The Miami Herald
''The future'' is the biggest incentive for young voters on South Florida's college campuses, but free T-shirts, debates and online networking help spark interest, too.
BY TE-ERIKA PATTERSON
teerika@gmail.com
When 20-year-old Shane Johnson signed on to become a resident assistant at Nova Southeastern University, he figured he'd have to explain the rules of dorm living, offer advice about college life and maybe plan a social event or two. He had no idea that his stint as an RA would lead to organizing Step It Up, a campus-wide movement to promote awareness of the political process.
While thinking of ways to educate his floor's residents about politics, Johnson discussed a few of his ideas with his advisors and they encouraged him to expand the project. His events soon became an outreach to the entire campus and have inspired a wave of political interest for the student body.
Step It Up boasts multiple registration drives, complete with an electronic voting system that confirms voter registration status, as well as the location of the registration.
''We registered over 100 students in a three-day span,'' says Johnson, a junior who is a business major.
The initiative also invites guest speakers to campus to encourage students to participate in the voting process. Upcoming speakers include Brenda Smith, Broward County's supervisor of elections, and a group of war veterans, who will speak about Iraq.
''In the past, we've been seen as the age range that doesn't care,'' Johnson says. ``This is our country, we are the leaders of tomorrow and we have to do whatever it takes to know what's going on and have an active voice in the world.''
Further south, at the University of Miami, there are four political organizations registered on campus: the Council for Democracy, Get Out the Vote, College Republicans and Young Democrats.
Mewelau Hall, 23, is a senior who serves as the director of Get Out the Vote (GOTV). This non-partisan group works with other partisan groups to engage students in the political process. With a staff of 12, Hall and the members of GOTV hold mock debates, political rallies and voter registration drives. They also give away T-shirts and food to remind students that the voting process is not boring.
''Even though we give free pizza to students who vote, it's not to coerce them, it's to let them know that there is an incentive to voting,'' Hall says. ``The biggest incentive will be their future.''
MOCK POLITICS
On the Miami Shores campus of Barry University, students combined their acting skills with their political knowledge in a full-scale mock debate that represented all the candidates on the ballot for the January presidential primary. That was followed by a mock election.
The debate drew representatives from the Democratic National Committee/Florida Democratic Party, as well as a rep from the Rudy Giuliani campaign.
The College Republicans at Florida International University offer registration drives on and off campus. Several members also are active in Republican campaigns, where they've been able to witness the process firsthand.
Instead of bringing in intermediaries to explain platforms and policies, College Republicans have reached out to candidates and campaign leaders to speak on campus. The school has had visits from U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman and former New York Mayor Giuliani.
USING FACEBOOK
''The people elect the decision makers and if you don't vote, then you can't really complain about the decisions being made,'' says Juan Carlos Rabaina, 21, a representative of College Republicans.
College Democrats meet once a week, hand out voter registration forms and use Facebook.com to reach out to students.
''We have 235 members in our Facebook group,'' says Chris Cabral, 21, president of the group. ``When we have events, we put them on Facebook and we receive RSVPs from that. We've realized that sending out e-mails is less effective than Facebook because students don't check their e-mail everyday, but they always check Facebook.''
College Democrats also go door to door in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus, informing residents about the candidates and registering voters.
''It's the most effective mode of voter contact,'' Cabral says. ``If you talk to people one-on-one about the political process, they're more likely to listen and take action.''
Showing posts with label Newspaper Feature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newspaper Feature. Show all posts
Friday, March 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Popular Website Dishes Dirt
BY TE-ERIKA PATTERSON
teerika@gmail.com
The Miami Herald
Controversial- Mediatakout.com feeds the public's hunger for news about black celebrities- and fills a void left by other gossip sites.
Radio personality Supa Cindy bursts into fits oflaughter as she reads theheadlines from her favoritegossip website, MediaTakeOut.com.
