Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. undoubtedly remains the face of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and perhaps one of the most revered black leaders in American history.
His life and legacy are celebrated even as a new decade begins, and part of King’s legacy will always remain his children.
While sons Dexter and Martin III have worked to carry on his legacy, the icon’s daughter, Beatrice King, has led the mission of The King Center in Atlanta. A second daughter, Yolanda died in 2007.
At the center, Dr. King’s purpose of preparing global citizens to create a more just, humane, and peaceful world through nonviolence continues.
Beatrice King also keeps her father’s legacy and words alive through regular social media posts that include many of Dr. King’s inspirational quotations.
“I never intend to adjust myself to injustice,” Beatrice King wrote, quoting her dad, in a recent post accompanied by a video of Dr. King. “I’m proud to be maladjusted.”
Another recent post by King that featured a photo of both Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, marching in the South, was accompanied by the late leader’s quote: “Our nettlesome task is to discover how to organize our strength into compelling power so that the government cannot elude our demands. We must develop, from strength, a situation in which the government finds it wise and prudent to collaborate with us.”
Like many of Beatrice King’s social media posts about her father’s words, she usually digs out timely messages left behind by Dr. King.
Shortly after President Trump announced an air strike that killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, King unleashed another of her father’s comments.
“We’ve committed more war crimes almost than any nation in the world, and I’m going to continue to say it. And we won’t stop it because of our pride and our arrogance as a nation,” she wrote, quoting her father’s words from the 1960s when the Vietnam War raged.
A connector, communicator, community builder, and CEO of The King Center, Beatrice King is a graduate of Spellman College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Masters of Divinity and Doctorate of Law Degrees from Emory University.
She has also received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from Wesley College. She is currently a member of the State Bar of Georgia.
Through her work at the King Center, King has continued to educate youth about her father’s nonviolent principles.
In 2012, she implemented an annual N.O.W. Encounter Summer Youth Camp, which has trained youth from as far as Cyprus, Greece.
King spearheaded the global events that took place in Washington, D.C. to commemorate August 28, 2013, the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington and her father’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech.
Additionally, and in the spirit of her father, King was instrumental in helping Aboriginals and others in Vancouver, Canada understand the importance of forgiveness, unconditional love, and reconciliation when she spoke to a crowd of more than 75,000 people in 2017.
In addressing the rising number of hate crimes, Beatrice King again turned to the words of her father. “Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?”
For more information about Beatrice King and The King Center, visit: www.thekingcenter.org
The men at Otherworld Fitness in Frederick, Maryland, move quickly from bars to climbing walls and elliptical machines as shouts of “Let’s do it!” and “Teamwork guys!” echo through the gym.
Each team is determined to win the competition. Not only are these competitors eager to race and win against each other, but also, most importantly, many of them are hoping to win their battle against opioid addiction.
Timothy Guinan knows firsthand the problems of opioid addiction, which claims more than 130 lives across the country each day. After watching his son struggle to stay sober, he has opened his gym, Otherworld Fitness, to assist others dealing with addiction in hopes that exercise will help them with the healing process.
“The training is physical but there is a lot of belief, mental and spiritual. When they leave here they are so pumped up. They are proud, confident and they believe in themselves again. It’s amazing seeing them coming from ‘low and slow’ to probably the happiest moment in their life without drugs,” said Guinan.
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Otherworld Fitness
“The training is physical but there is a lot of belief, mental and spiritual. When they leave here they are so pumped up. They are proud, confident and they believe in themselves again. It’s amazing seeing them coming from ‘low and slow’ to probably the happiest moment in their life without drugs,” said Guinan.
Sume Hatami, 35, a bartender in Baltimore, suffered from addiction for years. He tried heroin and cocaine. As a consequence, Hatami lost his job and his apartment and hit “rock bottom.”
Now that he has been sober for the last 17 months, Hatami recalls the impact of exercise in his recovering path and how it helped decrease his dependency on drugs. Working out continues to benefit him physically, mentally and emotionally.
“When I started working out, everything I did during the day was centered around the gym. Working out gives me a structure and something like an itinerary of my day,” Hatami said.
