the PTA. Based on things I was observing and conversations that were going nowhere with his mom, I felt compelled to seek full custody.
At church one Sunday in May of 2007, I met the woman who would become my future wife in her role as an usher. Over the course of two years, we would often speak at church. My wife developed a deep bond with my son early on, a relationship that has now spanned eight years.
Fast forward to 2010, I started dating my future wife and she immediately became embroiled in the first of two custody battles with me. I would lose the first custody trial, despite being prepared and having a strong case. It was a huge blow to me and my family, but I learned a lot from that trial and decided I would change my strategy and keep fighting for my son.
My son was suffering in school, despite making the honor roll each quarter, as his test scores did not match his grades. He lacked help with his homework, his grammar suffered, his vocabulary was limited and his test scores continued to plummet through out the year.
Read the remainder of Vincent’s essay at: nbcnews.com.
Again, Happy Father’s Day! Enjoy your special day fathers!
Although mental health issues within the black community is not as much of a taboo subject as it once was, I think we can all agree that there is still more work to be done. As a storyteller, I’m always drawn into issues through a great story, and Dr. Sheila D. Williams, author of “My Mother’s Keeper,” has a great story addressing mental health.
She was the one who gave birth to her, became her first friend and encouraged her to try school that scary kindergarten year, which led her to a lifelong love of education. Yet where author Dr. Sheila D. Williams learned most from her mother was during her mother’s battle with clinical depression and later diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Her autobiography, entitled “My Mother’s Keeper,” chronicles Sheila’s sometimes dysfunctional but endearing friendship with her mother, which endured a parental role reversal when her mother’s mental health issues forced Sheila to be responsible for herself at age ten. Sheila later details her memories of still seeing the embodiment of the Proverbs 31 woman within her mom, as she later became her mother’s primary caregiver. “My Mother’s Keeper ” is a moving tribute to the power of a mother-daughter bond that defied the odds, both externally and internally, and thrived in love until the end.
See my interview with Dr. Sheila D. Williams, who is a mental health therapist, author, motivational speaker and certified national trainer/educational consultant, below.
1.You were the primary caretaker for your mother from the age of 10 until she passed away years ago. Did you recognize the symptoms of her clinical depression? Is clinical depression in any way hereditary?
Yes, from the age of 10 years old, there was a role reversal that occurred between my mother and me. I found myself being more responsible for preparing my own meals, doing my own laundry, styling my hair, etc., often without the assistance of my mother. I was always a bit more mature for my age, however at 10 years old, it was a very pivotal point in our relationship in which I realized that it wasn’t because my mother didn’t want to assist me; it was because she mentally and physically could not. I found myself checking on her and making sure she was okay; this became my top priority.
At the age of 10, I did not know it was clinical depression, nor did she or my father. We simply knew that my mother was not well, and that she most often was fragile mentally and emotionally. Because her mental illness was inaccurately diagnosed, she associated the way she felt with a medical condition of some sort, and was treated with muscle relaxers, pain relievers, etc. It wasn’t until I was in my early 20s that she was diagnosed accurately.
Research indicates that there is a hereditary component to mental illness. However, environmental factors — life stressors, inability to cope, lack of strong support system, etc. — these external factors seem to be more influential on the likelihood a person will experience mental illness at some point in their lives.
2.Why did you write your book “My Mother’s Keeper” and what type of feedback have you received?
I wrote “My Mother’s Keeper” as a memoir for my mother and her legacy. Because she felt as if she were different, that she didn’t fit in, she was often embarrassed and ashamed. She didn’t feel that she was good enough. She thought that no one would care to hear her story. I always worked to dispel her insecurities, but it continued throughout her life. Before she passed away, she and I discussed me telling her story. The story of her life is an integral component of my life and my journey. I wrote “My Mother’s Keeper” not only as a memoir, but as an autobiography and introduction to my life’s story. I chose to be transparent about my life and mental illness, to not only bring hope and healing to anyone who is dealing with mental illness or any other life situations or circumstances, but also to those who are experiencing any other life situations or circumstances.
In your book, you stated that you were told by a guidance counselor in high school that college was “not for you.” How did you move past that negative critique and continue your education?
Throughout my entire life, I’ve always been a good student. I worked to excel in education and received numerous awards and recognition for my exceptional academic standing and participation in extracurricular activities and community service. With this track record, I always knew I wanted to attend college. Although I wasn’t sure how I’d pay for college, it was something I had planned to do since I was in middle school. When I was in 10th grade, the conversation about plans after high school was discussed with every student. After several meetings with my guidance counselor, I informed him that I had aspirations and intentions of attending college. He encouraged me to sign up to take the ASVAB military entrance exam and told me that he felt that college was ‘not for me.’ He never indicated why he felt this way, but clearly it could not have been because of my academic standing or my drive and determination.
Initially, I was devastated by this, but that devastation quickly turned and it became fuel for me to make my goal of attending college a reality. Not only did I want to make attending college a reality, I wanted to finish college, then complete an advanced degree and not have student loans once I finished. I was able to accomplish all of these goals. I now am very thankful that I had that experience as it increased my motivation and my ability to persevere. I exceeded my own expectations.
I am very excited to hear of the Governor’s Commission on Children’s Mental Health. In my experience, I often find that the mental health of children is often forgotten. It is important to understand that although children are resilient, they are the product of their environment, their circumstances, and their experiences. If they are in a home where there is domestic violence, verbal abuse, or even financial difficulties, this can have a negative impact on the child’s self-esteem, their ability to effectively communicate, their self-perception and the list goes on. If you compound these stated issues with having a parent or loved one who suffers from mental illness, it is an even much more critical case. If a parent suffers from mental illness, unless they are effectively managing their mental illness and receiving treatment, it could negatively affect their ability to care for their child. Much as was the case with my mother.
When a child is being raised by a parent who has a mental illness that is untreated, undiagnosed, and/or one who is stigmatized and embarrassed to get help, it often leaves the child in a state of confusion and insecurity, and with feelings of despair. This ultimately could lead to depression and other forms of mental illness in the child. It is my hope that the Governor’s Commission will address the whole child, taking into consideration that although the child himself may not have a mental illness, they may be dealing with adult responsibilities at home, which may include a parent or caregiver that suffers from mental illness — all of which may negatively affect that child’s emotional and psychological well-being.