"I am hooked and addictedto this website," laughs Supa of South Florida's WEDR-FM (99.1).
She's not alone. The African-American celebrity gossip site has skyrocketed in popularity since its inception in January 2006, when founder and executive editor Fred Mwangaguhunga noticed that African-American celebrities were largely ignored by more mainstream celebrity gossip sites, such as TMZ.com and PerezHilton.com.
Mwangaguhunga, a former lawyer, claims his MediaTakeOut.com -- MTO for short-- now attracts nearly 2 million unique visitors each day, feeding viewers' desire for off-collar jokes and salacious rumors that poke fun at celebrities like rappers Trina and Lil Wayne, as well as actress Gabrielle Union, who is often photographed partying in South Beach clubs.
The tabloid-style site has its share of detractors. Critics have accused it of fabricating stories and padding the number of hits reported. But to some, the controversy is part of the appeal.
OUTRAGEOUS' CONTENT
Affectionately known as''The Skirt with the Dirt,"Supa Cindy lists MTO as her No. 1 source for the gossip she dishes as co-hostof "The Big Lip Bandit Morn-ing Show."
"I like MediaTakeOutbecause it's outrageous!'' Supa says. "Sometimes they report something that I don't personally think is true, but I will report it and then say,'You can believe it or not.'The fun part is waiting a few days for [other media outlets]to report it and then seeing if it's really true."
MTO's popularity stems from its controversial "exclusives." The website claimed to be the first to report Tameka Foster's pregnancy from R&B star Usher, as well as entertainment mogul Did-dy's secret love child. Its sto-ries are often quoted and crit-icized by MTV News, BET and syndicated radio personalities Wendy Williams and Tom Joyner.
"I think people are drawn to websites like MediaTakeOut because the publicists and television make celebrities out to be perfect," Supa says.
"Fans want to know that even stars go through negative things and everyday drama just like they do."
Before he became an Internet entrepreneur, Mwangaguhunga, 33, was a corporate attorney on Wall Street. He then tried his hand as a business owner before selling off his Manhattan-based laundry service. While advertising for his laundry business, Mwangaguhunga advertised on blogs. When he noticed how well the blogs were doing financially, he decided it was time to join them.
SMALL OFFICE, BIG NAME
Mwangaguhunga was recently named one of the''100 Giants'' in the world of entertainment by the urban music magazine Giant, a list that included Kanye West and Oprah Winfrey.
MediaTakeOut doesn't employ a large staff. Apart from Mwangaguhunga, there are only two full-time employees in the downtown Manhattan office space, neither of which are professional journalists. But Mwangaguhunga says he doesn't need aroom full of reporters.
"What we do have are the people," he says.
The website relies heavily on tips sent in by readers, many of whom claim to have the inside scoop on celebrities personal escapades. The regular use of unnamed sources has spawned criti-cism from other gossip site owners, journalists and celebrities who say the reportsare inaccurate and fabricated.
Mwangaguhunga counters that the stories on MTO are''100 percent true." He says the site goes to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of its reports and has even even hired private investigators to verify stories.
EVERYBODY LIKES TO WATCH
If its viewership of 2 millionis accurate, MTO's audience is larger than many popular mainstream websites, as well as respected sites that target African Americans, such asEssence.com, AOL's Black-voices.com and BlackAmericaWeb.com. Some may wonder why there is such amassive following for a website that runs headlines like "Rapper Lil Wayne Behind 4 Months On His Car Payment'' and "Jennifer Aniston Picks the Wedgie Out of Her Booty."
"Well, why do people read The National Enquirer? Why do they read The Sun or any of those other tabloids?" says Richard Prince, author of the online media column "Prince's Journal-isms'' for the Maynard Institute. "It's the human impulse for gossip."
Prince says MTO is full of "hype and exaggeration''and should not be compared to traditional news and entertainment sources.
"It's like asking, 'What's the difference between People magazine and the National Enquirer?' '' Prince says.