Hatami says that if he didn’t have such a routine structure, he would probably fall back into drugs.
“Drugs consume your life; you spend almost every second of your day either trying to get drugs, using drugs or finding ways and money to buy more drugs. Basically, it consumes your life; it keeps you extremely busy,” said Hatami.
Opioid abuse is a serious national crisis that impacts public health as well as social and economic welfare. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 68 percent of the more than 70,200 drug overdose deaths in 2017 involved an opioid. In 2017, there were 1,985 overdose deaths involving opioids in Maryland, which makes the state rank in the top five for opioid-related overdose deaths. Factors typically surrounding the deaths involve synthetic opioids with illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) that can be found in combination with heroin, counterfeit pills and cocaine.
Some medical studies indicate that exercise is one of the most powerful interventions in overcoming addiction. Research shows that individuals in rehab who engage in regular physical exercise can profit from a reduction in stress levels and drug cravings, as well as an increase in better sleep, higher energy levels, and an improved mood.
Guinan has partnered with a faith-based organization called Helping Up Mission that helps individuals struggling with addiction. He charges the Helping Up Mission participants $19, which is 30 percent of what he usually charges other clients. In the meantime, he says that Otherworld Fitness continues donating money to Helping Up Mission.
“We donate $5 per shirt or hoodie sale to Helping Up Mission. A guesstimate for this year’s donation would be several hundred dollars. I still struggle with paying the rent because everything has come out of my pocket and we are not turning profit just yet,” said Guinan.
Even though the business hasn’t broken even yet, there are a number of impactful stories from participants whose lives have drastically changed from being in the program.
Another participant at Otherworld Fitness, Guinan’s son, Tim Leif, 32, was granted an intern position at Helping Up Mission after being sober for almost two years. At the age of 21, Leif started using prescribed pain killer pills. A few years later, Leif turned to the streets in search of heroin when his doctor stopped the prescribed medicine.
“I can’t even give you a number of how many times I overdosed. My family was scared for my life. They have no idea how many times I ended up in the hospital,” said Leif.
Leif says that drugs took him away from his loved ones. He dismissed and isolated himself. Fortunately, he was able to regain his life back when he started exercising.
“Racing and working out help me escape and be more determined and competitive. Exercise helps me create my foundation physically, mentally and emotionally,” said Leif.
Participants at Otherworld Fitness receive a unique experience at this athletic club in Frederick, Md. The club offers a particular sport known as Obstacle Course Racing (OCR). This competitive sport is growing in popularity each year and requires a special level strength and determination.
In 2010, the Institute for Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark conducted research that indicated that physical exercise can provide important support in the treatment of drug abuse. Also, in 2018, studies the University at Buffalo Research Institute on addiction concluded that exercise can be beneficial as it may help the brain in ways that can support treatment as well as prevention strategies for addiction.
Dr. Anika Alvanzo, a medical director at the Substance Use Disorder Consultation Services at Johns Hopkins Hospital explains that the literature is mixed, concerning whether or not exercise is effective for individuals with addiction.
“I think it depends on the outcome you are looking at. It depends on the substance, the patients’ population, and also, it depends on numbers of variables, such as the type of exercise, the duration of the exercise, and so on,” said Dr. Alvanzo.
Dr. Barbara Mai, a psychiatrist at the Mai Center for Wellness and Energy Therapies in Gaithersburg, Md, says physical activity and workouts bring a healthy challenge into the recovery process.
“Clinically, I have routinely seen that patients who incorporate an exercise plan into their daily health promotion report feeling better mentally, emotionally, and physically. The descriptions may vary, however, the progress is measurable,” said Dr. Mai.
Dr. Mai emphasized the importance of team sports as an outlet for recovering addicts. She believes that team sports equip them with the tools to stay sober after treatment ends.
“Those tools might include writing exercises or self-help therapies. The group mindset regarding supportive community and the priority status to scheduled meeting assists with maintaining commitment not only to personal sobriety, but also to that of friends/group members. And numerous participants of group exercise activities have noted that their progress improves when they are also committed to the success of their group members,” said Dr. Mai.