4. As a Christian, how does your Christian faith affect your career in the mental health field?
As a Christian, my belief is that we are all here for a purpose. I believe that my purpose here is to change lives and create positivity in a world that is often very negative. As a proponent and an advocate for mental health, I feel very blessed to have been born to my mother (and my father). The experiences we have throughout life can at times be very challenging; however, I believe that with each challenge there is also opportunity. As a very young child, I didn’t understand what was going on with my mother.
By the age of 10, I realized my mother was different and that her difference made her even more beautiful. Later in life she was also diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which compounded her disability from being one that couldn’t be seen (depression) to one that physically was quite visible with her fingers, arms and legs all contracted. Even so, she was still beautiful. I came to realize the beauty in even my challenges and imperfections. I believe that this is what life is all about.
My Christian faith lets me know that although we enjoy personal growth and accomplishments, our true joy and life’s blessings are obtained when we find ways to give to others; that is what brings me the most satisfaction. My experiences, both personal and professional, with mental illness have been a gift. The knowledge I’ve obtained has been a blessing. It is my purpose to further educate, motivate and empower others to silence the shame that is associated with mental illness and to embrace our differences, no matter what those differences may be.
5. How prevalent is mental illness in the black community, and what can the black church do to support mental health awareness and treatment?
Within the black community, the subject of mental illness is still very taboo, unfortunately. There are many people within the black community who have undiagnosed mental illness or have been diagnosed with a mental illness, but chose not to take medication or get therapy. These individuals, unfortunately, are suffering in silence. By failing to see a mental health professional, to follow up with treatment or refusing to take prescribed psychotropic medications, their mental illness not only affects them, but it affects their families, loved ones and the entire community.
As a Christian woman, I have a strong faith, and believe in God and the power of prayer. However, at times in the black church we fail to acknowledge and expound upon the importance of physical and mental health. Although prayer and motivation are important, and I personally know the benefits of each, it is also important for the black church to encourage and promote mental health awareness. We often seek the help and advice of medical physicians, but we fail to seek that same help and assistance from mental health professionals when our emotional and psychological well-being is in jeopardy. I feel it a responsibility of all of us to promote and encourage 360 degrees of wellness, and this includes our mental health.
6. What are your favorite topics to speak on as a motivational speaker and why?
My favorite speaking topic is The Transformational Mindset. I truly enjoy speaking on this topic because I am a firm believer and it is my motto that ‘Our Thoughts Become Our Reality.’ Regardless of what age, gender, culture or religious beliefs my audience is, this applies to everyone. We often get accustomed to thinking a certain way, which leads us to believe certain things. These belief systems (which sometimes can be flawed or misconceptions) tend to cause us to speak and behave a certain way. By speaking and acting upon misconceptions or negative beliefs, we hinder productivity and the likelihood of personal and professional growth.
The Transformational Mindset is a way of life. I began my journey of transformation at 10 years old. Rather than seeing my mother’s differences, her mental illness, etc., as a weakness, I saw it as a strength. I embraced those differences and used them to change my insecurities into strengths. I was able to see my mother’s mental illness as a blessing and an opportunity to learn more about who I am, embrace that person wholeheartedly and be a blessing to others.
7. What has been your biggest victory as a mental health therapist?
During high school, I wanted to be an astronaut and was very good in math and decided to major in it once I got to college. However, with the symptoms my mother exhibited, they didn’t seem to match the diagnoses that the physicians were giving her. I started to read up on her symptoms on my own, as I was always a bit of a researcher, even at an early age. The study of psychology not only sparked my interest, but also educated me on many of the emotions I had myself. It was through these readings and research that I decided to change my major to psychology rather than math. It was less than one year after I graduated with my BA in psychology that my mother finally was correctly diagnosed with clinical depression.
After completing my BA in psychology, I went on to pursue and complete my MA in mental health counseling. In addition, I earned a Ph.D. in education and leadership. I’ve worked for many years as a mental health therapist and counselor. Having the educational knowledge, the professional experience and personal experience of caring for my mother who suffered from mental illness has all been a blessing. It was destined that this would be my career path.
My biggest victory is not only being able to survive the many challenges I’ve faced in my life, but to be able to thrive while doing it. Everything that happens happens for a reason. I believe that my experiences were not only lessons for me, but what I’ve learned from those experiences has afforded me the opportunity to use those lessons in a positive way to assist others on their journeys as well. This has been the biggest victory of all.
If you would like more information about Dr. Sheila D. Williams, please go to her website drsheiladwilliams.com.
Since we’re just two days away from the return of OWN’s “Greenleaf”, I jumped at an opportunity to interview GregAlan Williams, who portrays the man we all love to hate – Robert “Mac” McCready – and is also an accomplished writer! In fact, Williams just released the audio version of his novel Heart of a Woman, which he originally penned in 2009. Check out my interview with GregAlan Williams below! (The audio of the transcribed interview is below.)
1.You are well known as an actor with movie and television credits such “Baywatch,” “The Game” “NCIS: Los Angeles” “Castle” and many more and most recently “Greenleaf.” What prompted you to write a novel Heart of a Woman, and how did you find the time to write it?
Well, my first two books were non-fiction. I always wanted to write a novel, and I actually wrote “Heart of a Woman” in 2009. Well, actually, it took me four years. I started in 2005. It was published in 2009, and I just liked the long-form. I love screenplays, but I like the detail and the attention and the special skill that it takes to write in the novel form. And so I wanted to do that. I wanted to write a book for a target market or a constituency, in particular for women who remember the ‘60s and the ‘70s and that sort of thing, my peers. Because so much of African-American literature for women is sort of directed toward a younger group of women. I very much wanted to celebrate that time and women of that era and our shared memories.
2. According to the description of your novel, Heart of a Woman is about a woman who must “destroy her husband’s young mistress, enlist a murderer to catch a blackmailer, and in exchange for more than a million dollars, she must also seduce a slightly mad, man of God.” Not to mention that Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pendergrass are principal characters. How did you come up with this plot?
It really evolved around the protagonist, Jimi Stone. The book describes her as woman who has the ability to hear the hearts of strangers. As a polio victim, she had polio as a kid, there was a summer she was confined to her parents’ porch. Over the course of her life, she notices things. She sees things. She sees people, but perhaps most importantly, she hears them. And so all of her life, people would come to her and find themselves sharing their secrets with her.