Mirlande Noel, 23, of Miami has her own take on why there's widespread fascination with MTO.
"Each of those publications and websites caters to a specific audience," Noel says.''Essence.com caters to amore sophisticated Black reader, BlackAmericaWeb.com has a more mature, educated audience, and Mediatakeout.com's stories attract an audience where, regardless of your education or your socio-economical background, they communicate in a way that all of us can relate to. Regardless of how educated we are, or how much money we have in our pockets, at the end of the day, we can all pull out that 'sistergirl' and laugh at these kind of stories."
teerika@gmail.com
The Miami Herald
Controversial- Mediatakout.com feeds the public's hunger for news about black celebrities- and fills a void left by other gossip sites.
Radio personality Supa Cindy bursts into fits oflaughter as she reads theheadlines from her favoritegossip website, MediaTakeOut.com.
"I am hooked and addictedto this website," laughs Supa of South Florida's WEDR-FM (99.1).
She's not alone. The African-American celebrity gossip site has skyrocketed in popularity since its inception in January 2006, when founder and executive editor Fred Mwangaguhunga noticed that African-American celebrities were largely ignored by more mainstream celebrity gossip sites, such as TMZ.com and PerezHilton.com.
Mwangaguhunga, a former lawyer, claims his MediaTakeOut.com -- MTO for short-- now attracts nearly 2 million unique visitors each day, feeding viewers' desire for off-collar jokes and salacious rumors that poke fun at celebrities like rappers Trina and Lil Wayne, as well as actress Gabrielle Union, who is often photographed partying in South Beach clubs.
The tabloid-style site has its share of detractors. Critics have accused it of fabricating stories and padding the number of hits reported. But to some, the controversy is part of the appeal.
OUTRAGEOUS' CONTENT
Affectionately known as''The Skirt with the Dirt,"Supa Cindy lists MTO as her No. 1 source for the gossip she dishes as co-hostof "The Big Lip Bandit Morn-ing Show."
"I like MediaTakeOutbecause it's outrageous!'' Supa says. "Sometimes they report something that I don't personally think is true, but I will report it and then say,'You can believe it or not.'The fun part is waiting a few days for [other media outlets]to report it and then seeing if it's really true."
MTO's popularity stems from its controversial "exclusives." The website claimed to be the first to report Tameka Foster's pregnancy from R&B star Usher, as well as entertainment mogul Did-dy's secret love child. Its sto-ries are often quoted and crit-icized by MTV News, BET and syndicated radio personalities Wendy Williams and Tom Joyner.
"I think people are drawn to websites like MediaTakeOut because the publicists and television make celebrities out to be perfect," Supa says.
"Fans want to know that even stars go through negative things and everyday drama just like they do."
Before he became an Internet entrepreneur, Mwangaguhunga, 33, was a corporate attorney on Wall Street. He then tried his hand as a business owner before selling off his Manhattan-based laundry service. While advertising for his laundry business, Mwangaguhunga advertised on blogs. When he noticed how well the blogs were doing financially, he decided it was time to join them.
SMALL OFFICE, BIG NAME
Mwangaguhunga was recently named one of the''100 Giants'' in the world of entertainment by the urban music magazine Giant, a list that included Kanye West and Oprah Winfrey.
MediaTakeOut doesn't employ a large staff. Apart from Mwangaguhunga, there are only two full-time employees in the downtown Manhattan office space, neither of which are professional journalists. But Mwangaguhunga says he doesn't need aroom full of reporters.
"What we do have are the people," he says.
The website relies heavily on tips sent in by readers, many of whom claim to have the inside scoop on celebrities personal escapades. The regular use of unnamed sources has spawned criti-cism from other gossip site owners, journalists and celebrities who say the reportsare inaccurate and fabricated.
Mwangaguhunga counters that the stories on MTO are''100 percent true." He says the site goes to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of its reports and has even even hired private investigators to verify stories.
