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Empire Author Celebrates John H. Johnson's Legacy

4/20/2019

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Former Johnson Staffer's Tell-All: 'The House That John H. Johnson Built'

4/20/2019

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​Chicago Sun Times 04/15/2019 article
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Empire Author Discusses JPC Legacy on WVON w/Perri Small

4/20/2019

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Empire Author Discusses Book During Reunion Day at Rainbow PUSH Coalition

12/9/2018

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Since Empire: The House That John H. Johnson Built was released on November 6, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., who wrote the book's foreword about John H. Johnson, his late mentor and "godfather," has been committed to helping me promote and push the message about the man and his mission. Just recently Rev. Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition invited me during its Reunion Day to not only discuss the book during its live broadcast but to also have a book signing on December 8 following the telecast. The book was most recently featured in Richard Prince's Journal-isms Book Notes: Holiday Offerings.
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Book Launch Party For Empire: The House That John H. Johnson Built

11/14/2018

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On Sunday, November 11, the Raymond A. Thomas Art Studio hosted the official book launch party for Empire: The House That John H. Johnson Built, five days after its nationwide release. Located in Chicago's "Black Metropolis," also known as the historic Bronzeville neighborhood, the studio is housed in the Bronzeville Artist Lofts, home of Gallery Guichard, the preeminent gallery of art co-owned by Andre Guichard. Raymond A. Thomas designed Empire's cover. He served as art director and creative manager at Johnson Publishing Company--under the direct leadership of its pioneering founder John H. Johnson--for more than two decades where his work appeared on the covers and in the pages of EBONY and JET magazines. Valerie Goodloe, who served as a photographer for EBONY and JET, took pictures for the evening along with Ajuma Muhammad. Check out some recent coverage, including The Chicago Defender, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Richard Prince's Journal-isms, and  WVON 1690 Talk of Chicago (Real Talk Real People with Chatdaddy).

 www.margenachristian.com/book.html

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October Issue of EBONY Showcases Political Figures

9/14/2018

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EBONY gets up close and personal for its October issue with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Sen. Cory Book (D-NJ). A tribute to the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, which I penned, is also featured.
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This was taken during a meet and greet, following Aretha Franklin's performance at Ravinia in 2015. She told me how much she liked my hat.
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Issa Rae Is EBONY's Cover Girl For September Fashion Issue

8/7/2018

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Issa Rae's award-winning HBO series, "Insecure," returns for a third season on Sunday, August 12. Taking front and center on EBONY's September fashion issue, she's hoping to change the way African-American women are viewed in television and in film by presenting multi-dimensional perspectives. In this issue I caught up with Grammy Award-winning performer Bobby Brown and wrote a story about his highly-anticipated two-night BET mini-series, "The Bobby Brown Story," airing September 4 and 5. He also discussed his new life and the importance of having someone in his corner during his  darkest moments.
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 Bobby and I during media interview at Wintrust Arena in green room. Later that day the Grammy Award-winning singer appeared with RBRM before a sold-out concert at Chicago's Arie Crown Theater. He revealed that he lost 60 lbs. by watching his diet and cooking with his own natural products. Learn more about Bobby Brown Foods. BET's The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story were the network's highest ranking in its history.
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OWN's New Series Love Is__ Follows Early Romance of Hollywood Power Pair Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil

6/7/2018

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Getting married is easy but staying married is a different story. Mara Brock Akil and her husband, Salim Akil, pulled it off and celebrated 19 years of wedded bliss this year, something a bit of an oddity in show business. Noted for their work with top-rated TV shows such as Being Mary Jane, Black Lightning, The Game, and Girlfriends, the duo's next series, Love Is__, will center around the early stages of their relationship. Catch the OWN dramedy on June 19. Also pick up the June issue of EBONY where I spoke with the show's leads, Will Catlett and Michele Weaver. Nicole Weaver, Michele's mom, was her biggest cheerleader on both Twitter and Instagram.

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Photo of me with Mara Brock Akil and her husband, Salim Akil, at the 2008 NAACP Image Awards Nominees Luncheon in Los Angeles.
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Sexual Harassment Survivors Speak Out in EBONY

5/6/2018

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Love Conquers All

2/22/2018

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When it comes to high-profile relationships, things aren't what they used to be. It isn't that couples today endure more stress behind closed doors than those who came before. It's just that folks in the spotlight now must deal with more drama thanks to social media having their business in the streets and in the tweets. If you haven't already, check out this cover story I penned where many of these lovebirds have proven that anything worth having is certainly worth fighting for...even if it's each other. 
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Chatting With Maxine Waters

12/31/2017

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It's always a pleasure to speak with a fellow St. Louis native even when the interview is conducted via a phoner well after 10:00 p.m. This article appeared in the December 2017/January 2018 Power issue of EBONY.

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My Journey Through The Years With New Edition

1/21/2017

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Gospel great Dottie Peoples once sang it best, “He might not come when you want Him but He’s an on-time God.” After 33 years in show business, members of the R & B group New Edition (NE) will finally receive a star on the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame. The boys from Boston, who grew into men before our very eyes, will receive the 2,600th star at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard on Monday, January 23, at 11:30 a.m. PST, with the event being live streamed exclusively on www.walkoffame.com

Devoted fans, known as NE4Lifers, can attest to how they tirelessly petitioned for decades to have the group lauded with the prestigious honor. It should come as no surprise how many NE4Lifers made the long trek to be on hand at the ceremony, a prelude to the three-night BET miniseries, beginning January 24 through January 26. Social media has been buzzing with everyone from celebs to common folk eager to witness NE’s tumultuous and triumphant journey from kid stars to seasoned vets.

I’ve had a few NE4Lifers to wonder if I will be in attendance to celebrate the festivities in Los Angeles. While I won’t be there in body, I have always been with these guys through the written word. Throughout the years I was on the battlefield, a foot soldier, in helping to be instrumental in sharing their story on the pages of Jet and EBONY magazines. If I was still there, I would have fought for them to be on the cover, to be honored during the Power 100 and to headline the evening! It would have been a win-win for everyone.

But everything happens for a reason and, truth be told, it wasn’t always easy going to battle for NE. Their delivery as performers was never questioned once they hit the stage. The problem came when making the editorial pitches because I could never quite explain what kept them from getting to the stage and staying there with consistency. During some cover stories, though they appeared picture perfect, things proved otherwise because everyone didn’t always agree to being interviewed.

Thankfully, there’s no more wondering. Our questions will soon be answered, regarding any hills and valleys we never knew about. When I last interviewed them for a 2013 Retrospective piece in EBONY, it was the first time that all six members agreed to speak. The movie deal was still being worked out because Bobby had some trepidations about agreeing to the project. I’ll never forget him telling me how he didn’t feel like the New Edition story was complete because they weren’t on the top. Bobby said, “We’re still working on being able to end on top. We’re giving a hell of a good run of it. We’re looking forward to writing the ending of our legacy instead of it having a tragic ending.”

Tomorrow isn't promised to anyone and with so many high-profile people suddenly dying, it is nice to see that New Edition realizes the value and beauty in cherishing this moment while each member is above ground to share and celebrate the story. This year some of the fellas will be pushing 50 years old and no matter what any one of them has been through, they remain firmly rooted in an industry where it isn’t unusual for child stars to be toppled to the ground, chewed up, spit out and forgotten about. Aside from the Jacksons, no other group has made the transition from boys to men, creating a stylistic blueprint with some considerable measures of success emulated by others. NE has paid their dues for paving the way, because like most pioneers, they weren't always given the proper credit they deserved.

Yes, I'm more than certain that the miniseries will show how badly New Edition has been bruised, but it will also show how they were never broken beyond repair no matter how painful the path. Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph and Johnny, with every little step, with every NE heartbreak, you have shown true power. That's staying power and that's how true legends continue to write history. God's timing is always perfect. Congrats!

DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward




[Above] The fellas conducted the 2004 cover story interview immediately following their performance as headliners at the Taste of Chicago where Mayor Richard M. Daley acknowledged the group's stellar career by proclaiming June 29 as New Edition Day. They were tired because they just returned from out of the country after filming the video for Hot 2 Nite and had to hit the ground running with a major outdoor concert. Like always, they left the audience begging for more because New Edition never lets anyone see them sweat.
Following the interview, Ralph, Ricky and Ronnie stayed in the lobby and talked with me. Ralph and Ricky were clearly excited about their upcoming double wedding. Then an Associate Editor for Jet, I told them how I also handled the Love & Happiness marriage announcements. "When you get married, be sure to send me the picture so that I can put it in the magazine," I told them. The fellas agreed and made good on their promise. [Below] Not only did the wedding photo end up in the November 29, 2004 issue of Jet, but it was also selected by EBONY, the sister publication, for one of the Top Weddings of 2005 in the annual February love edition.
[Below] When Michael Bivins became an NBA correspondent for TNT, I wrote a profile for the June 9, 2008 issue. And long before Unsung and Oprah's Where Are They Now?, Jet was the place to go and find out Where Are They Now? Bivins' popular kid group Another Bad Creation (ABC) was featured in the same edition. Be sure to check out the picture on page 56. Let's just say that Mike Biv put a hurting on basketball legend Michael Jordan during a winning game of pool. Look at that face!

[Below] The group was celebrating yet another milestone year in 2008 and was being recognized for its accomplishments with the ASCAP Golden Note Award in Los Angeles. They agreed to a cover story and even a photo shoot with Valerie Goodloe on the day of receiving the prestigious honor. Though it was the first time all six members were on the cover, Ralph and Bobby did not interview for the story. Johnny and Bell Biv DeVoe (BBD), ever the anchors, forever holding things down, spoke on behalf of the group.
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Six Degrees of Separation in St. Louis:
Video director Dana Christian (r) goes over a scene with Johnny Gill for a music video from his 2011 Still Winning CD. St. Louis singer Sineta Roker, a former “American Idol” contestant, appeared as Gill’s leading lady in the trilogy of videos, directed by my brother. Roker is the cousin of Today Show co-anchor Al Roker and award-winning rocker/actor Lenny Kravitz. Dana said, "I ended up directing three Johnny Gill music videos, which were part of a trilogy: Just The Way You Are, It Would Be You and Second Place. It was two sample songs and one full-length. I decided to tell a story and connect all three.”
 



[Below] The last time that I wrote a major story about New Edition was four years ago for the February 2013 EBONY Retrospective. This also marked a first because all six members agreed to be interviewed. There was still some uncertainties about the movie being made but a few willingly discussed it anyway, including Bobby, who admitted to having had concerns because he wanted their careers to be on top before he signed on to do the project. Before our interview ended, he also told me, "We've been through some things where we were really trying to hurt each other physically. Times were rough in any one of our lives, but we have all been able to come together and stand up for each other. When you lose the ego and put it in your back pocket, when you walk in the door so the group can be the best, that's what is going to happen. This is a business. I'm in business with five of my greatest friends, and we know how to work it."

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Enjoying time before New Edition's June 2016 taping on the Steve Harvey Show in Chicago. Some NE4Lifers include Dr. Renee Matthews  (Ask Dr. Renee) and the twins, Kamita and Katrina Terrell of TwinKonnections. That's me at the bottom, wearing my hair like Xernona Clayton.