Ultimately, as an adult, she finds herself working directly for Berry Gordy as his fixer, as his operative. And so the information that people have given her about themselves over the years, in particular, people in the entertainment industry, she’s retained all of that and so she uses that knowledge, that information, to fix things that have gone wrong. For example, in the book, a young, a young Motown star gets in trouble with the law and Berry Gordy dispatches her to fix it so as to preserve Motown’s good name. And she does, indeed, do that. She fixes it in a very complex way with a number of people, some good, some bad.
Did you have a writing coach to help you?
Well, I’ve been writing all of my adult life. I was a journalist in the Marine Corps. As a very young man, I used to write for Black Teen magazine, Right On, Soul Teen. There’s a radio station in the book that is based on a very famous radio station in Los Angeles KJLH. I had the good fortune to be hired as a copywriter for KJLH in 1980. So I’ve been writing for a long time. So you know we sit down and we say let’s try this on. We write commercials or we write copy, and we write for magazines and newspapers and we write non-fiction books and then we sit down and say, ‘I wonder if I can write the ‘Great American Novel.’’ So sat down to write it and I’m a history buff, and it is historical fiction so I spent a lot of time in Detroit doing research there and of course so much of the book is set in Los Angeles, and I know that territory well. And I’m an E.L. Doctorow fan so this whole notion of mixing fictional and historical characters has always been very exciting to me.
E.L. Doctorow is a very famous writer, and he did that a lot. One of his most famous books is Ragtime, and I think Teddy Roosevelt was a character in the book. In fact, the movie version of the book was the movie that brought the late Howard Rollins to stardom. He starred on “In the Heat of the Night” for many years. So Ragtime was the first book of E.L. Doctorow’s that I read.
3. Heart of a Woman was originally released in 2009. What prompted you to revamp the novel with an audiobook?
I’ve wanted for years to sort of merge my skill as a writer with my skill as an actor and that was really the impetus. Let me now see if I can not only narrate the book, and that was the easy part, but let’s see if I can voice all of these characters in kind of a believable way.
4. I know that “Greenleaf” is filmed in Atlanta and the Greenleaf home is near New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and that you live in the Atlanta area as well. Why did you to leave Hollywood, move to Atlanta and create the Actor’s Breakthrough film actors training studio in the Atlanta area?
Yes, the Greenleaf mansion is right around the corner. Well, I had been on a television show for about 7 years, ‘Baywatch.’ During that time, I had written a couple of non-fiction books and that had turned into a lot of speaking opportunities so I was doing a lot of speaking around the country. And I came to Georgia to speak at a fatherhood conference and I met some folks who were doing some very innovative work with fathers and families in middle Georgia.
So I decided to take a sabbatical for two years once I left the series in ’97. I went on sabbatical for two years and worked at a Headstart program in Macon, working with this fatherhood program so that’s what brought me to Georgia. So when that was done, and it was time to go back to L.A. and start acting again, I just decided to stay in Georgia and commute. There was no work in Georgia at that time so for years, I commuted out to L.A. and New York to work. And then as production began to soar here in Georgia, I was traveling a lot less and that gave me an opportunity to teach here in Atlanta. There’s not a whole heck of a lot of actors here who have my range of experience. There are some, but most, of course, are in L.A. and New York. And in particular as it related to actors of color, it gave me an opportunity to mentor a number of actors and to help move them along in their careers.
Have you taught any actors that are recognized?
Not any names yet but plenty of folks who work. In fact, four of my students were on “Greenleaf,” and I had nothing to do with it. Because they had secured their own agents and auditioned and booked. And we have dozens of actors on all kinds of shows from Atlanta to Sleepy Hollow. We just had an actor who finished a movie with The Rock so we’re very excited and very proud that we have started a number of actors in the business, training them. They studied very hard and now they’re working professionals. I teach at the studio six hours every Saturday. We have other instructors, but I teach at the master level from about noon to 5 p.m.
5. Robert “Mac” McCready is the ultimate villain, and you portray him masterfully. Is there any part of Mac that you identify with, and what is your inspiration for portraying him?
Well in the second season, I identify with Mac’s loneliness. And I will tell you what I mean. Because Mac has been found out and he’s estranged from the family, he’s very lonely. Family, believe it or not, is very important to Mac. The church is very important to Mac. And so Mac is estranged from both the church and the family and because Mac is estranged, that means that I am also separated from my acting family – Lynn and Keith because in the second season, really the only actor that I get to work with is Merle and that is wonderful and then some of the wonderful guest stars that we have. But I don’t get to see and work with some of these other folk that I love so much like Lamman and Kim and Deborah Joy Winans and all of those folks. I hardly see them so Mac and I we’re both lonely in that regard.
One of the things I teach is that when we take on characters whose values we don’t share, we tend to want to make those characters very different from ourselves and think of those characters as being very different, but here’s the truth. Mac is obsessed with his abusive behavior. He’s obsessed with 13, 14, 15-year-old girls, wholly inappropriate. So when you approach a character like Mac, I think the first thing you have to do is say, What do we have in common? Well, you know what? I’m not obsessed with 13,14, and 15-year-old girls, but I’ve been obsessed and I know what obsession is. I’ve been obsessed with some grown women. And as a much younger man, you know sort of out there dating, partying, certainly, on occasion have been less than honest, less than forthcoming about what my intentions were, etcetera, etcetera. I’m not a perfect guy so I have to look at as much as I want to be 180 degrees different, we have some things in common.
Or I’ve had some things in common so when you approach a character, because you cannot portray a character you don’t understand and you can’t portray a character who you wholly dislike. It’s impossible to step into that character’s life unless that character is self-hating and Mac is not self-hating. Sometimes, he is but most of the time, he is not. So one has to come to understand that and but that doesn’t mean approve of, but to understand and to be able to identify the rationalizations that he uses in order to engage guilt free in his predatory behavior.
Mac is also funny particularly when he called his age-appropriate beard girlfriend Lorraine “bottom-shelf” & “off- brand.” Did you find that funny? I know it wasn’t supposed to be funny, but it was funny to me.