EVERYBODY LIKES TO WATCH
If its viewership of 2 millionis accurate, MTO's audience is larger than many popular mainstream websites, as well as respected sites that target African Americans, such asEssence.com, AOL's Black-voices.com and BlackAmericaWeb.com. Some may wonder why there is such amassive following for a website that runs headlines like "Rapper Lil Wayne Behind 4 Months On His Car Payment'' and "Jennifer Aniston Picks the Wedgie Out of Her Booty."
"Well, why do people read The National Enquirer? Why do they read The Sun or any of those other tabloids?" says Richard Prince, author of the online media column "Prince's Journal-isms'' for the Maynard Institute. "It's the human impulse for gossip."
Prince says MTO is full of "hype and exaggeration''and should not be compared to traditional news and entertainment sources.
"It's like asking, 'What's the difference between People magazine and the National Enquirer?' '' Prince says.
Mirlande Noel, 23, of Miami has her own take on why there's widespread fascination with MTO.
"Each of those publications and websites caters to a specific audience," Noel says.''Essence.com caters to amore sophisticated Black reader, BlackAmericaWeb.com has a more mature, educated audience, and Mediatakeout.com's stories attract an audience where, regardless of your education or your socio-economical background, they communicate in a way that all of us can relate to. Regardless of how educated we are, or how much money we have in our pockets, at the end of the day, we can all pull out that 'sistergirl' and laugh at these kind of stories."
Monday, January 28, 2008
Young Professionals Connect In Miami
Broward Times
By Te-Erika Patterson
It was a crisp, clear night in Miami’s Design District as more than 70 young professionals and guests gathered during the interactive networking event, “Life: The Game.”
The event, presented by the Metro-Miami Action Plan Trust and Miami-Dade College (North Campus) at the Art Fusion Gallery on Nov. 30, offered various simulated “life stations.” Experts in health and fitness, wine, food and travel, business etiquette and social graces moderated the simulations.
The event was sponsored by the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, created specifically for the members of the Young Professionals Network (YPN).
The chamber organized the YPN in October to attract, retain and empower the young, black professional community of South Florida.The group allows members access to established business professionals and a wealth of personal growth opportunities.
The organization targets young professionals between the ages of 25 and 40, and has attracted more than 50 new members since its inception.The group holds monthly meetings and caters to young black professionals from all career fields and at all levels. Membership dues are $100 annually and are re-invested into the plethora of activities hosted by the YPN.
Pembroke Pines resident Nerissa Street was introduced to the YPN after meeting chamber President Bill Diggs. He invited her to participate in a focus group that assessed the needs and concerns of the disconnected young, black professional community of South Florida.
The 33-year-old CEO of The Artist Initiative, an organization created to assist artists and entrepreneurs to gain financial stability, was eager to become a part of the YPN.
“After meeting everyone during the focus group, I realized that this was an organization that had progressive, upwardly mobile young professionals who were joining together to improve who they were,” Street said. “Honestly,” Street continued. “I need this group of upwardly mobile professionals because I need a place to serve. This is a group where I feel that I can make an impact, develop myself, and help others.”
During the Nov. 30 event, the Street’s “Culture Creates Commerce” lecture challenged participants to recognize the power of art and culture in business.
It was the perfect complement to other notable presentations by Harriet Cole, the creative director of Ebony magazine, as well as fitness experts Tanya and Kwaku James, who operate a personal coaching and fitness business in Miami Shores.“Life: The Game” was the fourth quarterly installment of the YPN’s Business Empowerment Networking Series. It was an example of the YPN’s effort to strengthen its membership and move forward with a goal of attracting the nation’s finest young, black professionals to South Florida.
Cedric McMinn, 29, a government relations specialist with the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff in Miami said, “I feel like YPN has changed my outlook on South Florida. It feels great to be a part of an organization that suits my personal and professional needs. YPN provides wonderful opportunities for young, black professionals like myself to strive even harder for success. As a member of YPN, I feel I am a part of the positive change that is going to occur in South Florida.”