Even though exercise has proven effective in helping with stress, better sleep, and suppressing drug craving, many medical professionals still think that exercise will have better outcomes on individuals suffering from addiction if it is added to a treatment plan.
“I think that exercise can only be beneficial when added to a treatment program. I will not say that exercise only, but exercise as an adjunct to other processes of the treatment program, such as pharmacotherapy, medications, and individual or group counseling,” said Dr. Alvanzo.
“There have been a number of studies that have shown positive benefits of exercise in respect to withdrawal symptoms and mood symptoms of depression and anxiety. Obviously, if a mood disorder is keen, untreated or asymptomatic, this can lead to substance use,” said Dr. Alvanzo.
Although the verdict is still out about how successful exercise is in treating drug abuse, Otherworld Fitness participant Sume Hatami credited his successful recovery to exercise. He believes that working out definitely helped him with avoiding addiction relapse.
“For me, I believe I would’ve gone back to using drugs if I didn’t start lifting, working out, and running. These things help really impact my life. Even now, I believe if I stop doing what I do every day, there will be a high possibility that I could go back to using drugs,” said Hatami.
“My intuition is telling me they’ll be better days.” – J. Cole, “Change”
Dear Baltimore,
No doubt: Violence in 2019, and for the last decade to be honest, pushed the city close to the edge, leaving many of us frustrated. Confused. Angry. Heart-broken. Empty. A lot of us, if we’re honest, are feeling a little numb.
The year is now 2020, and from where I sit, “perfect vision” can’t be realized if we’re too paralyzed to open our eyes. As we move forward together standing for peace in the streets, I give you the words of one of our city’s master lightworkers, Erricka Bridgeford, to carry with you:
“DON’T BE NUMB!”
What’s a lightworker, you ask? That’s a loaded question, depending on who you ask. The word comes with different connotations. But in simplest terms, the lightworker is an individual who has awakened to his or her soul’s mission, or purpose, in this physical life to heal. The light worker knows he or she was created to endure the planet’s most crucial times and commits their life’s work to the elevation of collective consciousness.
Lightworkers are driven to spread love, freedom, knowledge and understanding through embodying their authentic truth. Therefore, it’s safe to say, light work is not only reserved for the preachers, prophets, and psychics. But the light is in all of us. It’s a conscious choice to accept the work that comes with it. It is up to us as individuals to choose the “light” path.
Want to come back to reality, you say? The fact thats there was another record number of homicides in 2019, left some heavy baggage. It’s unfortunate; it hurts; it’s “abhorrible,” many have said.
But the truth is there’s a shift going on in the streets. A certain kind of collective energy is stirring up that is focused on healing the soul of this city and catalyzing change within the systems that have marginalized and manipulated Black communities in Baltimore for decades.
The truth is there are lightworkers popping up in all corners of the city, and I’ve created space here to acknowledge a few of the charmed ones who are contributing to high vibratory frequency healing movement shifting the collective consciousness of this city.
First on my Shift List is Sarah Wallace, a beautiful sunflower I met two years ago at a Mayor’s Call to Action meeting where I learned of her passion for intergenerational connectivity and community development.
At the end of 2018, we had some girl talk about our plans for 2019. She declared plans were for herself in the upcoming year, and Sarah saying this this year, she was going to focus on giving more to herself. I am most proud– and most inspired– to acknowledge that Sarah fulfilled that New Year’s promise to herself in a major way.
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(Left-right): Fly Girl Network Founder Tiffany Ginyard; 2019 BNLP fellow Sarah Wallace; Baltimore Healthy Start Executive Director Lashelle Stewart; and 4-year-old Eden Wallace, Sarah’s daughter.
At the end of 2019, Sarah successfully completed the Bunting Neighborhood Leadership Program fellowship (BNLP) with a dynamic group of program directors, entrepreneurs, activists and food justice warriors. The program is a Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute initiative “that aims to equip the next generation of Baltimore’s community activists with the knowledge, skills, and tools to be transformative leaders.”