I think it was funny in its audacity. I mean what you could do but laugh because it was so horrible. I have to say this, you see, this is why I love writers. Now when I first got the script, I looked at it, and I said, ‘Oh my goodness, I can’t say this. This is horrible!’ See, left to me, the actor, if the writers had said to me, ‘Okay, GregAlan, here’s a moment when you need to put this woman in her place.’ I would have come up with some mundane curse words and this and that and the other. But this writer is so brilliant that they totally sidestepped the nasty language and came up with something so horrible. Bottom–shelf! Off-brand! When I first read it, I said, ‘I can’t say this.’ I said to my lady, ‘Girl, read this.’ (Laughter) She said, ‘You can’t say this.’ I said, ‘I know. I know.’ But you know that’s why I love writers – so innovative. I don’t think, maybe, you heard Mac curse once. I don’t think Mac curses. He is a good Christian, you see. So he would say something like that. That what makes him even all the more creepy because he’s a rapist. He’s an abuser. But yet he finds cursing perhaps to be a little beyond him. Isn’t that some madness?
6. I call Mac, Mac the Molester. How does one research being a “respectable” child molester?
Well, this speaks to the courage of the producers because people can’t molest children, most of the time, unless they are respectable. Ninety percent of child molesters are very respectable. That’s how they are able to do it. Sometimes, I ask my acting students, ‘How is it that a serial killer is able to kill serially?’ And they come up with all kinds of things. But the truth is it’s because he doesn’t seem to be a serial killer. In other words, he’s not just snatching people or banging people on the head. Oprah said that she wanted to show the audience that abusers are seducers, and that is what she has done and by extension, that is what the producers and writers have done.
So that is the truth, and that should forewarn viewers not to see the bogeyman under every bush but to understand that sometimes, the people we entrust our children to, those folk have positioned themselves in those respectable places in order to be able to hurt children.
7. What’s going to happen next Tuesday and Wednesday? Is Mac dead? Will he ever admit to molesting Faith? Did Mac see his sister Lady Mae molested by their father? If you can’t answer these questions, what can “Greenleafers” expect in this second half of Season 2?
Well, remember, in the first half of season 2, in episode 8, he did admit as he was choking Grace, he said, ‘They wanted it. I didn’t do anything they didn’t want me to do.’ So he did admit to essentially all of his crimes. As to whether he will live or die, I will say this to you: every goodbye ain’t gone.
Double Emmy Award-Winning Actor, Critically Acclaimed Author, Respected Educator, Prolific Speaker, Master Storyteller… these are just a few characteristics to describe the creative genius of Gregory Alan Williams! Widely known for his role (of seven seasons) as beach cop Garner Ellerbee on the most watched television show in the world, Baywatch, GregAlan is most recently recognized for his portrayal as prime-time television’s most hated villain, Robert “Mac” McCready, on OWN’s hit drama series, Greenleaf .
His 30-year Hollywood career began as a founding member of the world-renowned Penumbra Theater in St. Paul, MN. From there he went on to do stage work with Pulitzer Prize Winner, August Wilson, as well as the Chicago Shakespeare Repertory Theater,Chicago Theater Company, Mixed Blood Theater Company and Chicago’s Goodman Theater. To date, his broad list of acting credits include recurring roles on the ABC Network’s Secrets and Lies, BET’s The Game and HBO’s The Sopranos. His 250 prime-time appearances include The West Wing, NCIS: Los Angeles and Castle, just to name a few.
What’s more, his film career boasts 42 feature films, including celebrated classics such as Remember the Titans (Denzel Washington), In the Line of Fire (Clint Eastwood) and Old School (Will Ferrell). His recent film credits include, Terminator Genysis (Arnold Schwarzenegger ),Misconduct (Al Pacino), The Accountant (Ben Affleck), Hidden Figures (Taraji P. Henson) and so much more! In 2017, audiences will enjoy GregAlan in the upcomingBill Duke film, Created Equal as well as the highly anticipated faith-based films, A Question of Faith (Kim Fields and Richard T. Jones) and All Saints opposite John Corbett. GregAlan also founder and Dean of the Actor’s Breakthrough film actors training studio in Atlanta.
When the pressure of life seems to boil over – and it does for everyone – Pastor and GRAMMY-winning musician Smokie Norful has one piece of advice: take the lid off. This concept was inspired by watching his grandmother make her signature dish of sweet rice. When the heat got too high, the pot began hissing and boiling over, like it was about to explode and create panic. His grandmother would remind him the only way to avoid an eruption is to remove the lid. Like that pot of rice, the only way to avoid an emotional overload is to take our own lids off — that is, to stop being trapped inside ourselves and instead look to God and his grace to show us the strategy that makes us all he intends us to be, and serve him in the way he has called us to.
This is the premise behind Norful’s new book Take the Lid Off: Trust God, Release the Pressure, and Find the Life He Wants for You (Thomas Nelson), which is available as of TODAY. In Take the Lid Off, Norful — who is the founder and pastor of Victory Cathedral Worship Center, a congregation of 5,000 members with three campuses in the Chicagoland area — outlines four steps to take to relieving the pressure and drawing closer to God in the process:
1. Look Inward, experiencing the cleansing of forgiveness and the power of God.
2. Look Outward, seeking for others to experience the joy of living for God and have the best God has to offer.
3. Look Upward and marvel at God’s love and strength to accomplish his purposes.
4. Move Onward, devising a strategy to accomplish all God has put in our hearts to do.
Norful — through detailed explanations and relatable examples — guides readers in understanding that, when you focus on these four steps, the pressure of life goes down, you gain peace and perception, and things work out much better in the end. By working to “take the lid off,” readers can become the people they were created to be.
Interesting Biographical Highlights From Take the Lid Off :
*Norful is a PK (preacher’s kid).
*Prior to his music career, he worked as junior high school teacher in Pine Bluff, Arkansas where his father was the president of the local school board.
*Although Norful was a successful gospel artist, he was miserable at one point and had even stopped going to church.
*Fellow gospel artist Donnie McClurkin was instrumental in convincing Norful to become a pastor.
*Some people who supported Norful in his music career weren’t as supportive when he became a pastor.
*Norful’s GRAMMY Awards are displayed behind his sons’ trophies for karate, T-ball and soccer.
*When Norful became a pastor, he gave up 80 percent of his income for several years.
Check out the Take the Lid Off trailer below:
To underscore the message of Take the Lid Off Norful is partnering with his long-time label home, Motown Gospel, to release a digital-only album titled Nothing Is Impossible. The 12-track project, available Sept. 9, 2017, features some of Norful’s most beloved songs of encouragement and inspiration, including “Still Say Thank You,” “No One Else” and “Run Til I Finish.”