For 28-year-old Marsha Griffiths, a Commercial Broker with Terranova, a commercial real estate advisory firm, the YPN was a much-needed boost for her connection to other professionals in South Florida.
“I have had the pleasure of meeting young professionals like myself including people who are natives of Miami as well as alumni of my alma mater, the University of Florida,” Griffith said. “During the first YPN meeting when we unveiled the issue of Success South Florida magazine featuring Mr. Diggs and other YPN members, there were numerous individuals in attendance at this event from so many professional backgrounds. I never thought these people existed in South Florida. I was in awe.”
As young professionals in the South Florida community are being connected and nurtured through this organization, many people are saluting Diggs for the implementation of his vision.
“I think Bill Diggs is the ‘Moses’ of YPN,” Griffiths said with a smile. “Long after Mr. Diggs is gone, his legacy will continue on as the founder of a movement that has fostered the growth of young, black professionals in South Florida. I look forward to the day that our city rivals the black, educated, professional population in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, DC.”
By Te-Erika Patterson
It was a crisp, clear night in Miami’s Design District as more than 70 young professionals and guests gathered during the interactive networking event, “Life: The Game.”
The event, presented by the Metro-Miami Action Plan Trust and Miami-Dade College (North Campus) at the Art Fusion Gallery on Nov. 30, offered various simulated “life stations.” Experts in health and fitness, wine, food and travel, business etiquette and social graces moderated the simulations.
The event was sponsored by the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, created specifically for the members of the Young Professionals Network (YPN).
The chamber organized the YPN in October to attract, retain and empower the young, black professional community of South Florida.The group allows members access to established business professionals and a wealth of personal growth opportunities.
The organization targets young professionals between the ages of 25 and 40, and has attracted more than 50 new members since its inception.The group holds monthly meetings and caters to young black professionals from all career fields and at all levels. Membership dues are $100 annually and are re-invested into the plethora of activities hosted by the YPN.
Pembroke Pines resident Nerissa Street was introduced to the YPN after meeting chamber President Bill Diggs. He invited her to participate in a focus group that assessed the needs and concerns of the disconnected young, black professional community of South Florida.
The 33-year-old CEO of The Artist Initiative, an organization created to assist artists and entrepreneurs to gain financial stability, was eager to become a part of the YPN.
“After meeting everyone during the focus group, I realized that this was an organization that had progressive, upwardly mobile young professionals who were joining together to improve who they were,” Street said. “Honestly,” Street continued. “I need this group of upwardly mobile professionals because I need a place to serve. This is a group where I feel that I can make an impact, develop myself, and help others.”
During the Nov. 30 event, the Street’s “Culture Creates Commerce” lecture challenged participants to recognize the power of art and culture in business.
It was the perfect complement to other notable presentations by Harriet Cole, the creative director of Ebony magazine, as well as fitness experts Tanya and Kwaku James, who operate a personal coaching and fitness business in Miami Shores.“Life: The Game” was the fourth quarterly installment of the YPN’s Business Empowerment Networking Series. It was an example of the YPN’s effort to strengthen its membership and move forward with a goal of attracting the nation’s finest young, black professionals to South Florida.
Cedric McMinn, 29, a government relations specialist with the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff in Miami said, “I feel like YPN has changed my outlook on South Florida. It feels great to be a part of an organization that suits my personal and professional needs. YPN provides wonderful opportunities for young, black professionals like myself to strive even harder for success. As a member of YPN, I feel I am a part of the positive change that is going to occur in South Florida.”
For 28-year-old Marsha Griffiths, a Commercial Broker with Terranova, a commercial real estate advisory firm, the YPN was a much-needed boost for her connection to other professionals in South Florida.