[Below] I am now a college professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) where one of the city's top entertainment venues is the UIC Pavilion. The fellas had a sold-out concert planned but it was canceled due to a terrible flooding in the facility. Fans left pissed off and hurt! We suffered an NE heartbreak that night, because we COULD NOT STAND THE RAIN and we can't wait for their return. 
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Big Man, Big Heart: Remembering Bill Nunn  (1952-2016)

9/24/2016

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 Best Known As Radio Raheem in Spike Lee's 'Do the Right Thing,' Nunn Once Revealed Role As Jazz Musician In Lee's 'Mo Better Blues' Made His Heart Sing Most

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The 1990 film Mo Better Blues also co-starred filmmaker Spike Lee along with Denzel Washington, Giancarlo Esposito, Wesley Snipes and Jeff "Tain" Watts.

When I learned about Bill Nunn's death from an Instagram post by filmmaker Spike Lee, I was hurt. Then I immediately thought about the conversation I had with Nunn and Lee six years earlier. It was the 20th anniversary of Lee's jazz film Mo Better Blues where Nunn played Bottom Hammer, a bass player.

Everyone agrees that Nunn's portrayal of Radio Raheem was easy to remember in Lee’s 1989 film Do the Right Thing. The role won him notoriety as the young man whose death caused by a police chokehold sets off a riot. Strolling through his neighborhood, carrying a boombox that blasted Public Enemy's song Fight The Power, Radio Raheem wore gold rings on both hands, one bearing the word love and the other hate.

On the day of that interview, I couldn't help but recall how Nunn was quietly, away from the spotlight, fighting the power in a different way. He mentioned his battle with cancer and asked that I not reveal it in the Mo Better Blues piece that I was writing. The Morehouse College grad wanted to talk, to laugh and to simply look back at that moment in 1990. Nunn spoke with pride as he discussed Lee, the kid at Morehouse who told him he wanted to become a filmmaker, succeeded against the odds to do so and became the keeper of his Morehouse brothers in an industry where Hollywood wasn't checking for Black folks.

A teacher at heart, the Pittsburgh native explained how his health challenge allowed him to be still enough to bless aspiring actors through the Bill Nunn Theatre Outreach Project (BNTOP), which provides a platform for underserved Pittsburgh public school students to gain access to theatre arts and work with seasoned veterans within the field. One of the core components of the BNTOP is presenting the Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition where high school students perform monologues from Wilson's 10-play Century Cycle.

Radio Raheem used music to fight the power; Bottom Hammer showed it was all about that bass. Bill Nunn brought the noise--a resounding melody--to both characters by doing the right thing. Here's that full interview.


Margena A. Christian: It has been 20 years since the making of Mo’ Better Blues. What are your thoughts?
 
Bill Nunn: Oh, God, is that scary!
 
Christian: Can you believe it's been that long?
 
Nunn: No, I can't. I really can't. I thought I was old then.
 
Christian: This movie was nearly fresh off the heels of your performance as Radio Raheem in 1989's Do the Right Thing and then you played Bottom Hammer, a bass player, in Mo Better Blues. How did you prepare for your musician character?
 
Nunn: It was really one of the greatest experiences of my career, because Spike didn't want us to be looking bogus, so we all had teachers. Spike set me up with a good friend of his dad’s, who is also a bass player. He's one of the well-known cats in New York named Michael Fleming was also in the all bass orchestra. He’s a great bass player from New York. Spike got me together with Michael. We started maybe a month or two before shooting the film and then he stayed with me during the whole shoot. So, I was actually learning how to play the bass at the same time that we were making the movie, and it was incredible, because we also had like a small budget where we could go almost nightly and hear some of the best music in the city. It was an incredible. Really for me, it was one of the most incredible experiences of my career. It was just awesome.
 
Christian: During your scenes, were you actually playing?
 
Nunn: No, but I was in the area.
 
Christian: You were improvising? You knew how to do the movements, but the sound was actually somebody else?
 
Nunn: If you were a bass player, and you were looking at my hands and listening to the music, you would say, ‘Well, he could be playing. He's in the right area.’ But, actually, I wasn’t playing the bass for that film. No way. That was Branford Marsalis’ bass player, and I can't think of his name right now. He used to play off a lot because he was so good. It was hard to try to keep up with him.
 
Christian: I found old production notes. They revealed that you learned to play so well, or tried so hard, that you callused your hands. Is this true?
 
Nunn: I blistered my hands. They were bleeding, so I disappeared from Michael for a couple days and he told on me. Spike was like, ‘What's going on?’ I said, ‘Man, my hands are bleeding. I've got to take a break.’ He said, ‘Yeah, you take a break. You know, November so and so.’ That was like the day after we’re done shooting. Yeah, that was quite a lot on the fingers. Until you develop that callus, you develop blisters, sometimes if you have to go through a lot. There was a lot of playing involved. So that’s a true story. Not calluses on my hands, but I had blisters. Calluses, some, after the blisters. You’ve got to work through the blisters to get to the calluses. I got through them and I got something. You know I was able to just keep playing. I was in an incredible amount of pain. That gave me a break from Michael Fleming. He was really tough.  Michael thought the movie was called Bill Nunn: A Man and His Bass.
 
Christian: You said you guys were given a small budget to hit the jazz clubs. I understand that from a couple people, you all thought you were a real jazz trio at one point and tried to go up and play?
 
Nunn: Well, we could jam a little bit. We would go on stage and stuff, fumbling around. As long as we had Jeff “Tain” Watts, we could really play. It would start sounding half way right. Yeah, it got really serious.
 
Christian: You thought you guys sounded halfway decent?
 
Nunn: Well, in a kind of garage way. You’ve got Jeff “Tain” watching and playing with you. You can make it sound good. As long as we had Jeff, we were in the ballpark.
 
Christian: Whose idea was it to go up and actually play at the clubs?
 
Nunn: We didn't. We didn't go out to any clubs and do that. We’d be filming the scenes in the clubs. Just between takes we’d be standing up there and we’d just start jamming around. All the audience would be there. It was all the extras from the films, and they would just be watching us. We’d be going for it. We were trippin! We were all well dressed, and we looked the part.
 
Christian: Tell me about your character. I know Spike gave you guys a creative license to kind of do what you wanted. What did you bring to your role?
 
Nunn: Well, I kind of always had that bottom. You know, the rhythm section of the music. So, I was really, really happy and flattered to be the bass player. I used to play percussion when I was younger and I would always play the bottom section because I was pretty consistent. I could get a good strong beat and keep it. I felt like I was that guy who probably could have been a good bass player if I had gone in that direction. Michael Fleming told me that I was able. I probably could have played a gig by the time we were done shooting the movie, but I was just so burned out. I never really picked up…well, actually, I do sometimes pick up the bass around Christmas time. I might do a party or whatever. I’ll go pull out the bass, because I still have it.
 
Christian: Wow! You play for the holidays?
 
Nunn: Yeah, get a little jazz going.
 
Christian: Now what was going on in your life at the time that the film was being made? I know Spike was on an aggressive schedule where he was doing a movie a year. Like I said, if I'm correct, this was fresh off the heels of your powerful performance in Do the Right Thing. What was happening in your life at the time when you were making Mo Better Blues?
 
Nunn: I was still a young father. I mean, my daughter was maybe around 6 years old. We had finished doing Do The Right Thing. It opened that summer, and I was in New York for the opening of it. At that time, I used to stay up in Harlem, in Sam Jackson and LaTanya’s basement apartment, because I still lived in Atlanta. When I came to New York, I would stay with them. So right after Do The Right Thing opened, I pretty much stayed in New York and started bass lessons. That was like just a really great time for me. I was lucky to be able to go from film to film like that.
 
Christian: There’s that Morehouse College connection. You guys are brothers until the end. There’s you, Samuel L. Jackson and Spike, but you guys were a little older than Spike, right?
 
Nunn: Yeah, but it really blurs because they're – I mean, when you're in the art department, the drama department, you find yourself still hanging around after you're done and you're working with the kids that are coming up. Like, Kenny Leon came up behind us and so we all did theatre together. Spike was a big fan of the theatre scene back then in Atlanta. All of the theater seen came out of the Atlanta University (AU) center. And, Spike would hang around back then and come to a lot of shows and plays we did. I got to know him at that time. He would say he's going to become a filmmaker, and I was saying to myself, ‘Yeah, right,’ but out loud, I would be really encouraging to him. I'm glad I was because he really pulled it off, didn't he?
 
Christian: Spike certainly did in a major way! What made you think ‘Yeah, right’ when he said, ‘I'm going to be a filmmaker’?
 
Nunn: Back in those days, it was so different than it is now. I mean Spike was really a pioneer. There weren't any Black filmmakers around. So, do you really think you're going to be the guy? I was at a loss. I didn't know the guy Spike really was. I didn't know the kind of persistence he had. I didn't really know about Spike until I read his book, Gotta Have It: Inside Guerilla Filmmaking. Reading that really showed me the determination it took him to get his first film, She’s Gotta Have It, done. I recommend that to any young filmmaker who wants to know what it takes, it’s a really, really rough process and for him it had to be triple rough because he was Black. It wasn’t like it was 20 years ago. It is a different time now.
 
Christian: What did you remember during the making of this film? Comedian/actor Robin Harris died. Do you recall doing scenes and seeing him on the set?
 
Nunn: Absolutely. Yes.
 
Christian: What are your memories about Robin?
 
Nunn: I met Robin doing the film Do the Right Thing. We were pretty good buddies then, and I say Robin was kind of like…I thought he was a great guy. He was incredibly funny, and he never really talked about me, luckily. He was like Matt Dillon, and he would have a lot of these young comics come up and challenge him. He was just knocking them down like a gunslinger! It was incredible. He was the undisputed king. I used to love to just sit back and watch. I liked when he would do his little bits of “Being Butterbean” up on stage. Spike would basically turn on the camera and Robin would be Robin. One day me and Denzel were standing in the back, and I'm kind of like standing back where I can't be seen. Denzel steps out and I'm like, ‘Man, you better not step out there or Robin is going to see you.’ Know what I mean? Denzel said, ‘I don't care,’ and he stepped out there. Robin did about 15 minutes on his ass. I was behind the post. He was like, ‘Look at you, man! Your head looks like a question mark.’ Yeah, he just did about 15 on him.
 
Christian: I'd heard Spike mention that Mo Better Blues was his answer to Clint Eastwood’s Bird. It was a modern version of jazz and showing how people should live or should play, and just showing the reality for a jazz musician. What would you say this movie did for this particular genre?
 
Nunn: Most of the guys that we hung out with were teachers and kind of old school. We learned about the kind of code among jazz musicians. We learned how they carried themselves, how they dressed, how they played and how they lived their lives. We were, I think, the kind of jazz musicians, at least our characters were, that more or less represented the old school. We were kind of proud to display that for the audience. And, once again, it seems to be one of those films that is a love story, too. There's a lot of other things going on, apart from just music. It's another one of those films that seems to really just hold up. Twenty years later, you can look at the film, and almost other than the haircuts, it's pretty much, it could be today. It just holds up very well.
 