About the Author:
SMOKIE NORFUL is founder and senior pastor of Victory Cathedral Worship Center, a congregation on three campuses in Bolingbrook and Chicago, Illinois. A multiple Grammy-winning artist who has sold more than three million albums worldwide, he has also received Stellar awards; Dove awards; an NAACP Image Award nomination; a Soul Train Award nomination; two nominations for the BET Award for gospel music; two RIAA certified Gold-selling compact discs; and countless other accolades. A graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois, Norful also served on the board of regents for Trinity International University. He lives with his wife and family in the Chicago area.
Learn more about Norful at SmokieNorful.com, and connect with him
As a journalist, I am very comfortable interviewing people (for the most part anyway), but tomorrow night I will be the one being asked questions as Royal Pen Network host Kendra Norman, a national bestselling author, will interview me! Yes, I’m nervous, but I’m curious about what it’s like from the interviewee’s perspective! Check out the flyer above for the details! If you plan to listen, drop a comment below!
Visit a church, comedy club, college campus, or barber shop, and it’s not easy to find people who aren’t familiar with, or lifelong fans of, Rickey Smiley and his outrageous morning show radio crew. As the host of the huge nationally syndicated The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, which draws in at least 4 million listeners every day, he’s also the star of his hit TV show Rickey Smiley for Real – one of the only reality show series to address life as a single dad. Plus, he has 8 chart-topping comedy albums.
But Rickey’s always had something more offer — and it’s more revealing than anything he’s done so far. STAND BY YOUR TRUTH: And Then Run for Your Life! (Gallery Books; Hardcover; October 24, 2017) is part memoir, part testimonial, and part life guide – mixing Rickey’s down-home humor with values learned from three generations of elders, the Baptist church, and some of the most celebrated mentors in entertainment (aka Steve Harvey).
Written as much for parents as it is for their young adults, STAND BY YOUR TRUTH offers tough-love conviction, both in turns funny and earnest, on straight talk such as:
How it’s impossible to come back from mistakes without self-forgiveness
Why “The Deadbeat Dad” is a myth
How to break out of that comfort zone — because you are not a chicken
The often untold ups and downs raising kids (and teenagers) as a single father
Proof success can only happen when opportunity meets long preparation
Ways speaking up for yourself is nothing to be ashamed of, so “Handle Your Business”
Why, now more than ever, our lives depend on what we stand for — and then sticking by it
In a time when we are craving world-wise humor as much as insight, STAND BY YOUR TRUTH by the one and only Rickey Smiley is here to deliver on both.
Everyone loves a great comeback story! Well, I’ve got one for you on this Sunday morning, the day of all days to celebrate comebacks! My sorority sister Carol M. Mackey, who once helped launch the careers of many African American authors as the editor-in-chief of the largest African American book club, Black Expressions Book Club, in the nation, faced a setback when she lost her job and went through a divorce a few years ago. But since then, she has reclaimed her career as an author and is applying the lessons God taught her through her divorce and emotional upheaval. Carol’s latest book, “Faces of Praise!: Photos and Gospel Inspirations to Encourage and Uplift?” which will debut this Tuesday, Oct. 17, is a testimony to that!
This full-color photo gift book that turns chart-topping contemporary gospel music into Bible-based devotions is a three-way blessing for readers: a perfect companion to favorite gospel recordings, an encouraging devotional and a unique photo collection.
FACES OF PRAISE! turns your favorite contemporary gospel songs into Bible-based devotions.
Here are never-before-seen full-color images of 60 top contemporary gospel singers, taken on stage as they led worship concerts. The photos capture the artists as they praise, revealing their passion for God, and inspiring in you the hope, joy, and endurance expressed in their music.
FACES OF PRAISE! pairs the most popular, uplifting songs of these gospel greats with scripture, inspirational text, and prayers.
So get your praise on because this book is a three-way blessing-it’s a perfect companion to your favorite gospel recordings, an encouraging daily devotional, and a unique photo collection. Artists included:
I met the book’s photographer, Jeff Grant, at a mutual friend’s wedding back in 2012. Our friend knew Jeff wanted to publish a book and I was the editor-in-chief of Black Expressions Book Club at the time. Jeff and I became fast friends and one day over lunch he showed me his photographs on his phone. They were awesome photos of not only gospel artists, but regular church folk in various forms of worship. The first words out of my mouth were, “These are the faces of praise!” I knew he and I would someday do a book together and got the idea to merge my writing talent with his beautiful photographs. But I was in the middle of a bad divorce and knew that wasn’t the time. Too much emotional upheaval. Then one day in April of 2016 I got a call from my friend Adrienne Ingrum asking if I was working on anything new (she knew I’d written “Sistergirl Devotions.”) She was the editorial director over at Faith Words and was looking for new projects. I told her about my idea of merging Jeff’s photos of gospel artists with my my devotionals based on the artists’ songs. She loved it. And “Faces of Praise” was born!
2. In addition to photographs of gospel greats, the book also contains devotionals that express the message of the artists’ songs. Tell me about the creative process in writing these devotionals.
Many of the gospel artists I knew and loved their songs. However, some of them I wasn’t familiar with so I relied on Jeff to give me their most popular songs so I pulled them up on YouTube and gave them a listen. Inspiration came from unexpected places—the Holy Spirit does this often with my writing. I think ‘we’ are going in one direction and He totally flips the script on me and leads me a whole other way. He did that with a few of the songs. I’d write a complete devotion and He led me to scrap it and write something else. God knows what people need better than I do. I was obedient because I know He led me a certain way for a reason. The Father always knows best!
3. What are your favorite photographs and accompanying devotionals and why?
I don’t really have a favorite but some of the devotionals, though hard to write, were powerful paired with Jeff’s images of the artists. A few of the spreads I love are Kirk Franklin’s “I Smile,” Andrae Crouch’s “Through It All,” and Dorinda Clark-Cole’s “I’m Still Here.” The images and the message evoke a feeling. I pray they will bless whoever reads them.
4. Did you get to meet any of the artists in the book, and what was that like? And will the artists featured in the book help to promote it as well? What are the plans for promotion? A book tour?
Unfortunately I haven’t met any of the gospel artists in the book but I’m sure I will at some point. Many of them have already done promo videos on Facebook—Kirk Franklin, Richard Smallwood, Hart Ramsey and a few others. They’re Jeff’s personal friends and are happy to help us out. We’ll be doing signings together and apart in the coming months. No formal tour is planned though.
5. Most authors probably don’t have the opportunity to work with a photographer. How did that element impact the creative process?