Since 2016, the Bunting Neighborhood Leadership Program has cultivated and trained three cohorts of neighborhood-level and community-based leaders to: identify effective ways to conduct and process needs assessments; engage the community utilizing the power of collective consciousness and acting together; develop systems of accountability and measurement to track the progress and impact of community initiatives and plans for change.
Sarah was already a transformational leader before the Bunting Leadership Program took an interest in her. Like we say ‘round way, she’s “been been.” She’s been the former Director of Operations of A Baltimore Girl’s Story, a local nonprofit women’s empowerment organization, and project manager for then Mayor Pugh’s Women’s Intergenerational Coalition, a community group by leading women in Baltimore.
Currently, Sarah is an active board member for Baltimore Healthy Start, a local nonprofit focused on reducing perinatal health disparities in disadvantaged communities.” Her community service parlays into business opportunities that allow her to support the city’s social entrepreneurs with strategic planning and brand management in her role as founder and principal consultant of Vision to Life, a consulting firm. She is also a Community Advisor for the East Baltimore Research Project (EBRP), a community-driven data project focused in Middle East Baltimore. It’s five-year mission is to give the residential communities within the project the data tools that they want to spark the change that they personally want to see.
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Congratulations, Sarah, for the work you put into yourself last year to make shifts happen in Baltimore. In 2020, we are looking forward to watching your perfect vision for this city unfold as you do. I am in total agreement with your cohort’s class superlative: “Most likely to win the Nobel Peace Prize.”
For the entire month of January I’ll be dedicating space in the Baltimore & Me column to acknowledge the workers out here shining light on the streets and alleyways of Baltimore with their lives. Meet me here to see who’s up next on the “Shift List.”
Baltimore & Me is a series of letters to Baltimore from a west-side F.L.Y. girl from who loves the city with her whole heart. Tiffany C. Ginyard is a local lightworker and founder of The Fly Girl Network, Inc., an outreach organization dedicated to curating conscious raising media and creating safe spaces for people to BE.
This National School Choice Week (January 26 – February 1), I want to share with you one of the most common short-circuits that parents run into when choosing the right school for their child. That way, if you see it coming, you can run the other way.
It starts with a thought like this: “Do I as a parent really know best about my child’s education? After all, I don’t have a graduate degree in education. There’s a lot of school jargon I’m not sure about. Should I let more equipped people make the calls about where and how my child is educated?”
I understand the tendency to think that way. But I work with tens of thousands of school leaders around the country— the “education experts”— every year, and here is what I believe:
You know your child better than anyone else. You are the expert on your child as a whole person— how they learn, experience the world, and what they’re passionate about. You are best positioned to help your student find the learning environment where their unique self will be cared for and inspired. Nobody is more invested in your child’s happiness than you.
The biggest mistake you can make as a parent is not recognizing that power you hold. Not only are you best equipped to make choices for your child’s education, but it can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do! When a parent finds a learning environment where their child’s potential is unleashed, it can mean the difference between that child finding success and confidence, or feeling like a failure.
Change that starts with parents is the single most powerful way to improve education in Maryland. Seek advice and use research, certainly, but also believe in your instinct and expertise as a parent. Around the country there’s evidence that, when we make it easier for parents to choose, they do make good choices for their child’s education. We’ve seen the positive impact accessible school options have had in places like Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and more.
In Maryland, there are a variety of educational available including: traditional public schools, charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, and homeschooling. Maryland families under a certain income level may qualify for a state-run scholarship program.
School choice is the starting point for better schools, where families are personally invested and there is a strong human connection and open communication between parents and teachers. When students learn that learning is something to be excited by, invested in, and challenged by, that shapes their perspective for life.
This School Choice Week, parents, students, and educators in Maryland will participate in more than 773 events and activities, celebrating all types of K-12 education and sharing knowledge with each other. It’s also a celebration of parents recognizing their power and choosing to be involved in their child’s education. This Week, realize your power as a parent and start thinking about what learning environment can best inspire your child to happiness in the 2020-2021 school year.