Christian: Do you keep in touch with any of the people who were in the movie?
 
Nunn: Yes, I sure do.
 
Christian: Who are some you keep in touch with?
 
Nunn: Spike, Sam and Giancarlo [Esposito]. I talk to Denzel [Washington] once in a while. Wesley [Snipes], I haven't seen in a while, but I mean, we’re all really cool. I'd like to see them more but I don't. It’s one of those things that we really became pretty close on that film. When we see each other, we kind of pick it up where we left it off. Most of those guys are pretty busy which is a good thing.
 
Christian: Anything else you'd like to add that you want people to know about the making of Mo’ Better Blues? Any trivia or tidbits that people would get a kick out of learning?
 
Nunn: People often ask me, ‘What is your favorite film?’ That’s a hard question to say what is my favorite film that I worked on. But, the most fun I ever had was probably this film. I mean, it was an incredible experience to me to kind of get to live the life of a jazz man for a few months. I thought it was just an incredible experience and I really had a ball on that film. Above all, and I usually enjoy all the films that I do, but I put that one really up there. It was an experience of an actor, getting to live a different lifestyle. They’ve got some beautiful photography from that movie, too. Spike really did some fashion takes in that one.
 
Christian: What are you working on now?
 
Nunn: Well, right now I'm in my home town, Pittsburgh. Three years ago I started up the Bill Nunn Theatre Outreach Project. I'm here working with young people. The first semester I worked with young elementary kids and the next semester I worked with high school kids. That’s the big thing I've been working on. I try to do at least a film a year, but I also, I'm kind of dealing with some health issues right now, which kind of have me stuck, for like medical reasons. I'm in treatment right now for cancer. I kind of have to sit tight while I'm dealing with that. But, the beauty of it is, it really gave me the chance to start this project and it kind of just has taken off and has a life of its own. It’s been wonderful working with these young people and I hope that I can do that from now on. That kind of project, I want to continue it. It's like my hobby. It's really been a great experience.

Christian: Wonderful. Thank you so much and take care.
 
Nunn: Thank you. Nice talking to you.
 
Christian: Likewise.
 
Nunn: Alrighty, bye.

DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward



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EBONY Packs Potent Punch With August Ali Tribute Issue

7/28/2016

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Be sure to check out the latest issue of EBONY magazine. The Special Collectors Edition includes tribute stories by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, and actors Don Cheadle and Nate Parker. Ali's daughter, Laila, who followed in her dad's famous footsteps as a boxer, also shares her favorite memories in the August issue. I contributed two articles in this commemorative package as well, while Dr. Marc Lamont Hill served as guest editor.

DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward

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Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali Talked The Talk And Walked The Walk  (1942-2016)

6/4/2016

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“It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges and I believe in myself.”

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They called him the G.O.A.T. for good reason. His epic boxing bouts are etched in history, yet one must never forget how many of Ali’s greatest fights seemed to inevitably take place outside of the ring. A devout Muslim, his world heavyweight title was taken away in 1967 and he was suspended from boxing for three and a half years for refusing to be inducted into the U.S. Army because of his religious beliefs. When Ali returned to the ring in 1974, the odds seemed stacked against the 32-year-old, deemed too old then, as he prepared to battle the 25-year-old reigning champ George Foreman for what would become the Rumble in the Jungle. Most believed Ali was ill prepared to face Foreman, a fellow Olympic gold medalist like himself and man who had 40 wins with 37 knockouts! But Ali believed in himself and that’s where it counted most. In fact, after his win, he once said, “Some were asking, ‘Can Allah save Ali?’ What do you mean can Allah save Ali? Allah can save nations. They were putting God on the spot. It would have been terrible if I had got myself beat.” And in 2014, when I wrote a story in honor of the 40th anniversary of the historic match in Africa, Foreman reminded me about the measure of a man that Ali truly was. His diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 1984 placed a spotlight on the neurodegenerative disorder, showcasing that he might have been down physically but he was never out spiritually. Each day of his life was a new battle but his faith carried him until the very end of his 74 years of life. What more could one ask of the Greatest Of All Time.


The Ultimate Test Of Faith
Rumble in the Jungle

That's What Friends Are For

One might call Muhammad Ali the original rapper. His witty rhymes and humorous verbal jabs were just as powerful and memorable as his punches. So when Ali could no longer talk, his best friend, Howard Bingham, a man who speaks with a stutter, would become Ali's most beautiful voice. "I speak to him everyday and I understand him,"Bingham once told me in 2011. That's called the language of love.

DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward

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Holding Court: The Gift Prince's Mother Bestowed Upon Him

5/8/2016

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Anyone who worked at Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) before 2005 knew LaDoris Foster. With a career spanning nearly 50 years at JPC, she was vice president and director of human resources. Like me, she was born in St. Louis; however, by the age of 10, her family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. It was no secret to those who worked at 820 S. Michigan Ave. how much she loved basketball. Not only did Miss Foster--as everyone called her--have court side seats to every Chicago Bulls game, but she could also enjoy a seat in the company’s private suite if she so desired.

Foster, who died April 21, 2005, is probably best remembered as a no nonsense person with a tough exterior, though she had a softer side that few rarely saw. I can still see her face, glowing from sheer delight, as she once recalled to me her days as a teen in Minnesota. The conversation went something like this: “I used to play basketball with Prince’s mother, Mattie, and her twin sister, Edna. We played basketball for neighboring teams [from housing projects]. Mattie and Edna were known as ‘the Shaw twins.’ Everyone knew them because they were two of the best players.” She continued with a chuckle, “The girls did not like them because they were jealous. Not only could the Shaw twins play basketball well but they were very pretty with light skin and long hair. The girls gave them a hard time. But nobody could beat them on the court.”

This story made me smile. Throughout the years, people heard how Prince played basketball in high school and often caught a glimpse of him sitting court side at various NBA games.  When Dave Chappelle did a comedy spoof in an episode of his “Chappelle Show” about an encounter with Prince during a basketball game, viewers loved it. The best part was that it was actually based on truth, involving Prince’s winning game between his crew and bodyguard-turned-comedian Charlie Murphy and his crew. But, if you thought Chappelle’s skit was funny, wait until you read what's below. Let’s just say Prince could hold ROYAL court with the best of them, especially the ballers in the hood! I guess one might say, "He got it from his momma."



The following story was written by Harlan "Hucky" Austin, who served for seven years as Director of Security Services at Prince's Paisley Park Productions. The piece originated on his former site called TruePrinceStories.

I used to play basketball with some of my boys from the hood. We’d get a few guys together to play every Wednesday night. These games were always a lot of fun, and could get pretty colorful in terms of smack-down talk. Prince caught wind of these games, and one day asked me, “How come you never invite me to play?” He asked if he could join in on a game. I was surprised, but I knew that Prince liked to play basketball, in fact his brother, Duane Nelson, was an All-State basketball player. Prince’s lyrics [in Lady Cab Driver], “I wish I were handsome and tall like my brother,” were truthful. Duane was a towering basketball star.

Now, my crew and I were just “regular guys” so Prince’s request presented something of a dilemma. Because he’d become so famous, putting together a simple game of hoops was not just a matter of picking a court and playing. This task would require me to discover my inner “Julie McCoy”–you know, that girl from Love Boat–who was always putting together events and people? This gathering had to be on the down-low. No flash, no calling undue attention to the game. I made a private reservation after-hours so that Prince could play without any fans or bother. The Powder Horn Park Gym was happy to accommodate us. The next hurdle was choosing the right guys to make a full team; these had to be guys who wouldn’t blab to their friends or the media. I recruited my trusted buddy Gary Webster first off and asked him to help me find guys to play. Of course, there was Duane Nelson and Gilbert Davidson. The other guys we invited we’re Rob Johnson, Pat Adams, Scott Marsh and Marvin Bond. We needed just one more guy and Davie Lewis came to mind. Davie was a great athlete; I’d known him since 5th grade and he was a competitive dude. If you looked up the word “Testosterone” in the dictionary, you’d see a picture of him. It crossed my mind that he might be a bit of a problem, but we decided to go with him and set some specific “rules” for the game as a way of keeping him in check. Unbeknownst to me, this was like asking a bull not to charge when there’s a red cape flapping in the wind.

The guidelines for the game were: no guests, no girls, no shit talking, and no getting overly physical. We were all big guys and our games could get pretty intense. We went over the rules again on the court before Prince arrived. They all agreed to them but as I found out later, Davie made the comment to Gary “I’m gonna block his shit as soon as we start playing.”

The guys all arrived at the court in sweats and T-shirts, the usual basketball attire. We awaited Prince’s arrival at the appointed time. Well, a long blue limo pulls up (so much for keeping things on the down low) and Prince steps out with two friends. He was a vision in black. He wore a black shirt with long purple lace sleeves, black shorts with a belt around his waist that was 6 inches wide with a huge gold medal buckle the size of a dinner plate, long black tights under the shorts and what looked like Chuck Taylor shoes and socks. I turned to the guys, giving them all a significant evil eye that suggested they’d better not say a word.

We start playing. Let me make this perfectly clear; Prince can hoop. What the guy might lack in height he makes up for in quickness and he has a nice jumper. Clearly, the guy’s got game. Davie is guarding him and Prince is schooling him. After awhile, the other guys on the team start talking smack and giving the big guy all kinds of grief about it. Prince is killing Davie and you can see he’s getting more and more frustrated. His nostrils were flaring; he’s stomping around clearly pissed off. The wisecracks continue until Davie can’t take it any longer. Toward the end of the game Prince goes up to shoot another jump shot and Davie charges. He hurls his 6 feet and 215 pounds of raging bull into the air to block it. He HAMMERS Prince and the basketball goes flying into the far wall as Prince falls into the bleachers and Davie hollers at the top of his voice, "THAT SHIT IS OUTTA HERE!"

The silence that followed was deafening. Nobody moved; nobody said a word. All you could hear was Davie panting. Needless to say, he was ejected from the game. His departing words were, "I told you I was gonna block that fuckin’ shot." All-in-all, the game was a good time. I still laugh when I think about how “The Purple One” made Davie see red.



True Love Never Dies

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  • During a 2002 Chicago concert shortly after the February 15 death of his mother, Mattie Della Baker (Shaw), Prince played Anna Stesia, his mom’s favorite song. The title is a play on words with anaesthesia, which is an induced temporary state of unconsciousness that produces numbness to relieve discomfort. Essentially, the song begins down a dark path into lust and sexuality with a man acknowledging how he’s using sex or drugs to numb pain.  Realizing that he is heading in the wrong direction, he turns to a woman named Anna, whom he wants to teach him about another kind of love that is more satisfying. He wants to learn about the love of God. The tune, featured on his tenth studio album, 1988’s Lovesexy, ultimately ends as a soul-stirring gospel melody.