Honestly we worked independently of one another. Jeff supplied the artist list based on the photos he had taken over the years and suggestions for song titles. I wrote the devotions based on the songs, and Jeff worked with the publisher to choose the best photos for the book.
6. What do you hope readers will get from “Faces of Praise?”
I hope and pray they will be encouraged during the hard times. The last several years of my life have been challenging—lots of loss and disappointment. I always tell people it was the worst time in my life but it was the best time in my life. I needed God more than ever and He showed me He was still with me despite the ground crumbling beneath me. I believe in order for wounds to heal, they have to be exposed. That’s why the Bible says to “confess your sins. How can the Lord help you if you keep denying you have a problem? There was no shame in my game. I’m here to tell folks He will deliver you during your stormiest season. You get the lesson and the blessing and He gets the glory. It’s a win-win.
7. Is there anything else you would like to add?
This book was very cathartic for me because I wanted to address real issues that Christians face—illness, divorce, job loss, tragedy and so much more. I mention many of my own failures and disappointments. God never promised us a life free of pain or heartache, but He did promise to never leave us or forsake us. That’s the main takeaway—He’s with you!
Hollywood producer and Meagan Good’s hubby DeVon Franklin is coming to the A on Monday! He will be signing and talking about his latest book The Hollywood Commandments at Barnes & Noble bookstore, 1217 Caroline Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 23!
In The Hollywood Commandments, DeVon Franklin, the New York Times bestselling author of The Wait, reveals 10 life-changing commandments for your success learned from working over 20 years in the most secular environment on the planet: Hollywood! With The Hollywood Commandments, DeVon will help you:
Identify the unique traits that will propel your career to new heights
Overcome fear and build the courage to pursue new opportunities waiting for you
Gain the confidence to make important decisions with greater peace and clarity
Negotiate the life and career advancement you deserve!
YOU WON’T LEARN THESE 10 COMMANDMENTS IN THE CHURCH.
YET, THEY WILL HELP YOU THRIVE IN YOUR CAREER AND ACHIEVE THE LIFE YOU’VE BEEN PRAYING FOR!
Check out the trailer below…
DeVon Franklin is a bestselling author, spiritual success coach, and the CEO of Franklin Entertainment, a production company in conjunction with 20th Century Fox. He is the producer of the box office hit Miracles from Heaven and the upcoming animated film, The Star, for Sony Pictures Animation. He’s Dr. Oz’s go-to guy for spiritual success coaching on The Dr. Oz Show and he’s the co-host of the TLC event series, This Is Life Live.
Variety named DeVon one of the “10 Producers to Watch” and Beliefnet called him one of the “Most Influential Christians Under 40.” He is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Wait (co-written with his wife, award-winning actress Meagan Good) and Produced By Faith. I interviewed DeVon about his first book Produced By Faith. Check out my article on MOVIEGUIDE.
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post written by my friend and former editor Kelly Carr. Enjoy
At the age of 17, Amena Brown made her way into the world of spoken word a little unwillingly. Previously in adolescence, Amena had performed poetry by Maya Angelou and others, but she had never let the world hear her own writing. During her senior year of high school, her mom discovered Amena’s journal full of poetry and submitted a piece for competition without Amena knowing. When Amena won and was required to perform the poem live, she nervously stepped onto the stage—and ended up falling in love with the experience of sharing her own work.
I had a chance to sit down and chat with Amena a few weeks ago at the Catalyst Atlanta conference and converse with her about truth in art, the broken records our country needs to address, and friends you can snot in front of!
Spoken word was a voice for you beginning at age 17. How do you see spoken word influencing young people today?
Amena: “Spoken word and slam—as long as they’ve been around—have always been an underground experience. There was always a community of people enjoying it. It’s just now coming more to the mainstream. In a way that’s nice. When I was first started to do poetry at 17 in San Antonio, Texas, there was no slam team there, there was no poetry scene, no place to go and do an open mic or things like that. Now as a young person you see poets making a living doing poetry, you see all the outlets for that—that was definitely not a thing when I was young, 20 years ago.
“I think that’s the beautiful thing about poetry—it’s very generational. You’re hoping what you’re doing is influencing the poets who come after you. You want to speak well to them, encourage them to keep writing, find their voice in the midst of it. I think that’s a beautiful thing.”
Is there a drawback to these art forms becoming more mainstream?
Amena: “In faith-based environments, there was a time when you would write spoken word scripts. You would write a piece, just like how we do with worship songs, and people would sing a worship song, and they might do your poem too. I stopped doing that because part of where it goes wrong is when the poetry doesn’t stay true to the culture. . . . it gets wayward a bit when people want the results of spoken word without being true to the culture it comes from. Maybe instead of someone reading a poem I’ve written, write your own or find a poet where you live and give them the opportunity.”
“It’s a beautiful thing, returning the beauty of art to our worship services. In some ways we started to demonize art, particularly in our western churches. We left art ‘out in the world,’ as if theology and the message of the gospel and worship and joy and all those things could also not be communicated through art.
“I think some ways in our western ways, we still fear art and what art can do; we can’t control it. I would encourage people in churches, in ministry, find ways you can let art speak. Really that’s letting the Spirit speak, doing what the Spirit wants through the art.
“A painting doesn’t have bullet points. A good piece of art, when you go to a gallery, there’s not this long explanation of, This is what this means. You’re left to walk up to it and see how it speaks to you and how it hits you. Sometimes we fear that. But I think we should see that as a opportunity to trust God—to trust how God can speak to us or speak to other people; when we use art in our ministry spaces, to not try to control it, to use art as an opportunity for us to trust God to speak in the ways God wants to.”
How do you encourage people to use their creativity and step forward with what is in them?
Amena: “It’s super vulnerable. A weird thing inside of us as artists is that part of you wants to put it out there and have seventeen gazillion people read this thing, see your art. Part of us says, ‘Oh no, please don’t.’ It’s back to that control. I still say to artists: don’t try to control the work.
“One of my favorite Langston Hughes poems is ‘Theme for English B.’ . . . . First few lines says, ‘Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you—Then, it will be true.” It’s one of my favorite quotes because sometimes as artists we’re trying to control the work. What do we think the audience wants to hear? What do we think will get us hired, booked? What is popular, what is trending? I try my darndest not to let those things edge into the creative process and let the work come out of me as it’s supposed to. Right now it’s a bunch of Grandma stories, a lot of storytelling from me, which is different from what I started out professionally doing. I think it’s important for artists to let the work be what it’s supposed to be, and then you decide what you want to do with it once it comes out.”