“I have had the pleasure of meeting young professionals like myself including people who are natives of Miami as well as alumni of my alma mater, the University of Florida,” Griffith said. “During the first YPN meeting when we unveiled the issue of Success South Florida magazine featuring Mr. Diggs and other YPN members, there were numerous individuals in attendance at this event from so many professional backgrounds. I never thought these people existed in South Florida. I was in awe.”
As young professionals in the South Florida community are being connected and nurtured through this organization, many people are saluting Diggs for the implementation of his vision.
“I think Bill Diggs is the ‘Moses’ of YPN,” Griffiths said with a smile. “Long after Mr. Diggs is gone, his legacy will continue on as the founder of a movement that has fostered the growth of young, black professionals in South Florida. I look forward to the day that our city rivals the black, educated, professional population in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, DC.”
BSO Offers Chance To Create Hit Song
The Broward Times
By Te-Erika Patterson
The Broward Sheriff's Office recently offered a dream come true for budding song writers who believed they have the skills to create a hit song.
BSO teamed up with the Harold Reitman Boys & Girls Club to offer talented young writers the chance to win $1,000 for writing an uplifting song.
The Just Write Song Contest, open to Broward County residents between the ages of 10 and 18, last month accepted song entries that displayed a positive message, one that encourages communication with law enforcement, school officials and the community.
“We have 62 school resource deputies in 69 Broward County schools that are spreading the message about the contest,’’ said Lt. Anthony DeMarco, of BSO’s Youth Intervention & Enforcement Division. “We've already received quite a few entries that really hit the mark.’’
The contest’s official guidelines, which can be found on the BSO website (www.sheriff.org), offered a step-by-step guide for structuring song lyrics. It also offers music downloads as well as recommended song topics.
The Just Write Song Contest sought entries based on themes like respecting women, staying in school, pregnancy prevention and safe driving.
“We're trying to reach out to the community and get some positive messages out there through this contest,’’ DeMarco said.
The contest, which began on Oct. 1, accepted entries until Oct. 31.
The 10 best entrants will record their songs as part of a compilation CD in the fully equipped recording studio at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County's administrative headquarters, 877 Northwest 61 Street, Fort Lauderdale.
The writer of the best song entry will receive $1,000. The Just Write CD will be professionally mixed, packaged and distributed by the Broward Sherriff's Office. Distribution methods have not been determined yet.
The-state-of-the-art recording studio was donated to the Boys & Girls Club by a group of individuals late last year and is now managed by 28-year-old Shawn Elliott of Fort Lauderdale, whose love of music led to a fruitful career as a hip-hop recording artist.
Elliott now lends his time and energy to sharing the same love for music production with members of the Boys & Girls Club.
“Kids come in and write their own music. I teach them how to use the equipment and we record in the studio,’’ Elliot said. “It teaches the kids confidence, helps with their public speaking skills and teaches them respect for themselves and others. This contest is just the first step toward helping these kids improve their lives through music.’’
By Te-Erika Patterson
The Broward Sheriff's Office recently offered a dream come true for budding song writers who believed they have the skills to create a hit song.
BSO teamed up with the Harold Reitman Boys & Girls Club to offer talented young writers the chance to win $1,000 for writing an uplifting song.
The Just Write Song Contest, open to Broward County residents between the ages of 10 and 18, last month accepted song entries that displayed a positive message, one that encourages communication with law enforcement, school officials and the community.
“We have 62 school resource deputies in 69 Broward County schools that are spreading the message about the contest,’’ said Lt. Anthony DeMarco, of BSO’s Youth Intervention & Enforcement Division. “We've already received quite a few entries that really hit the mark.’’
The contest’s official guidelines, which can be found on the BSO website (www.sheriff.org), offered a step-by-step guide for structuring song lyrics. It also offers music downloads as well as recommended song topics.
The Just Write Song Contest sought entries based on themes like respecting women, staying in school, pregnancy prevention and safe driving.
“We're trying to reach out to the community and get some positive messages out there through this contest,’’ DeMarco said.