  • Vanity (Denise Matthews), Prince’s ex-lover and protege who fronted the female trio Vanity 6, died at 57 on February 15, the same day that his mother succumbed 14 years earlier. I interviewed the singer formerly known as Vanity in Jet magazine’s November 26, 2007 issue. By this time calling herself Evangelist Denise Matthews, she told me he was the only man she ever truly loved. Denise, the birth name that she only answered to after turning her life over to Christ, read some of her writings to me and then said, “Prince loved to hear my stories. He likes the way that I write.” I could hear in her voice the love she still had for him. She even told me how she was struggling financially due to severe health challenges but turned down millions because she refused to do a tell-all book about their relationship. At the end of our conversation, Denise told me, “I look forward to hopefully seeing him in the future. I’m waiting for God to supernaturally hook us up. I would love to see his face. I’ve been praying for Prince a very long time and I believe he’s praying for me. God does supernatural things because He’s able.” During the opening night of Prince’s Piano and a Microphone solo tour in Australia on February 16, he paid tribute to her. He told the audience how her death was heavy on him; perhaps he also thought about his mother. One might not ever know for sure. Sadly, Prince died at 57 on April 21. Looks like Denise's words were prophetic, because she received her hook up and now sees his face. God does supernatural things indeed.

DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward

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Writing For Digital And New Media Course Makes History At The University Of Illinois At Chicago

4/27/2016

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Meet The Pioneers

They entered the course this spring hoping to learn innovative writing techniques to produce a multitude of content online. It is safe to say they got that and a whole lot more when 18 students landed a spot in history at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) by taking the first-ever English 383: Writing For Digital And New Media course. The class is taught by lecturer Dr. Margena A. Christian.

Students explore aspects of media convergence and methods for backpack journalism. They also examine journalism ethics, standards and law along with being required to produce original content, including a final feature writing project that includes a story, images and video footage.

“When I first signed up for the class with Dr. Christian, I thought it would be just that: just another class,” said Rachel Knowles, a student in the course, “but after we began writing, I became so inspired that I went ahead and started my own blog – PrettyCityLiving. It’s been so fun to just get creative and have a voice. I definitely encourage others to take the course.”

The culminating project, a website that includes a blog component, is designed and created by each student. To view online portfolios of each student, click on his/her image above.

Richard Gonzalez, another student in the groundbreaking class, said,
"This course gave me hands-on experience that no writing course at UIC has given me before."

The university describes the course as teaching "rhetorical, practical and ethical aspects of digital writing; digital literacy, and the use of digital platforms in professional environment." Jacob Annett, also a member of the inaugural class, said, "Most English classes focus on abstract analysis and theory, but 383 gives me real tools outside of the classroom environment."

To view online portfolios of each student, click on his/her image above.

Before one can take English 383, the person must first complete English 202: Media and Professional Writing, which provides "media analysis and writing, including interviews, news, features, and public relations communications." Dr. Christian teaches the Tuesday/Thursday section. Below, click on each image to view online portfolios for her students.

The English 383 class, implemented as part of the Professional Writing concentration under the English major and minor, will be offered again in Spring 2017.  In the meantime, three additional new courses in the Professional Writing program include the following: Editing and Publishing (ENGL 382), Technical Writing (ENGL 384), and Advanced Professional Writing (ENGL 381), a course also taught by Dr. Christian.

For more information about this UIC course or any others listed, contact Dr. Jennifer Rupert at (312) 413-2217 or e-mail at Jruper1@uic.edu.
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We want you! Let's keep making history.

English 202: Media and Professional Writing
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Leon Henderson: St. Louis Educator, Administrator Who Was 30-Year Archetype of Excellence at Urban Private High School  (August 4, 1947-January 3, 2016)

1/4/2016

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PictureLeon Henderson, President of Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory (CRCP), and I shown on February 28, 2014. I was the keynote speaker at CRCP’s third annual “Celebrating Success in Urban Education” Gala at Kemoll’s Restaurant in St. Louis. Mr. Henderson, as he was affectionately called, was my leadership teacher (Class of 85: “All the way live in 85!”)
 Only about 2 percent of the nation’s teachers are Black men, according to the U.S. Department of Education. For the thousands of Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory (CRCP) students whose lives were touched and transformed at the private Catholic high school, Leon Henderson was that rare jewel. Lovingly referred to as Mr. Henderson or “Hen,” the longtime educator worked tirelessly to dedicate his life toward teaching students in north St. Louis.

Most recently having the title President Emeritus, for three decades the Ohio native held positions as an educator and administrator. Many recall his days in the classroom as a leadership teacher, but his exemplary guidance beyond the confined walls with lessons about life and valuing one’s heritage were paramount.

His mere presence was a blessing to all he came into contact with because he represented hope and possibility. During a time when there were so few African-American male teachers and role models at Catholic high schools in urban communities, it was life affirming to see a strong presence, strolling the hallowed halls on Thekla Ave. Though Henderson’s address changed when the school made history by building a $32 million new campus on Spring Ave. in 2003, everything about him remained the same. He was a faith-filled man with a sharp wit for comedy.  He had the uncanny ability to make his students learn and laugh because, above all else, most can attest that his fun-loving personality was incredibly infectious. He was more than an educator for any student who came into that building; he was a father figure, who directed us with his tough love.

Possessing sociology degrees from Xavier University (Cincinnati) and St. Louis’ Washington University, Henderson was a master when it came to interacting with others. A man of action, he did not simply tell you how much he loved being Black but he showed it every day of his life. When the new campus was built, he made certain the art and statues adorning the hallways were by, for, or about African Americans. Paintings and religious figures, including Black Jesus and the Stations of the Cross, were prominently displayed throughout the building.  He told me it was important to instill racial pride in students by allowing them to see themselves reflected in their environment. Henderson even invited renowned scholar, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu, author of the national bestseller Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys, to visit the high school and speak with students. Not only was Henderson proactive about mentoring his own, but he was equally passionate about providing guidance to those who attended schools without African-American leaders.

I was invited to be the keynote speaker at a benefit gala for CRCP in 2014. Prior to the evening’s festivities, Henderson made it a point to have me address the student body earlier in the day before personally driving me to the television station to conduct two interviews about the event.

“I never wear this blazer much but for some reason, something told me to put it on this morning,” Henderson told me as we got out of his car to head into the television network's lobby. Once there, we bumped into St. Louis Post-Dispatch pop music critic Kevin C. Johnson. He told Henderson how he had a few close friends who graduated from CRCP and often spoke about him. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” said Johnson as he shook Henderson’s hand. Johnson then asked, “So, you’re both here for interviews?” Henderson said, “No. I just drove her here. She is scheduled to be interviewed.” Without missing a beat, Johnson said, “But you’re the president! They should talk to you as well!” True to his laid back style and calm demeanor, Henderson shrugged it off. Before we knew it, Johnson made a mad dash back into the studio. A short while later he returned and we were informed that Henderson would be joining me for the second interview. Henderson looked surprised. With a smile, he told me, “In all the years that I’ve been at Ritter, we have not received this much coverage for an event and I have never been on television to talk about the school. Thank you.” I was in disbelief yet profoundly proud that we would share this platform to talk about CRCP together. That interview was definitely a crowning moment for us both. He was happy and so was I, but little did either of us know that this appointed time would signal his swan song.

We talked a few months after the gala and he rocked my world by revealing that he was leaving the school but would serve as emeritus. It was bittersweet for him yet he candidly told me, “I’m no spring chicken. I can’t do this forever.” His greatest concern was for the young men at the school. “They see strong female role models in education all the time,” he told me. “They need to see more faces that look like them in leadership positions to show them how to be a man and how to survive as a Black male in this society. That is so important. That is my hope.”

Jason Merritt had no problems conveying how much Henderson meant to him.  “I remember as a freshman that only three of us males out of maybe 30 or so had a passing grade to start the year,” explained Merritt, a 1998 graduate of CRCP. “He called us all to a room and said, ‘Not on my watch will I see you all throw your lives away. Life is not a game.’ Some words were kind while other words were more stern. Some of us listened and some of us did not. I will never forget that day. To show the leadership and compassion he expressed was like no other. To Mr. Leon Henderson, I THANK YOU for saving me that day, because I was one of those kids who was in danger of failing by playing around. But, I listened. I realized how you and others truly cared.”

Last year former students and colleagues gathered for a prayer service in St. Louis at Henderson’s church, St. Alphonsus "Rock" Liguori Catholic Church. During this time his battle with a progressive neurodegenerative disease, ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, which affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, was publicly disclosed. A few weeks later he moved to Louisiana to be with his family. He spent his last days there and at one point he was in a skilled-care facility, unable to talk. Quite difficult for any of us to fathom silence from the man who could make people laugh until they cried. It seems pretty unfair for silence to swallow a man whose words of wisdom inspired, encouraged and motivated the masses in and out of classrooms.

Folks, this is the news flash. None of us are here forever. The mind is powerful and we must remember this stalwart man at his best. I am sure that is what he would want from us. Yes. Leon Henderson is gone physically but his spirit will never die as long as there is a CRCP student alive in this world who remembers his name. We are whole, we are better and we are leaders because of him. He showed us how to dream, how to open our eyes and how to dare go after it. We are family, forever bonded as “Ritter Critters,” because of him. We are lions and we roar.

A painting with the saying “Miles Christi Sum,” which means I am a soldier of Christ, covers the wall at CRCP. On it is an image of Jesus hanging on the cross with a roaring lion behind him. Following a personal tour of the school, Henderson looked at the picture and told me, “Even on the battlefield, the lion will protect you.” I believe this courageous educator did this for every student he touched. He is with us in our minds and in our hearts. We are tasting tears, but when they dry and morning comes, each day thank Mr. Henderson, “Hen,” for being in our lives and for being a soldier in that 2 percent.

DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward

Note: A public memorial service will take place at the CRCP gym on Saturday, March 5, at 2:00 p.m. Let's show up and show out for his honor.




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Teresajenee: Singer With Synesthesia Credits Music With Providing Colorful, Life-Saving Energy

7/1/2015

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Most people hear music, while a select few actually see colors in response to sounds. This is known as synesthesia and only 4.4 percent of the population has the rare neurological condition, generally linked to creativity, in which auditory information is translated into the ability to see colors.  Late legendary pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington was a synesthetes. Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams has often candidly spoken about being one as well. Singer and musician Teresajenee should be added to that small list with big talent.

The St. Louis native first won acclaim when she hit the music scene in 2007 with the international house music dance tune Remember featuring Osunlade.
Since that time, she has amassed quite a following after releasing two albums and two EPs, including last year's the Lower East Side Live EP, where it is just her mellow voice, seducing the piano while captivating a New York audience. Four years ago she was named St. Louis' Best R & B Artist by the Riverfront Times and has performed at festivals like SXSW.  Teresajenee says everyone seems to know her music but now she is ready to change some things. It is time to put a face with the sound.

Do you answer by the titles singer and musician? Any others?
I'm a “Musician Singer Pen” on the internet, but I consider myself to be a musician first. I sang in talent shows as a little girl, but I got my start playing the organ and piano in church. Singing is a part of me but I would feel incomplete without my instrument.

What upcoming projects are you working on? When might we expect them? I’m working on the second part of my Color Therapy Series. The first one was Electric Yellow (EY), about happiness and light. The second installment is Lavender: The Love Album. It's coming this year.