Kelly Carr and Amena Brown
Your new book focuses on broken records and the painful, negative words that repeat in our lives. Right now our culture in America has broken records—how do you think we’re dealing with it?
Amena: “We’re not dealing with it well. At all. I think a part of having broken records—even what my journey has been and what I hope when people read the book will reflect to them their stories too—is that you can’t heal a broken record until we name it, until we say, ‘This is the part where I’m broken. This is the part where I believe something that isn’t true. This is the part where I’m ignorant and I don’t know and don’t understand.’
“That’s why, as America, we’re not doing a good job dealing with our broken records because it’s hard for us to name what is happening, what has been happening.
It’s hard for us to say those things out loud because if we say them, then it brings to bear some other questions that we might not want to answer.
“Like if we lauded our forefathers as being these amazing godly men, then if we really name it and say that these men sat at a table and made a document and built a nation on a racist ideal that we know is not our Jesus—then that brings some other things to bear. It starts shattering the places where we built our identity. So I think a part of it—what could be good for us in this season of our country—is to name the wrongs that have been done. To name the wrongs that have been done in the name of God. To name the wrongs that are still being done in the name of God. Particularly for us who call ourselves Christians. I think that’s part of how our broken records start to heal. But we can’t heal if we don’t say what it really is. “
After all your time on stage, with others, traveling, etc.—how do you take time for yourself, renewing yourself?
Amena: “I’m very much an introvert. Both my husband and I grew up moving around a lot. I think that part helps you meeting strangers all the time. I love talking to people. That part doesn’t annoy me. When I go to an event and I get to go to a college and I get to go to lunch with college students or if I do an event and there’s going to be time at the end where people can come up and talk to me, I love that. It’s just when that night is over, I really need to go sit down somewhere and watch Netflix or read a book and just do introverted things.
“A part of performing onstage is a big ole conversation, it’s you trying to talk to an audience, it’s you trying to hear what an audience is communicating back to you. I love that part. I just need to go read a book afterward.
“One of the self-care things that are really important to me is to stay connected to the people who really know me. I think in the type of work I do, especially as I’m getting older, my work is getting more and more vulnerable. Which again—I’m letting the work come out, as it wants to. As you do that, people will feel very close to you. They will feel like they know you. And sometimes you’re talking to them and you kind of feel like they know you too. But it’s good for me when I’m at home and in some cities we travel to, we have our real friends who live in those cities and we have an opportunity to be with people that really know us. That I could like I could cry and snot and not have makeup on and wear my sweats.
“We were with our best friends recently and we literally went and got fried fish and just sat around and talked with them and held their baby. Stuff like that. Those are your people. I need those people and I need their accountability that keeps me grounded and humble. Because they really know me. Really.”
Y’all know I love me some Kim Fields. For the longest time, she was the only little black girl on television in the ’80s! She is #blackgirlmagic before there was a name for all that makes black girls and women special in this world! In fact, I interviewed Kim Fields previously on After the Altar Call! (Click on the link if you want to check out the interview!) Kim is everywhere again as she recently starred in a “Question of Faith” which was released in September and last Saturday, she starred in “Wrapped Up in Christmas.”
From “Facts of Life” to “Living Single” to “Dancing with the Stars” to wife and mom, here’s the BLESSED LIFE of Kim Fields, veteran actress, TV personality, and star.
Kim Fields has lived most of her life with people thinking they know her, which is understandable. From her first job on a Mrs. Butterworth syrup commercial at age 7, she has spent 40 years in the public eye. There were 9 years as Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey on the classic sitcom The Facts of Life, 5 more in her 20s starring as Regine Hunter on the seminal coming-of-age show Living Single, and most recently appearing as herself on Real Housewives of Atlanta and Dancing with the Stars.
Behind the camera, she has directed episodes of Kenan & Kel, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns and House of Payne, and BET’s Let’s Stay Together. Between gigs, the pop culture icon’s life has included theater, spoken word, music, speaking engagements, and simply being present to the point that she cannot go a day without someone stopping her to say, “When I was a kid, I wanted to be Tootie” or “You were my role model.”
Flattered and blessed, after four decades in the business, Kim finally understands the role she has played onscreen and off as a successful, outspoken African-American woman. However, for as much as she’s been in the public eye, people have really never known her the way they think they have, and that’s because she, herself, spent most of her life figuring herself out. Now, at age 48, she is ready to set the record straight. She says, “It’s not that I’ve been misunderstood. It’s that I finally feel like I understand me enough to tell the life story that I’ve been asked to write for years.” It will be a chronicle of living, learning, and keen moments of self-discovery as she’s journeyed through the many facets and chapters of life. Fields found faith at age 14 and has found God to be right there every step of the way since then.
According to Radar Online, Kim writes about starring on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
The actress, 48, confessed that she hated being on the Bravo show in her new memoir, Blessed Life, saying that the entire experience was “bizarre.”…The Facts of Life star admitted that she hated filming, saying: “Briefly looking back on the whole season, here’s some of what I discerned: Being myself, sharing my reality in a quasi-real reality can be a bizarre vibe.” She slammed her costars for not being authentic, and claimed that “for much of the filming [she] felt like [she] was in a chess game, constantly ready for and even trying to anticipate the moves of those in front of and behind the camera, while being strategic with [her] own, while staying a few moves ahead in [her] mind.”
It's Not the First Time That ABC News Offended Black Women Either...
Hello World,
ABC News’ (courtesy of “Good Morning America” )recent article originally entitled “For Many Black Women, Meghan Markle’s Engagement Offers ‘Hope’” posted last week had black women all up in their feelings last week! In fact, the article has even caused the author Joi-Marie McKenzie to get hate mail, according to thegrio.com!
A few of the reactions to the controversial headline:
An Instagram Post from Actress and Comedian Amanda SealesamandasealesI just sprained my eyeballs from rollin em so hard. Hope for what?!?!? That WE ALL can have a shot at being a princess…in a family that is overtly racist and is a long line of colonizers!? Happy she found love but G-ALL THE WAY-TFOHWTBS that her story somehow inspires us professional black women to believing we too can find our Prince. Black women, you are beautiful, bold, and desired the world over…always have been. Know your worth. Descend not even an inch beneath it, continue to exemplify excellence on the daily, and your worthy companion will ascend to meet you. As for homeboy, The only Prince I recognize wears purple chaps and knows how to “drive” a little red Corvette. BLACK WOMEN ARE THE DAMN HOPE! TUH. (Also, she refers to herself as “biracial” sooooo, yea.)