A nationally recognized advocate for children and families, Andrew R. Campanella serves as president of National School Choice Week, the world’s largest-annual celebration of opportunity in education. He lives in Miami, Florida.
Vice Adm. Sean Buck , 63rd Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. Keynote Speaker
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The 32nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Awards Reception and Dinner will be held Friday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m., at La Fontaine Bleue in Glen Burnie. The largest celebration of Dr. King’s birthday in Anne Arundel County is co-sponsored by the U.S. Naval Academy and St. John’s College. The Naval Academy Gospel Choir will perform at the event. The Academy’s new Superintendent will give his first address to a major civil rights organization. Among the 10 honorees acknowledged at the event are: Brian E. Frosh,
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Brian E. Frosh, Courageous Leadership Award
of Annapolis, winner of the Courageous Leadership Award, and Maryland’s 46th Attorney General; Thornell Jones, of Annapolis, winner of the Dream Keepers Award, who participated in the March on Washington in 1963 and the anniversary march in 2013, and has been a strong proponent of civil rights programs in Anne Arundel County; and BWI Deputy Fire Chief Gregory Lawrence,
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Thornell Jones, Dream Keepers Award
of Baltimore, winner of the Alan Hilliard Legum Civil Rights Award, for his outstanding contributions to the emergency management community.
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Gregory Lawrence Alan Hilliard Legum Civil Rights Award
General admission tickets for the dinner are $65 before Jan. 10 and $70 afterward, VIP tickets are $125, and all tickets may be purchased online at http://www.mlkjrmd.org/, by phone at 301-538-6353; or by mail to MLK Jr. Committee, PO Box 371, Annapolis, Md. 21404.
The VIP reception begins at 5 p.m. For VIP table reservations call Terry Mc Mahan at 410-760-4115 # 235. For ticket information, call 301.904.3690.
Addressing the dinner and reception will be Vice Adm. Sean Buck, the 63rd Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy giving his first address to a major civil rights organization.. A native of Indianapolis, Buck graduated and received his commission from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1983 and was designated a naval flight officer in 1985. Special guests attending the event will include Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman; Harford County Executive Barry Glassman; Congressman Anthony Brown; Congressman John P. Sarbanes; Judge Vickie Gipson; and a who’s who in local, state and national politics.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Awards Dinner in Anne Arundel County was founded in 1988 by then Alderman Carl Snowden. Designed to pay homage to the memory of Dr. King, the dinner honors those whose deeds, words, and actions have helped keep his legacy alive. The banquet is a reflection on the best that Anne Arundel County has to offer.
Other winners of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., awards who will be recognized for their dedication to the ideals of Dr. King include: Alderman DaJuan Gay, of Annapolis, winner of the Morris H. Blum Humanitarian Award; Lisa Lindsay-Mondoro, of Annapolis, winner of the We Share the Dream Award; Richard “Dick” Callahan, of Annapolis, winner of the c Lieutenant Oheneba K. Dwodu, of Annapolis, winner of the Drum Major Award; Midshipman Second Class Corey Jackson Jr., of Annapolis, winner of the Drum Major Award; Christine Tolbert, of Bel Air, winner of the Alan Hillard Legum Civil Rights Award; Sabrina Nelson Winters, of Bel Air, winner of the Drum Major Award; and Jesse Shanks, of Aberdeen, winner of the Alan Hillard Legum Civil Rights Award.
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Lisa Lindsay-Mondoro. We Share the Dream Award
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Richard Callahan. Peacemaker Award
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Oheneba K. Dwodu. Drum Major Award
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Corey Jackson Jr. Drum Major Award
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Christine Tolbert Alan Hillard Legum Civil Rights Award
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Sabrina Nelson Winters, Drum Major Award
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Jesse Shanks Alan Hillard Legum Civil Rights Award.
The Baltimore Ravens finished the regular season with the NFL’s sixth-ranked pass defense. The team successfully completed their group of cornerbacks when Marcus Peters was acquired from the Los Angeles Rams. Peters had a direct impact on third-year defensive back Marlon Humphrey.