You mentioned your color series. Is this symbolic of anything? I believe in the connection between mood, sound, and color. I didn't know what synesthesia was as a child, but when I played piano, every note had a color and an emotion attached to it. I practice aromatherapy daily to help me with my moods. My moods have color.  Chromotherapy is the formal term for color therapy. Color therapy alters your feelings through hue. I wanted to do an album trilogy with a color as a theme for each album. I'm even working on an aroma collection to go with each color to complete the experience. I want each album to give you a different and amazing feeling. 

Where are you based these days? I float around a lot, but now I'm in Atlanta, working on the album.

Why did you leave St. Louis? It was hard, you know. I lost my grandmother in 2008 and my dad in 2012. I lost my two best friends and I just kept working to cope. I was angry and I wasn't dealing with it. Then, I had a breakdown in July 2013. That was it for me.

Did leaving St. Louis help you cope with so much loss? Yeah, I mean, it gave me a fresh space. I needed that space to process everything that happened.

Where is most of your fan base or following? Europe by far. They show me so much love. They really keep me alive. New York, LA, Memphis, DC and Sydney, Australia.

What songs are you most noted for performing? Tahitian Vanilla, In Your Eyes, Cleopatra Love & War. Breathe is a record I've never released.  I’ve only performed it live, but it'll be on the next project.

You mentioned that people know your music more than your face. Does this bother you? It didn't bother me then because I didn't want people to see my face. I was in church and doing secular music wasn't acceptable. I was able to hide and it worked for me. Plus, I was scared of fame. I'm still scared. Now my records are being played in all these countries. My name is out there, but no one knows my face. I'm finally ready to step out and change that.

You grew up in a strict Pentecostal family. In some ways did that make you want to rebel or walk the straight and narrow? I rebelled. I rebelled so much, the good kind of rebelling though. I'm sure my parents would've thought otherwise. Too bad they never knew.

Your mom is a popular gospel radio announcer in St. Louis and she works heavily with gospel legend Bobby Jones. Does this feel awkward for you, considering you perform secular music? Um…I think it was more awkward for her because she came from that world. She was a soul singer before she came to church. She accepts what I do, but there’s still hope that I’ll release a gospel album.

The competition is stiff these days in music. Describe your sound. Describe your fashion style. Soultronica and Rock are how I described my old albums, even EY. That's the best way I can say it. My brain goes a mile a minute. I can't stick with any one sound. I can't dress in one particular way. I evolve. My music and style does the same.

What makes Teresajenee stand out from other artists in a sea of clones? I don't know. I don't know if I stand out to be honest. I think it's really about the music with me. I just think I give people music that connects to them and it works. That's all I can do.

Who are some artists that you’ve opened for and/or performed with? Solange (twice), Eric Roberson, Hiatus Kaiyote and Black Spade

You’ve  performed in New York. Is England on your radar anytime soon? I'm in New York a lot. They show love. I actually look forward to my first time performing in England after this next album drops.

Finish this sentence. Music is what saved my life.

Finish this sentence. If I didn’t have music, I would’ve died.

How did music save you from possible death? I attempted suicide some years ago. I have a hard time speaking on it which is weird because it's so easy for me to talk about at my shows. You know, I thank God. I can't even imagine being alive without God above and music here to get me through.

Finish this sentence. If I could perform with one person, it would be with my Dad.

Finish this sentence. If I wasn’t a singer, I would be a teacher.

Some say that music has healing powers. Do you agree?  Music is powerful because it controls the human spirit. It affects us in ways that is beyond us. Yes, I believe it evokes healing and building. I also believe, in the wrong hands, music can cause destruction. Not all sound is whole. I believe that. I’m very cautious of what I open my spirit to, especially music.

Peace of God is a beautiful song. What inspired you to write it? My father was fighting cancer when I wrote it. I was emotionally dark during that time. It was also a lot going on with my music and people and it was too much. I just remember collapsing back into a chair in my living room after coming back from the hospital. I had nothing. It was silent when I was in the living room when I heard this song. Like, it was the full song, lyrics included. I was crying because it was so beautiful. I don’t take credit for writing  that song.

Do you have a ritual or something you do before every show? I need silence. I need to meditate. If I can't get peace and quiet at the venue, I get it at my hotel before the show. And I always pray before I go on stage. That is important to me.

What college did you graduate and what was your major? Tennessee State University. I have a B.A. in Speech, Communication, & Theater with emphasis in Mass Media.

Do you think a college degree is important to be a musician? What made you want to finish school? I do not think a college degree is important to be a musician, especially today when so many musicians are successfully self employed. Finishing college was a big moment for me, but I did it for myself. I also knew that someday I would like to go back to school. I felt like my degree would open those doors for me.

If you were stranded on a deserted island for the rest of your life, what three CDs would you take and why? Okay, this is difficult cause I hate listening to one thing for a long time anyway. Milton Brunson & The Thompson Community Choir is my favorite gospel choir. I would take their “Best Of” CD because I wouldn’t be able to decide. I would take N*E*R*D’s  Seeing Sounds even though my favorite album of theirs is Fly or Die. Seeing Sounds has Sooner or Later and I love that song. Erykah Badu Live because that is one of the great live soul music recordings of my generation and I never get tired of it.

Is it a struggle being an indie artist? If so, how and in what ways? It's unstable. You get a lot of e-mails for opportunities. Some work out but many fall through. The ones that fall through, it sucks because those are the really good ones. It's not glamorous in indie land. I've slept on couches in Cali. I rode a Greyhound for 18 hours after a show on the east coast. You need to be a little crazy to be an artist, and grimy, especially if you're a girl. That diva shit won't work.

Do you ever feel the need to work a 9 to 5 while doing your music? I do and I have. Many artists do this until their shows become consistent or they get relevant. We do what we have to.

What kinds of  9-to-5 jobs do you or have you worked? I did retail as a side hustle sometimes. My main job was as a church musician. It kept me close to the music. Plus, I had the freedom to travel 5 days out the week for shows. I've been playing organ/keys for churches since I was 16.


When did you know you could sing and how did you learn this? It was in me. Both of my parents were singers. My parents said I was singing as a baby. I was singing in church. When I was five, I was in my first talent show. It just went from there.

What instruments do you play? Are you a self-taught musician? I taught myself Hammond organ, piano, and drums (a little). I studied all the clarinets and oboe in school.

Who do people compare your sound most? Does it irk you when this happens? I heard Amel Larrieux a lot when I first started. Amel is one of my faves. I haven't heard anyone outside of her and I haven't heard that comparison in a long time.

What is the best advice you ever received as a performer? From whom and how did it change your life? The best advice was a memory I had from when I was in theater at college. I had stage fright as a singer when I first started doing shows. I remembered that I was confident being on stage as an actress and to treat my shows like a play.

You mentioned how your theater training helps with stage fright. How so? In theater, you have to get into character. You have to become this person you're portraying. I separated myself from Teresajenee. I treated Teresajenee as a character, even though Teresajenee is still very much me. That's how I got over the fright. Every now and then I have to go back to that place. 

What is music missing today? Authenticity. People who believe in themselves enough to be themselves and not a trend.

How can people find out more about you? My website is teresajenee.com.  I’m at facebook.com/teresajenee. My Twitter and Instagram are @stereoteeje. You can stay connected to me via email by joining my elist at teresajenee.tumblr.com/elist


DocM.A.C.'s Top Pick:
Peace of God
-If you've ever lost someone or something in your life, this song will help you learn to surrender. It speaks to the letting go and letting God process beautifully.
Change is inevitable. Embrace it.
 
DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward
 

 



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Dana Christian: St. Louis-Based Video And Filmmaker Works To Bring Hollywood Home

6/22/2015

6 Comments

 
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If you live in St. Louis, chances are that you know or have seen my brother. Some people recognize him as "the guy with the camera," while most know him as Dana Christian, the video and filmmaker who hustles hard to capture the story behind the story on film. He was probably destined for his own place in the sun because the former high school basketball star graduated in 1994 from Bishop DuBourg High School, making history as the first African American to be elected senior class president. A fellow DuBourg student, who was in a class behind him, was Jack Dorsey, co-creator of Twitter and CEO of Square. Since the day he graduated from college, Dana has never worked for anyone else but himself. It's a beautiful thing to own your own, to create your own, and to do all of it on your own terms. As head of  Breaking The 180, LLC, the road isn't always easy. For anyone who chooses a career in entertainment, you must be patiently persistent.  Dana knows this and is determined to show aspiring St. Louis filmmakers, and artists in general, that you do not always have to leave home to make your mark.

Describe your duties and when did you get started? I direct, shoot, edit, produce and cast for film, TV, commercials and video productions. I got interested in my craft back in 1995 and have been professionally doing it since 1999.

When did your "Aha" moment transpire and you knew this is what you wanted to do for a living? The one moment where I knew that I could make a living off my talent was when I was shooting behind-the-scenes footage for Nelly and the St. Lunatics. I was just casually talking with two record label reps about how the chemistry of the group really works and their roles as a unit. I went on to say that they should do a video of some sort, highlighting how the group members were and give the video out with the album. The label reps loved the ideal and had me write it all out and submit an invoice. When they cut my deposit check and flew me out to L.A. a month later, I knew this was it.

When did you first take an interest in this kind of work? When I went to Prairie View A & M University, I filmed the Kappa (Alpha Psi Fraternity) beach party. This was my sophomore year and that's when I realized, going into my junior year, I wanted to change my major from architecture. I only did a half semester there before deciding to come back home to finish up college at Webster University. 

What training and/or educational background do you have? I was volunteering at a local television station where the music video show I was a part of, Phat Clips, was being produced. I was getting on-the-job training in a real environment while studying for my bachelor’s degree in media communications at Webster University.

Since graduating from college, you've only worked for yourself. What are the pros and cons of being the boss? I’m blessed to work for myself, coming right out of college and going into the field where I got my degree. The main pro and con is a catch 22. I create my own destiny, which means the financial gains are endless. However, with the line of work that I do, it may not always be in high demand, which means finances can be somewhat limited.

What keeps you going when the grind gets tough? Have you ever thought about throwing in the towel to get a nine-to-five job? What keeps me going when the grind is tough is just my spiritual connection to the world and the positive feedback I get from clients and the people that follow my work. I never really thought about quitting, because I know this is my true calling; however, at times I have questioned if the path I’m taking is in vain. When this happens, usually I get a sign that says I have to keep going with the flow. For example, I have literally been down to my last project, with nothing in sight, and the phone rings. Then I’m back swamped with work. It’s a crazy approach that I wouldn’t recommend but that’s how I know I’ll be fine.

Tell me more about the video show? How did it help St. Louis musically? I was a fan of a local hip-hop music video show called Phat Clips. When I decided to return home and finish my degree, I contacted the show’s producer at the time to see if he needed help. Luckily, he did. I was like a sponge and spent over 20 to 30 hours a week at the studio. Now this is when I was taking a full-course load in college and working a part time job. The show was dedicated to showcasing the newest and underground hip-hop music videos. Phat Clips had a huge following to the point where almost every major artist that came to St. Louis had to be on the show. I’m talking about Public Enemy, Nas, Outkast, Eminem, The Black Eyed Peas, Lil Kim, etc. I was an aspiring rapper at one point (and don’t ask me to rap), so I felt that if I had an outlet, I would be able to highlight my group and other artists. Well, I lost the desire to rap and became focused on who in St. Louis was worthy to be featured on the show, and that’s when I started showcasing certain acts in the Local Clip of the Week section of the show. The biggest names that came from me doing so were Nelly and the St. Lunatics and Chingy.