The story headline has been updated. The original headline misrepresented the intention of the story, which was to report on the excitement among some black women about Meghan Markle’s joining the British royal family.
But this isn’t the first time that black women have been all up in a tizzy and ready to rush ABC News! In fact, the last time I remember this type of backlash was December of 2009. Remember this article from ABC News: “Single, Black, Female — and Plenty of Company?” From the article, you already know what’s up and the worse part about the article was that black women in Atlanta, specifically, were the focus. At the time, I was a single, black female in Atlanta and so weary from looking for love that I really couldn’t collect my thoughts on what I thought was an attack until January. Here is what I wrote on this blog:
I had composed what I thought was an eloquent, sociological diatribe of a post about the ABC “Nightline” piece that aired last month about black women, particularly those living in Atlanta, and their inability to find mates due to the shortage of black men…But since this is the Internet and in the interest of self-preservation, I thought better of it…
And now I don’t feel like sugar coating what I originally said…
So I simply want to know what y’all think…take a look at the video if you haven’t seen it already, and let me know…
‘Preciate your thoughts…i.am.out…
And here is the original video of the segment on which the article was based:
While I was initially horrified that I and black women were written about like we truly are the “de mule uh de world” (a reference to how black women are viewed in one of my favorite books “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston), the report, article and subsequent debate Why Can’t a Successful Black Woman Find a Man? held in Atlanta in April 2010 by ABC News in response to this article forced me to get real clear about what I wanted and needed in a husband and the fact that I wanted and needed a husband. And to be apologetic about it as well. It’s funny that two months after that report, I went on my very first date with my husband.
So when I saw all of this fervor online last week, it reminded me of how I once felt: victimized, a bit ashamed (if I am being completely honest) and unable to hide one of my deepest desires anymore. But those feelings led to one of the best decisions of my life. So the headline last week wasn’t the best, I’ll admit, but if you (and this is for single black women reading this post) find yourself ready to fight after reading the ABC News article, consider focusing inward instead of outward.
And if somewhere down deep the fact that Meghan Markle has found her Prince Charming (or he found her) has given you hope that your Prince Charming is somewhere out there, do what needs to be done (and only you can determine that) so that you are ready to meet him despite negative statistics. For me, it took kissing frogs, dating mentors, professional assistance, online dating, a slew of dating books, prayers and more, but my husband, perfect-for- me-with- all-of-his imperfections (I aine perfect either) Prince Charming, finally came along…
So no, to recap, ABC News (courtesy of Good Morning America) headline “For Many Black Women, Meghan Markle’s Engagement Offers ‘Hope’” wasn’t offensive…
As I’ve heard for years now, there is no testimony without a test! On Mother’s Day 2016, I shared C. Celeste Marshall’s victory over infertility in “Becoming a Mother Over 40 & Beyond…Janet Jackson isn’t the Only One…A Mothers Day Testimony…” Her testimony was beautifully captured in her book “Memoirs of a Barren Women.” Although my blog was the first media outlet (yes, I consider my humble blog to be a media outlet ) to feature her miraculous story, I knew I would not be the last because her miraculous story is akin to one you would read in the Bible! My college friend was told she couldn’t have children but God told her otherwise! Ten years later, God’s promise was fulfilled with the birth of her son Terry Simeon Marshall in August 2013. Celeste told her husband she was pregnant in Christmas 2012. It is only fitting that Celeste would share her story with The 700 Club during the Christmas season! Her story is a perfect one to share on Christmas Eve just before we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus! SEE her story below!
My father introduced me to Christianity Today magazine as a child, and I became an avid reader because of the breadth of topics covered in its pages! That’s why I’m excited about my article being among its pages in the January/February issue of the publication. Check out it below:
A Member of the ‘Little Rock Nine’ Counts Her Blessings, One by One
“First appeared in the January/February issue of Christianity Today”
Melba Beals describes how faith helped her flourish amid many trials.
Melba Pattillo Beals received a Congressional Gold Medal for her part in the Little Rock Nine, the group of African American students who brought about the 1957 integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas—an experience recounted in her first memoir, Warriors Don’t Cry. She would go on to work in newspaper and television journalism, earn a doctorate in international multicultural education, and teach journalism at the college level. In her latest book, I Will Not Fear: My Story of a Lifetime of Building Faith under Fire, Beals credits God for guiding her through trying experiences in Arkansas and afterward. Atlanta-based journalist and blogger Jacqueline J. Holness spoke with Beals about the sustaining power of faith.
From the outset of I Will Not Fear, it’s clear that your grandmother, India Annette Payton, provided a strong spiritual foundation. How did her example encourage you as you endured angry white mobs and disapproval from black students at your old high school?
My grandmother always said, “Look, God is right there with you all the time.” To guide you in your thought, to guide you in your feeling, to guide you away from fearing. You have to be aware that you are filled with the Spirit of the Lord, and that will guide what you do. She would say, “God is as close as your skin. He is right there, every moment. So when you feel that something is going wrong, know that God is with you and it will be okay. You will learn a lesson. You will survive.”
Ten students will receive awards on June 4, 2016, at 6:30pm at a star-studded gala hosted by soap opera star and award winning actress Victoria Rowell. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, 265 Peachtree Street. The Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Fund will receive the Organizational Partner Award. “This is a very proud moment and helps validate all the effort and the importance of the work we do,” says Tim Mahone, Chairman, Mahone Fund. “It is my hope that we use this opportunity to create educational pathways for our youth and improve the health and wellness of our community.”
Viewers are encouraged to participate in a nationwide Twitter Party with Billingsley during the movie’s premiere on TONIGHT July 10, 7-9 p.m. ET using the hashtag #SecretSheKept.
She was the one who gave birth to her, became her first friend and encouraged her to try school that scary kindergarten year, which led her to a lifelong love of education. Yet where author Dr. Sheila D. Williams learned most from her mother was during her mother’s battle with clinical depression and later diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Her autobiography, entitled 
5. Robert “Mac” McCready is the ultimate villain, and you portray him masterfully. Is there any part of Mac that you identify with, and what is your inspiration for portraying him?
Spoken word was a voice for you beginning at age 17. How do you see spoken word influencing young people today?