“Marcus [Peters], when he came in, he more helped us restructure, especially in the secondary, the way he was talking and communicating. Chuck [Clark] was a big voice and getting us lined up with things and when Marcus came, he was another big, huge voice that was able to really help us,” Humphrey said. “It wasn’t like he came in and we had to figure out how he worked. He kind of came in and told us, ‘Let’s do it like this and this and that.’ So, for him, it’s just been a great addition.”
Humphrey took heed and was selected to the Pro Bowl and named an AP first-team All-Pro. He finished the regular season with three interceptions, two forced fumbles, 15 pass breakups, and 65 tackles.
A lot of Humphrey’s damage came when he moved inside to play nickel. According to defensive coach Chris Hewitt, the added duty is something they kind of stumbled upon.
“Originally, it started when we were playing against Cleveland. We wanted to be able to disguise where we were going to put Marlon [Humphrey] so that he could chase Odell Beckham around, so he had to learn some slot and some of the calls,” Hewitt said. “Brandon [Carr] was also playing in the slot. So, we did that as a way to disguise what we were doing, as far as coverage-wise, the blitzes and the pressures that we were doing. He did so well that I was just like, ‘Hell, let’s just keep him there.’ And it worked out. He did a great job just preparing, asking a lot of questions and going through our practice, and getting himself prepared. So, he’s done an extremely good job doing that.”
Humphrey embraced the opportunity to add to his repertoire. He said it gave him a linebacker’s mindset, especially when he is being used on blitzes. Lining up as nickel defender only adds to the already impressive list of things that Humphrey brings to the table. He feels it will make him a better overall player in the long run.
“I had to learn a little bit more of the playbook But it’s really made me see the game a lot better, because I already know what the corner is doing, and then on the nickel, I know how the corner is going to play it. I try to play it to where when I was at corner, you have to think, how do you want your nickel to play? And I kind of try to get on the same page as the corner,” Humphrey said.
The Ravens will need Humphrey to be at his best when they host the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round of the playoffs on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
When it was announced on December 8, 2019 that the late Marvin Miller, the first executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), had finally been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame I let out a yell of glee! Finally, an individual who did so much for baseball and knocked down so many walls has been recognized.
Transforming an organization—the MLBPA—that was barely functioning into one of the most important labor unions in the USA was no small feat. And opening the door to free agency, which he and his leadership team mastered through brilliant strategy, fundamentally changed baseball.
What was missing in all the excitement was the recognition of the first ‘soldier’ out of the foxhole who, in an act of great courage and sacrifice, laid the foundation for the victory that Miller was able to bring about. Of course, I am referencing the late Curt Flood.
Curt Flood, an African American outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, was faced with a forced trade to the Philadelphia Phillies. This was in the late 1960s when baseball players were de facto owned by their teams (due to the “reserve clause”). Flood refused the trade and went to Marvin Miller seeking support. Miller and other leaders of the MLBPA asked Flood some tough questions, including whether he was truly ready for the risks associated with taking such a stand. Flood convinced Miller, as well as player leaders such as Roberto Clemente (Pittsburgh Pirates), that he was ready and he then received their full support.
Flood fought a multi-year court battle, ultimately ending in the Supreme Court, trying to end the reserve clause and institute free agency (the ability of a player, after a specific period of time, to offer his services to the highest bidder). He was ultimately defeated in one of the strangest US Supreme Court decisions ever recorded. Flood was exiled from baseball; went into a tailspin; but, with the help of his second wife, actress Judy Pace and other key friends, was able to reestablish his life. He passed away in 1997.
Flood’s case, though going down in defeat, shook up the baseball world and discredited the reserve clause system. It laid the foundation for the strategy employed by Miller a few years later to crack the system and introduce free agency. It is as a result of the courage of Flood and the strategy of Miller that Major League players were able to gain the incredible salary improvements seen over the last four decades.
I have, for quite a long time, felt that both Miller and Flood should have been admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Both of them, in different and related ways, changed baseball as an industry. Miller’s induction was a great victory, hands down. Flood, however, was the first soldier out of the foxhole; a Rosa Parks-like figure in baseball who knew that though the odds were stacked against him, he was prepared to stand firm.