Acclaimed video director and photographer Marc Klasfeld became your mentor. How did this happen and what did you learn from him? Marc Klasfeld was one of the premiere music video directors at the time; he was known for capturing rappers Juvenile, Jay-Z and Ludacris. What made him special was that he was able to film artists in unique and creative settings. I connected with Marc the same way I did with the label reps I told you about earlier. I was actually filming the documentary for the St. Lunatics at one of their music video shoots. Marc was there directing and we started talking about music videos in between takes. I was breaking down his whole style of shooting and I assumed he was impressed with that, because I got a call from a music video producer, saying I was referred by Marc to be the casting director for an upcoming video Marc would be directing in St. Louis. I was excited yet nervous because I never put together a casting before. It was learning on the job 101, and I was honest with Marc about not knowing how to do this, but he believed in me because 1) I understood his style and 2) I knew a lot of people. I eventually went on to cast over 20 major music videos and productions. But my biggest influence would be my sister Margena Christian, which happens to be you, because you led by example and proved that being passionate about your dreams will eventually pay off.

What was your first big video that signaled your ‘break’? The first big video that helped gain some buzz was the Chingy Balla Baby Remix video. It hit No. 1 on BET’s 106 and Park Countdown and eventually was retired after being on the show for so long. That was cool to see my name in the credits on TV.

You grew up around celebrities and going to concerts. What was the first show you recalled attending? The first concert I ever attended was at the Fox Theatre. It was the New Edition concert featuring The Fat Boys and U.T.F.O. Back then artists did two shows, a matinee and evening performance. I attended the matinee show with my sisters. It was a cool experience aside from my parents making me wear a brown suit with Hush Puppy shoes when the other kids at the concert were wearing polo shirts, Levis and Converse sneakers. I remember later going to the BBD concert. Johnny Gill and Keith Sweat also performed. In 2011, I ended up directing three Johnny Gill music videos, which were part of a trilogy: Just The Way You Are, It Would Be You and Second Place. It was two sample songs and one full-length song. I decided to tell a story and connect all three. 

What companies have you completed projects for?
I’ve done work with Universal Records, Capitol Records, Pepsi, Red Bull, Jack Daniels and VH-1. I think the most relevant projects I have done to date, just due to where we are at in society, are two PSAs for the Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation. I directed and filmed Cedric the Entertainer and Nelly for the PSA spots to help raise money for a memorial of Martin Luther King on the mall in Washington D.C. It feels good to know that I had a hand in contributing to something so historic. 

Do you find that it's a struggle to get people to take you seriously, coming from St. Louis, not necessarily considered a hot-button place for entertainment like New York or Los Angeles? Yes. It’s a bit of a struggle to get people to recognize that St. Louis has tremendous talent. But I’m an activist in the sense that I want people to know that I don’t have to leave home to go to Hollywood; I want to bring Hollywood to my home. You have directors like Spike Lee and Woody Allen that made a living doing films centered around their hometown. I want to do the same. I understand that I’m in a position to change lives for people, whether it’s giving an aspiring actor a part in a commercial, giving a lighting guy a job on a music video or filming a scene for a reality show at a local eatery. I want to be able to make an economic difference as well as a creative difference in my community.

DocM.A.C signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward




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Louis Johnson: 'Thunder Thumbs' Broke Down The Bass, The Business He Learned About Music From Q

6/2/2015

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Bass player Louis Johnson, a founding member of The Brothers Johnson, along with his guitarist brother, George, were once managed by music icon Quincy Jones.
I knew about Skype in 2009 but I was not using it. I did not have much reason to, but this all changed when I met bassist Louis Johnson, a co-founder and one half of the sibling funk duo The Brothers Johnson. He was in Holland at the time for what he described as an extended vacation. I needed to conduct an interview so Louis suggested I set up a Skype account, because it was free, easy to use and then his main form of staying connected with family and friends  while in the Netherlands.

Louis was anxious to talk and was impressed that I tracked him down. No one in the media, at that time, seemed to have been checking for the man christened Thunder Thumbs because of his jaw-dropping slapbass technique or his older brother, George, a guitarist with hands so fast he was known as Lightning Licks and a voice so mellow it was like butter. Their heyday in the spotlight had long faded since the mid-70's and 80's when they recorded a few albums but then retreated behind the scenes, winning reputations as celebrated studio musicians for others.  I found it a bit unusual that no one was looking for them, considering a new generation of music lovers were being introduced to a bit of their sound each morning. The top-rated, syndicated radio show, the Steve Harvey Morning Show, aired Shirley Strawberry’s relationship segment, Strawberry Letter, with an instrumental portion of the pair's classic song Strawberry Letter 23.

From the very start, it was evident that music was Louis' love and passion. Within a few minutes into the conversation, his encyclopedic knowledge of music was refreshing. He started the dialogue by going on and on about how much he loved Bjork’s music and how he thought she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Louis told me how he was so captivated by all things Bjork that he traveled to find her. He told me how excited he was when they collaborated on music together. He explained to me that the wonderful thing about where he was at that point in his life is that he could afford to do nothing, so Holland was his destination of choice to kick back and relax. Minneapolis, he mentioned, was where he was residing. Louis told me he never had to work another day in his life, because he was deliberate about putting in the time and hours as a young man to secure himself financially for the future. As he put it, he intentionally sought to work with “everybody and their mama” to be the No. 1 requested bass player.

But no one gets to the top alone, he advised. Louis told me how George first got a break playing for Billy Preston, a musician sometimes referred to as the "fifth" member of the Beatles. When Preston’s bass player left, George put in a word and got his brother on with Preston's band. The brothers eventually played on the 1972 hit song Will It Go Round In Circles. Shortly after leaving Preston, they hit a brief dry spell before music maestro Quincy Jones started working with the skinny brothers with the big eyeglasses and even bigger afros. Neither George nor Louis knew what the other would say to me when we spoke, so I was impressed with how in  sync they were, offering individual praises about Quincy.  Both brothers explained how he protected them and educated them about the business of music as soon as he took them into his fold. Louis and George stated how Quincy could have gotten over on them but he did not. Instead, he managed them and taught them how to manage themselves as musicians. Both brothers told me they were basically set for the rest of their lives financially because of the foundation laid by Quincy. I heard so many horror stories about the cutthroat antics in the music business that I was moved to hear artists mention how someone helped them instead of hurt them. The brothers also played on albums for Herbie Hancock, Bobby Womack, Grover Washington Jr., and Bill Withers.

Louis, who said they didn’t grow up playing sports but playing instruments, explained to me how he worked with Quincy on lots of Michael Jackson projects. He said Quincy taught him how to get co-writing credit for his contributions as a bassist. Quincy showed the brothers the value in being musicians and that they should be compensated for their mastery. Louis immediately told me how he heard Jackson’s Billie Jean for the first time and thought to himself that something was missing. Louis told me that’s when he came up with his famous bass line on the song’s introduction. He told me that’s how he got so many co-writing song credits in his catalog, because he was confident that his bass drove the songs. Billie Jean was a good song, Louis told me, but he said his touch made the song great. Needless to say, Louis did not lack confidence when it came to music. This man knew his gift.

Training others how to play the bass was something he told me he enjoyed; it was his way of giving back. Louis thought it was amusing and was flattered that so many young men were on YouTube, trying to play the bass like him. He was touched that so many people, young and old, were playing his funk. Louis told me to watch one of his slap bass lessons on YouTube and then advised me to see a few people who were trying to do the same. He told me how he made custom bass guitars and how his slap bass style earned him the nickname of Thunder Thumbs, but it was Graham Central Station front man and founder Larry Graham, Prince’s mentor,  Drake’s uncle and former Sly and the Family Stone member, who ushered in this style well before he did.  Graham, Louis said, was the man noted as the Godfather of the Slap Bass.

The bass was the heart and soul of music, Louis said. His homework assignment for me, in addition to watching the YouTube videos of his slap bass disciples, was that I listen to any song of my choice but that I should follow the bass guitar all the way until the tune's very end. He suggested I do this very thing for every instrument in order to understand the importance of what musicians contribute. Sometimes I still find myself doing this exercise.

George first mentioned his brother’s passing on Facebook; a nephew informed the masses of it on Instagram as well. I was sad to hear the news. Back when I interviewed them, Louis made it known that he wasn’t on speaking terms with his brother. He said that Brothers Johnson fans need not hold their breath for a reunion if he had anything to do with it. Though he said he wasn’t talking to his brother, I teased Louis that it was interesting how he knew everything, even in Holland, that George was doing in Los Angeles. I told Louis this just goes to show that we have our ups and downs with our siblings, but when it is all said and done, we still have the other's back and continue to look out even from afar. Louis chuckled and said he agreed.

Life is short and time waits for no one. Louis just turned 60 years old on April 13, but a month and 8 days later, he was gone. Hopefully Louis was on speaking terms with his brother before he made his transition. If he wasn't, George should know that his little brother was always keeping up with him in some way. Know that he will certainly do the same now in spirit. 

Until next time. DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process.  #OnwardUpward

 

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B.B. King Tribute: The Thrill Will Never Be Gone

5/20/2015

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PictureOur first time meeting during a 2007 luncheon in Chicago.
I am blessed. I worked under the watchful eye of pioneering publishing magnate John H. Johnson and had the good fortune to have met and chronicled the stories of legends. The first time I greeted B.B. King was in 2007 during a luncheon in Chicago. Little did I know then that three years later I would see him again, but this time it would be on his turf—the stage—at Chicago’s House of Blues.

We should give our elders and those who have paved the way for us their flowers while they can see and smell them. Legend was a section in Ebony where our icons could be celebrated, because it was on their backs and shoulders that others are now able to stand. B.B. surely taught the world about music, but what he wanted most was to illustrate the model of a gentleman through his actions and appearance.

He made it no secret how much he longed to see more of his own race support him at concerts. Being Black and playing the blues, he told me, felt like having two strikes already against you. All he ever hoped to do was relieve people of their worries through his music. Have you ever met a person, anybody, who did not experience trouble? This means that person had the blues, and B.B. said that as long as we had troubles, he was going to keep singing the blues. Trials and tribulations were no stranger to the Mississippi native. His burden began at the tender age of 9 years old when his mother suddenly died. An only child, little Riley was left to live alone and work for the Whites who employed his mother. Before going to school each morning, he recalled having to milk 10 cows. Then he had to walk 5 miles to and from the schoolhouse. When he returned home, the cows had to be milked once more. The grueling cycle was continuously repeated. He told me his father did not find him until he was 14 years old, but still B.B. somehow saw the silver lining. “I’ve been pretty lucky,” he said with a smile.

My fortune has been decent as well. Lots of women can claim to have stopped traffic with their arresting looks, but few can boast bragging rights about having an iconic musician delay a sold-out concert because of their mere presence. I heard the music start downstairs in the House of Blues when someone from his camp told him it was time to go on stage. B.B. paused during our conversation, stretched out his left arm and waved his chubby hand, saying in a deep voice, “Stretch it!” I chuckled. A packed house was waiting and he took a few more minutes to enjoy the conversation. The man came back and once again B.B. used the same gesture and told him, “Stretch it!” Before the man could return for a third time, B.B. let me know that he could not keep his audience waiting any longer.

The King of the Blues hit the stage in style. Noted for wearing tuxedos or a three-piece suit, his signature style was his own.
He sought to be portrayed as a gentleman, which is why he hit the stage in a tux and had everyone in his band dress in similar fashion. When we talked that night, I noticed he was wearing a coat. I asked him why. He told me that sometimes he would go on stage with his coat. Before sitting down to play, he would remove it. After his performance ended, someone would bring him his coat and hat to put on before exiting the stage. “This shows the audience that a gentleman did his job and is about to leave the building,” B.B. explained.  It was the cutest thing to see. I guess James Brown leaned more toward the dramatic with a cape and I saw B.B kept it simple with a coat. It was touching to see him stand from his chair at the end of his show, open his arms wide and bask in the cheers, whistles, claps and screams that honored his God-given talent.

Blues singers, he felt, got a bad rap.
B.B. told me how he wanted to dispel the myth that all of them drink and smoke marijuana. He told me he believed his greatest legacy was how he never got into trouble. He did point out that he saw the inside of a jail once and that was for speeding. Another time included when he recorded the 1971 album Live in Cook County Jail. Staying out of trouble was what he hoped young people would learn from him more than anything else.

James Brown was well known as the hardest working man in show business but B.B., who performed in more than 57 countries, gave him a good run for the money as a close second. During B.B.’s heyday, he would play 364 one-night dates. There was a time when his tour schedule was even more aggressive than that when he played 500 shows in 300 cities! The former tractor driver, who had a private, customized tour bus with a television and telephone during the ’60s when others didn’t, used to sometimes drive it himself. After being involved in several accidents with one nearly costing him his right arm, he stopped traveling at night.


It never took him long to learn a lesson because education was important. He read books like Dr. John Hope Franklin’s From Slavery to Freedom and J.A. Rogers’ World’s Great Men of Color. He even became a licensed pilot and told me he had a special place in his heart for Chicago because in 1963 he did his first solo flight across the lake from Chicago Hammond Airport to Joliet. Speaking of education, I recently saw something on social media, questioning the purpose of honorary doctorates. The validity of the honors seemed to really come under attack after one was bestowed upon Grammy Award-winning rapper Kanye West. Ironically, when I spoke to B.B. and I asked about his greatest achievements, he brought up concerns about honorary degrees. Though he was honored by schools as far reaching as Tougaloo College (where he was handed his first) to Yale University, the humble musician told me he “felt ashamed, as if I’m cheating,” for getting the awards. He shared how he was pleased with the recognition but revealed that he only went to the 10th grade. He said here he comes in for one day, a college honors him and he leaves. Students, he said, spent time, money and effort just to earn what he was given.

Everything B.B. was presented, he rightfully earned but didn’t always see it that way. He saw himself as an ordinary guy who could play the guitar a little bit. On the surface, he seemed to have it all, but the lack of support from his own race and not having someone special in his life, seemed to weigh on him a tad bit. He made the most of it as always. He savored every moment he got to spend around a woman and had no shame in his game. Then 84 years young when I saw him, he laid it on the table and told me women were his vice. He thought we were the greatest gifts on the planet and that he never saw an ugly woman for that very reason. Divorced twice by 1968, he never married again. He jokingly told me he was “accused” of having 15 children. Without biting his tongue, B.B. said some he didn't believe were his kids biologically but because he loved them all, he considered them his.

It’s probably lonely at the top and being a musician who traveled as much as he did had its challenges. He explained to me that though he was old, he was really young at heart. The women his age, he thought, wanted to sit on the front porch and drink lemonade. Even if he had time to sit still long enough to indulge them, this would not have interested him. Music clearly was B.B.’s life and he had a burning desire for one lady, Lucille. She was his main squeeze of more than six decades. Love makes you do strange things like the time he ran into a burning building in the mid-50s to get the guitar, which he left once the blaze started. He told me that he wasn’t thinking when he ran back into that building. He described himself as young and foolish. He also said he knew he would not be able to afford another guitar at the time, so he had to get the instrument in order to make a living.


Lucille, the name he eventually called the guitar, was his ride or die chick. She was by his side every night, responding to his strokes. Everyone knows that all solid relationships are based on communication. B.B. and Lucille talked each other’s language and had an understanding. When he sang, she was silent and listened. When he stopped singing, his woman knew it was her time to shine. Lucille’s screams won B.B. such notoriety that his work with her is noted for having revolutionized use of the electric guitar, even earning him the title of third greatest guitarist of all time.

Like most people’s parents, mine were no exception. They loved B.B. King. I told him how I grew up listening to his music and how much I loved The Thrill Is Gone.  But my favorite tune, I let him know, was called Never Make A Move Too Soon. I explained to him, “When people do something too quickly without thinking, I’d tell them, ‘Don’t do a B.B. King and make your move too soon.’” He thought that was so funny and was surprised that I knew the song.


After B.B.’s performance ended, we returned backstage. On the table was a plate with tiny blocks of cheese and banana slices. He told me he eats this combination every night after most shows. He saw my look of concern and laughingly invited me to try the snack before I rushed to cast judgment. I grabbed a block of cheese and slice of banana. I put them together and ate it. To my surprise, this unusual combo was decent. I didn’t get sick and my stomach didn’t start playing the blues. As if giving a lesson, he told me, “I don’t usually drink and if I have something, it’s a Diet Coke after each show because I have diabetes.”

Years later, as his health started to decline, people complained about how little B.B. played and how much time he spent talking at concerts. One person who attended his show a few months ago said the best part of it was his band playing; the worst part was when he came on the stage. I remembered B.B. telling me he would play as long as people wanted to see him. The reality is that, with poor health and visibly more frail, B.B. tried to give it his all until the very end. For this, he should be commended. He told me that after all of his years of performing, he still got stage fright, or, as he called it, “concern,” a term Ray Charles used. B.B. said each new performance felt like he was a cat, sitting in front of a pack of dogs. Talking to the audience, he told me, helped to calm his “concern.” Perhaps his fingers were no longer able to caress Lucille the way he once did, so he talked his way through the concerts.

B.B made his transition on May 14. A part of me was happy to discover that he died peacefully in his sleep. He was a proud man and I’m certain he wouldn’t have wanted anyone to see him suffering. He needed rest because he went the distance; B.B. tried to perform when the world saw he was clearly no longer able to do so. A part of me is happy to know that he would finally greet his mother, who last saw him as a 9-year-old boy. He missed his mom and mentioned her to me. I am happy that she will see the man he became and how he lived up to his name as musical royalty.

Some say the thrill is gone, but I don’t believe this. None of us are here forever. My cover photo on Twitter and Facebook always had an image of us long before his health started to decline. Some moments are priceless, so I don’t have any plans to change those pictures. We are spirit and I believe that the spirit never dies. B.B.’s legacy is forever, so the thrill will never be gone because a man named Riley B. King lived.


I met him twice but it felt like I knew him much longer. He was humble and easy to talk with. I will miss his jovial, full face, his patterned tuxedo jackets with bright colors, and the passionate way he made Lucille talk to the audience. A private funeral is scheduled for May 30 in his birthplace of Indianola, MS, while public viewings will take place in Indianola and in Las Vegas where he resided. I won’t be in attendance at anything, but I am fortunate to have done like Eric Clapton and rode with the King, so to speak. I think I will drink a Diet Coke and have a cheese-banana combo snack. Here’s to you, B.B, the orphaned boy from Mississippi, the cotton picker, the man who made certain people of all races never forgot how the blues has given America its soul.

DocM.A.C. signing off here. Keep the faith and always trust the process.  #OnwardUpward


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Workplace Bullying Is An 'American Epidemic'

5/14/2015

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You read that correctly. Now tell me. Have you ever been assigned a task but realized you didn’t have enough information to complete it but when you asked for what was necessary, you were treated as if you are incompetent? Have you ever worked with someone who undermines your abilities and character through name calling, foul language and yelling at you in front of colleagues? Have surprise meetings been called with no resolve other than further humiliation? Have others been told to stop working, talking or socializing with you? Do you find that most of the work you turn in is suddenly never good enough and you start to feel as if you are being set up to fail? Anyone answer, “Yes.” If so, you have been the target of workplace bullying (workplacebullying.org). You are not alone, which makes this worse.

What is workplace bullying anyway? The Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) defines bullying as “abusive conduct” and workplace bullying as “repeated mistreatment, abusive conduct that is threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, work sabotage or verbal abuse.” WBI calls it an “American epidemic.” The organization’s findings in 2014 report 27 percent of people have current or past direct experience with abusive conduct at work, while 72 percent of employers deny, discount, encourage, rationalize, or defend it. Bosses were found to be the majority of bullies.

Reasons For Bullying--It is basically about control. The WBI provides the following: "The target refuses to be subservient or controlled. The bully envies the target’s competence. The bully envies the target’s social skills, being liked or having a positive attitude. There is a whistleblower retaliation. There is a hostile workplace culture where bullying leads to promotion. The bully simply has a cruel personality or there’s substance abuse involved."

Signs Of Bullying--The WBI provides the following: "Look for departments with high turnover rates or absences. Beware of multiple complaints and grievances against a person, because bullying behaviors are patterned and continue unless consequences are provided for the bully. Look for departments where employee response to management’s assessments of employees is consistently refuted by a number of different workers."

Alexandra Robbins recently wrote an article on how most nurses have been the victims of bullying by doctors. The article, Doctors Throwing Fits, highlighted the findings in her new book, The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama, and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, which follows four nurses, but includes hundreds of interviews by others across the country. They discuss many things, including the hardest part about their job in dealing with bully doctors. Dr. Pauline W. Chen first raised awareness about bullying in the medical profession with her New York Times article, The Bullying Culture of Medical School, published in 2012. This news might come as a shocker for some of you, but it was not for me.


Last year while presenting my dissertation at the 55th Annual AERC Adult Education Research Conference at Penn State Harrisburg, I attended the session Workplace Bullying: Implications for Adult Educators, presented by Dr. Kathy Bonnar, assistant professor of counselor education at Concordia University Chicago, and Dr. Judy L. Skorek, program director, clinical mental health counseling at Adler School of Professional Psychology (Chicago). When Bonnar and Skorek revealed the top two professions that face the most workplace bullying, people were somewhat surprised. Can you guess them? The medical profession ranked No. 1 and education ranked No. 2.  Government workers, according to a 2014 CareerBuilder study on bullying, were “nearly twice as likely to report being bullied (47 percent) than those in the corporate world (28 percent).”

Who Is The Bully?--The WBI provides the following description: "Someone who tries to dominate another in every encounter. They usually rank above the target and it doesn’t matter his/her background, status or position. There’s an inability to deal with his/her own feelings of inadequacy and self loathing that has nothing to do with the behavior of the target. Deep-seated flaws are unleashed on the target before attack and the bully has no reason to empathize with the plight of his/her target so the bully continues because she/he can."