How could that not merit being admitted into the Hall of Fame?
Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the executive editor of globalafricanworker.com and the former president of TransAfrica Forum.
Hello my music friends, communities and fans. I am going to talk to you about music and musicians who have brought music of all kinds into our lives. I personally believe it has been woven into our lives no matter our lifestyle. After reading an article about musicians of the past and how they struggled to perform in various venues, particularly on the East Coast, it made me remember about those times since I am a former professional musician and singer myself. I wonder what life would be like without jazz, blues, roots, and R&B and the musicians who play them. I believe it would be a very sad world.
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Founder of the non-profit Dance Baltimore, a superwoman in the arts & entertainment world, Cheryl Goodman,. Renowned artist, performer, writer Goodman shares her gift and talent by opening classes to all types of dancing every Tuesday at Maryland Academy of Dance, 7097 Milford Industrial Blvd, Pikesville, Maryland. For more information, call at 410-370-8994.
I thank God for organizations such as Left Bank Jazz Society, Baltimore Chamber Jazz Society, Jazz Expressways Foundation, Baltimore Jazz Alliance, and Jazz Foundation of America, just to name a few.
Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) has been keeping jazz, blues, roots, and R&B alive for over 30 years by providing direct assistance to the people responsible for the music. Changes in the industry have left many behind, including underground legends, session players, and even the big names themselves. When age, illness, or disaster threatens a long career, many have nowhere to turn.
JFA keeps the rent paid, helps put food on the table, and lends a personal helping hand so that musicians can go back to doing what they love and what has been so precious to them—.making their music. Their social work services provide housing assistance, pro bono medical care, and emergency financial support to musicians in crisis. School programs that include music, jazz in particular, provide dignified employment for musicians who are unable to tour and reaches thousands of public schoolchildren every year.
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Happy Birthday to Baltimore’s renowned radio personality and Diva, Doresa Harvey who supports everybody in all walks of life. If you’re having a gospel show, bar party, jazz concert, Reggae Party, cabaret, crab feast, oldies show, children’s event, or just a community festival, you look up and there she is. She also celebrates 28 years in radio.
These musicians have played the soundtrack of our lives and comforted us in times of turmoil. “The Jazz Foundation came through for me in countless ways. They provided emotional and financial support, and they put me to work. Everyone at the foundation understands that healing doesn’t come from just sending someone a check… that helps, but it is only a part of the real healing. The Jazz Foundation sees the entire picture and the whole person, and I don’t know if I would be here today if it wasn’t for their love and care” quoted from a renowned musician.
The JFA team presents this level of compassion and understanding to every client, fostering long-term, personal relationships to empower musicians and restore hope and dignity in the most trying times. So my word to you, please support all music foundations that are incorporated and non-profit; you now know how much a couple of dollars purchasing a ticket at a non-profit music or jazz event or an organization such as the Jazz Foundation of American can help the next generation of musicians.
Okay my friends, you have talked me into it. I will write a third book about Baltimore Black History— all about you, your family and friends, entertainment, etc. It will be an extension from my second book, so my dear friends, I am going to need your help. I need a lot of special pictures with the information to go with it. If you, your family, friends from the ‘50s thru the ‘80s to be included, you must get it to me, I will edit it and include it in my book. Just call me if you have any questions, or email me with any questions.
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Clarence Mack, lovingly known as “Mack” the former owner of the famous bar/lounge called Mack’s C’est Bon Bar & Lounge on the corner of Reisterstown Road and Boarman Avenue in Baltimore for many years died December 30, 2019. Funeral Services are Saturday, January 11th at 9 a.m. at March Funeral Home on Wabash. Our condolences to his wife, Emma, and family.
Well, my dear friends, I got to go now, but if you need me, call me at 410-833-9474 or email me at rosapryor@aol.com. Or you can mail me your correspondence to 214 Conewood Avenue, Reisterstown, Maryland 21136. UNTIL THE NEXT TIME, I’M MUSICALLY YOURS.
Anxiety disorders and depression count among the most common mental illness in the United States, reportedly affecting 40 million adults nationwide.