Always keep your eyes open because bullies are manipulative serpents. These people will block a transfer to a different department and/or attempt to set up conflict between you and your colleagues. Dr. George K. Simon's book, In Sheep’s Clothing: Understanding & Dealing with Manipulative People,  explains how bullies do things like taking credit for others work, lying about targeted employees performance to others that are higher ups, attempting to manipulate or monopolize the target’s higher ups perceptions through lies and isolation, shaming, marginalizing, maligning, degrading and finding constant fault. It doesn’t matter where you are employed. Bullies are on the prowl and lurk in most every profession.

I read a profile story recently about someone that made me cringe. It was beautifully written, yet sadly painted the portrait of a textbook-classic model of a bully.  People were abuzz about the article for a minute but things soon quieted down.  What saddens me most about the article is that nothing will probably happen to this person. Bullies never take responsibility for their action and are sometimes, it appears, given a license to behave the way they do because no one seems to confront them. Employers must realize how bullying makes the workplace toxic for everyone. The truth, however, can hurt so many choose to look the other way. We all know that bullying takes place as much as it is allowed in a company’s culture. Bullies knowingly make a conscious choice to target and ultimately control another. Control, once again, is the operative word here.


Who Is The Target?--The WBI provides the following: "The target has a strong sense of integrity and justice. This person is courageous and isn’t afraid of the bully. The target tends to see things for how they could be and are discouraged when the unnecessary and counterproductive needs and insecurities of a bully frustrate workplace productivity."

Targets of bullies have paid dearly for standing up to these folks, because the abuse doesn’t simply wreak havoc on a person’s life at work. The stress goes home and can lead to depression and/or anxiety disorders such as panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder. CareerBuilder’s study on bullying showed 28 percent of workers have felt bullied, while 19 percent cave in to the pressure and go so far as to quit their job. Most bullies may be the boss, but some co-workers have played an integral role in the shenanigans. These people I refer to as sidekick imps. Reports have overwhelmingly shown that co-workers know of their targeted fellow colleagues but say nothing. These people don’t realize how much silence is just as problematic.

Bully-prone places of employment, according to research, hope to instill fear in its employees. “Executives give higher priority to personal friendships than the legitimate interests of the business,” says Dr. Gary Namie, director of the WBI, in the journal article Workplace Bullying: Escalated Incivility.

Bullying Comes With A Price--Bullies impact the bottom line and everyone pays for it. There are costs associated with employee attribution and unemployment benefits, because people who are trained and experienced leave the organization. There’s also low employee morale-lost incentive, according to Good Employers Purge Bullies, Bad Ones Promote Them, Schaef & Fassel, The Addictive Organization (1988). Organizational loses include “costs associated with high absenteeism, stress related illnesses, high employment turnover and lawsuits,” according to Liz Urbanski Farrell's 2002 article, Workplace Bullying’s High Cost: $180M In Lost Time & Productivity.

How Do I Make It Stop?

  • Nip things in the bud. The study conducted by CareerBuilder showed 48 percent of the workers confronted the bully. Forty-five percent said the bullying stopped, 44 percent said nothing changed and 11 percent said it got worse.

  • Put the power of prayer on it. I know a target who prayed for the bully and not even a week later, that person left the company. The bully was so focused on making everyone else’s life unhappy that little effort was placed on trying to learn the job or get it done correctly.

  • Find a support system. Once again, co-workers know who is being bullied. I know another person who was bulled and explained how words of encouragement helped this person make it through. “Never let them see you sweat,” is what the person was constantly told. Bullies sometimes get a sick satisfaction out of making someone else’s life just as miserable as their own. Putting down another appears to build the bully’s own insecurities and low self esteem. Don’t give the bully the satisfaction of seeing that she/he is getting to you. That’s what that person wants. It’s all about control.

  • Report the bully. Targets of bullying are often encouraged to tell their Human Resources (HR) department, but the CareerBuilder study learned that one-third reported the bullying to HR with 58 percent revealing no action was taken. Don’t despair. There are places where HR takes these sort of allegations seriously. I know of a target who reported a bully to HR and the foolishness stopped. The target said the bully and the imp, both confronted by HR, ran with their tails tucked between their legs.

  • Take copious notes and detail incidents. This might work for you or against you. Some people have seemingly laid a bully out on a silver platter for HR to handle, yet the tables were turned on the target, who was later shown the door while the bully remained at the company to terrorize others.

Bullying in the workplace hurts everyone and will continue unless employers truthfully examine their culture to see how they might be contributing to the problem. The first step toward healing is through honesty.
Visit workplacebullying.org for more information.

DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process.  #OnwardUpward


Recommended Reading:
The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels And Snakes From Killing Your Organization (2011) by Gary Namie, Ph.D. and Ruth Namie, Ph.D.

The Bully At Work: What You Can Do To Stop The Hurt And Reclaim Your Dignity On The Job (2000, 2003, 2009) by Gary Namie, Ph.D. and Ruth Namie, Ph.D.


 

 

 

 


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Basic Fundamentals Of Nonprofit Storytelling

5/14/2015

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Terrance Harrington, host of CAN TV's Nonprofits Talk and executive director of Nonprofits Matter, Inc., had me share my expertise on storytelling and how it can potentially propel a nonprofit organization.
Anyone can tell a good story but it takes the WRITE stuff to know how to pen a great one. An essential tool for the nonprofit organization is its utilization of storytelling. I sat down with Terrance Harrington, host of CAN TV's Nonprofits Talk, to provide insight and share basic storytelling fundamentals. For starters, keep these two things in mind:

A) Put the cookies on the bottom shelf

B) Make it do a James Brown by giving that story soul. People love a feel-good article, but, most importantly, they want to feel something. So move them with the message!

Harrington, a Chicago-based entrepreneur with more than 25 years of operational and leadership experience within the military, public and private sectors, is executive director of Nonprofits Matter, Inc. He is also Chief Operating Officer of Sonja B. Norwood Unlimited.


Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward

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I'll Always Love My Mama But Somewhat Hate Mother's Day

5/9/2015

6 Comments

 
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My mother and I, both educators, were also members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., an organization founded by seven teachers. This photo was taken in 2001 at a sorority function in Chicago.
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Mom holds baby me in 1967 and adult me at my 1995 going away party in St. Louis. This was the year I relocated to Chicago for my position at Johnson Publishing Company's Jet magazine.
Writing is part of my healing process so here goes. Everyone around me seems to be reveling in the presence of their mom today and will do so on Mother's Day. I feel like I am the only person who is not so lucky. Sure, I want to spend time with my mother, but circumstances will not allow this to happen because Marion Christian, the woman who gave me life, died in 2002.

Each year I never quite know what to do with myself, because I am vague about what kinds of emotions I will endure on this day. I have had some years where everything is fine. Other years the pain is intolerable. I take great care in not turning on the radio in an effort to avoid songs like The Intruders’ I’ll Always Love My Mama, Boyz II Men’s A Song For Mama or 2pac’s Dear Mama.  I try to detach myself from all social media since everyone is usually showing off pictures where they are currently hugging, kissing and enjoying their mom’s presence. I am unable to do the equivalent and it makes me feel like a motherless child. Some of you lost your mom this year or in previous years, so I believe you can relate to my grief. You can understand what it is like to taste a steady flow of salt tears on Mother’s Day and other days for that matter. You feel alone as if nobody else in the world can identify with your pain, but deep down inside, you know someone out there is probably wrestling with the same feelings. Folks, there is no expiration date on grief, but it is possible to learn how to cope with the loss of a loved one. You persist in taking it each day and each year, one step at a time.

In fact, I am reminded that a woman named Anna Jarvis understood our pain. She lost her mom in 1905 and vowed at the gravesite how she would make certain people always remember the work her mother did to advance women’s rights as well as honor mothers all over. Jarvis wanted people to never forget the women who gave us life, and because of her diligent efforts to keep her promise while dealing with a death, this gave Jarvis new meaning in life. She is the woman forever recognized in history as the founder of Mother’s Day.

I have mentioned it before and so many of you can attest to how pain sometimes aids a purpose by pushing us into a divine plan. A friend of mine said his mother repetitively spoke to him about finishing college. He kept dragging his feet about it until she died. That’s when it finally hit him and he made a concerted effort to complete school and ultimately went on to earn his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate within a 7-year span.

Being the rather inquisitive soul that I am, this Virgo woman questions things often.  I started listening to a song a few years ago that captured my thoughts when I did not know how. It is Lenny Kravitz’s Thinking of You, a 1998 tune he wrote for his mother, Roxie Roker, who won fame on TV’s The Jeffersons and died in 1995. I feel him pushing beyond the pain and hear his soul crying out with every word. The lyrics echo my sentiments beautifully. Plus, let's face it. How often do you get to hear someone play green Heineken bottles in the background of a soothing melody?

The record demonstrates Lenny asking his mother questions, saying stuff that I might. Like he asks her if her life is a better change, would she live her life the same or come back and rearrange? He asks her how is freedom? He wonders if she sees the sun night and day. He asks if she hears him and if she misses him like he misses her? To those of you who’ve suffered the loss of your mom, don’t you ruminate about some of these things, too? People, when your mother dies, you join a club where you would much rather deny membership.

I think about B.B. King, fighting for his life, who lost his mother when he was only 9 years old. She never got the chance to see him go from a boy to a man to a music legend, the King of the Blues. I think about Spike Lee who, while in college, lost his mom, Jacqueline Shelton Lee, an English teacher. Spike's 1994 film Crooklyn is semi-autobiographical; it makes me laugh and cry. His mother never got a chance to see her son become a renowned filmmaker or trail in her footsteps as an educator. Many of you might not know this but Spike, a 2013 recipient of the prestigious Gish Prize, earned the distinction of becoming a tenured professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts last year. I think about Amy DuBois Barnett, my former Editor-in-Chief at Ebony magazine, who lost her mother, Dr. Marguerite Ross Barnett, in 1992. Dr. Barnett made history in 1990 as the first Black woman to head a major American University, the University of Houston, and was lauded in a 1991 Ebony as a pioneer. She never got to see her only child helm the iconic publication in 2010. I think about women who were never able to have children. I think about women who lost children or a child and are now alone. I think about people who never knew their biological mother. I think about something as simple as how Lenny fought his mother tooth and nail against wearing a suit and then wearing socks while in one. Now he wears a suit like it's nobody’s business and is acting just like his mom.

Marion Christian’s much-loved song was Billie Holiday’s God Bless The Child. My love for books, movies and music come from her. My mother and I were educators and Sigma Gamma Rho sorority sisters. When I stare in the mirror now that I am older, I see her face, looking back at me.  I know she is there in spirit. She was always proud of her "little G" or "Gena." Yes. I might be on my own, but I know that God continues to bless this child and all of us who no longer have our mom. One day, in due season, I hope to not despise Mother’s Day so much. Until then, I will keep listening to my adopted anthem by Lenny. Never take your mother's presence for granted, because one day she won't be around. Let her smell the roses while she is alive.

DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process.  #OnwardUpward

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    I am Dr. Margena A. Christian aka DocM.A.C. Some folks feel my way with words, so I thought I would drop a few random "soul lessons" with a little bit of this and a whole lot of that. Keep the faith and always trust the process.
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