In Baltimore City, about one of every four adults has a mental health disorder, which means that each resident has or knows someone with such a condition.
This in part, is the reason that Kellene Diana and her organization, The GREEN Heart Community Inc., plan to light the city green, on Saturday, January 11, 2020.
Diana, founder of The Green Heart, says she started the organization after coping with her own mental illness and recognizing the prevalence of mental health issues, and the stigma surrounding it that impedes many from seeking help.
“I used to struggle really badly with anxiety and depression. I couldn’t drive, and I couldn’t really function day-to-day,” said Diana, an author and mom with a commitment to erasing the stigma associated with anxiety and depression. “Through my determination, and the feelings that I had to fight hard, I was able to learn through therapy how to become a survivor.”
Diana added that she didn’t have a lot of resources while fighting anxiety and depression, but she did educate herself about the crisis.
“I remember telling myself that I was going to create a support system. Since then, I’ve learned a lot, and now I can drive by myself and be a member of society. I’m working and doing all the things I couldn’t before,” Diana said.
The “Light the City Green” event, which begins at 4:30 p.m. at War Memorial Plaza, will feature guest speakers including City Council President Brandon Scott and lots of survivors.
Already through events like “Light the City Green,” The Green Heart Community has been able to provide a platform to assist more than 1,500 people in achieving their dreams despite anxiety and depression.
Diana says using green lights, as the setting for the event will help raise awareness of the battle against anxiety and depression.
“I used to see purple lights everywhere in Baltimore for the Ravens, but I thought we needed to go green, which signals health,” Diana said. “So, by going green, we want people to know it’s okay to be healthy mentally.”
Further, Diana says the going green will help demonstrate that anxiety and depression will not “have the city in 2020; it will not have our households in 2020; it will not have our schools in 2020, and it will not have our children in 2020.”
“We have to come together and claim it,” she said. “Our city is worth of healing. I am asking for the people of Baltimore, men, women, and children, to come out and join us as we lock arms and spread green love and take a stand and break the stigma. It’s time for Baltimore to go green and to heal.”
A self-taught Baltimore tattoo artist will appear on the Paramount Network’s hit television show, “Ink Master.”
Emac, a traveling tattoo artist who began his career by practicing on himself, will represent the East on the show, which airs at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, January 7.
The season, which is titled “Ink Master: Turf War,” features contestants from four different regions of the country – East, West, South, and Midwest – representing their “turf” for a chance to win $100,000, an editorial feature in “Inked,” and the coveted “Ink Master” title.
“I’m excited because people will see something out of Baltimore that is positive and put the city in a more positive light,” Emac stated.
“I know the competition will be fierce, but everything is a learning process,” he said.
Emac began his career eight years ago.
He said a friend had promised to give him his first tattoo but never delivered.
“When I started working on myself, I realized that this is paying for more than just this stuff, it started paying my rent. It started paying for my car. And I was like, ‘You know what? This also can pay for studio time.’ It’s a win-win situation,” Emac stated.
From butterflies to roses and calligraphy, Emac has earned a reputation as the go-to tattoo artist in Baltimore and many other places.
With the Ink Master television competition, his profile is sure to be raised all the more.
Each of the artists on the show will be tested on their technical skills along with their on-the-spot creativity, as they must conceive and execute original tattoos on “human canvases.”
Officials noted that each episode of Ink Master will focus on a different and distinct style of tattooing and, as always, while the artists’ masterpieces will last a lifetime, so will their mistakes.
Emac and the other contestants will face a sturdy panel made up of Dave Navarro (musician, filmmaker, and artist) and renowned tattoo artists Chris Nunez and Oliver Peck.
“This is definitely going to be a learning experience for the next day,” said Emac, whose first love is music. “But this is crazy.”
Emac said he doesn’t favor one work of his art over another. He’s proud of them all.
“Every piece of work I do is exciting to me,” Emac stated. “I try to make whatever I’m doing better than the last thing I did.”
For more information about the show, visit: https://www.paramountnetwork.com/shows/ink-master