The contest, which began on Oct. 1, accepted entries until Oct. 31.
The 10 best entrants will record their songs as part of a compilation CD in the fully equipped recording studio at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County's administrative headquarters, 877 Northwest 61 Street, Fort Lauderdale.
The writer of the best song entry will receive $1,000. The Just Write CD will be professionally mixed, packaged and distributed by the Broward Sherriff's Office. Distribution methods have not been determined yet.
The-state-of-the-art recording studio was donated to the Boys & Girls Club by a group of individuals late last year and is now managed by 28-year-old Shawn Elliott of Fort Lauderdale, whose love of music led to a fruitful career as a hip-hop recording artist.
Elliott now lends his time and energy to sharing the same love for music production with members of the Boys & Girls Club.
“Kids come in and write their own music. I teach them how to use the equipment and we record in the studio,’’ Elliot said. “It teaches the kids confidence, helps with their public speaking skills and teaches them respect for themselves and others. This contest is just the first step toward helping these kids improve their lives through music.’’
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Arraignment Set for Man Accused of Slaying Ex-Girlfriend
By Te-Erika Patterson
HOUSTON DEFENDER
An April 26th arraignment date is scheduled for Timothy Shepherd, the man accused of strangling his former girlfriend, mutilating her body and burning it on two barbecue grills on the patio of his apartment.
Shepherd’s bond has been set at $250,000 but his attorney, Chip Lewis, advised that his life might be in danger if he made his bond.
“The investigation is still underway,” District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said. “We are still collecting evidence and we will present it to the grand jury sometime hopefully before the arraignment date.”
The prosecutor assigned to the Shepherd case in the 183rd District Court, Marie Primm said, “I look forward to presenting the evidence and I am confident in prosecuting this case.”
Tynesha Stewart, a 19-year-old Texas A&M University freshman, was home on spring break when she disappeared after leaving her mother’s apartment with Shepherd on March 15.
According to Stewart’s friends, she ended the relationship with Shepherd, a former pizza delivery driver, earlier this year.
Authorities allege that the 27-year-old Shepherd confessed to strangling Stewart because he was angry that she had become involved in a relationship with another man. In the police report Shepherd confessed to burning the body, but the absence of physical evidence supporting this confession has caused community members to demand a more involved investigation.
A community protest in the form of a press conference, organized by members of the Houston Area Urban League as well as members of the NAACP demanded that the Harris County Sheriff’s department conduct a more thorough investigation into the case.
“The protest was a call for a much more comprehensive assessment of what happened to Tynesha,” said Sylvia Brooks, CEO of the Houston Area Urban League. “We do not feel that a thorough enough investigation of the whole case has been done by the fire department that went into the guy’s house or by the Sheriff’s Department.
“They are concerned that the Sheriff asked for money to search the landfill and is not using it. Some members of our group have spoke with the family and the family indicated that they did want them to search for her body,” Brooks asserted.
Despite claims that the complete destruction of human remains requires extremely high temperatures that would be difficult to reach with a home patio grill, Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas remained firm in his insistence that there are no remnants of Stewart’s body.
“Sheriff Thomas said there are no remains to be found and any search would be fruitless,” stated John Martin, Lieutenant Public Information Officer for the Harris County sheriff’s office. “Our investigators continue to strengthen their case. They’ve been out to the apartment searching for any forensic evidence. It remains to be seen how the case will proceed.”
In response to the protest, Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas issued a statement that read, “Never in my 38 years of law enforcement career have I been subjected to such harsh and unnecessary criticism, and based on the information being relayed to the public, the criticism was warranted. My decision was based on facts that were known to investigators or still being developed by investigators, and yet, facts that I could not discuss outside of law enforcement without compromising the investigation.
“The public in general, and Tynesha Stewart’s family in particular, deserve the best possible criminal investigation that the Harris County sheriff’s office can conduct,” the statement continued. “And I refuse to compromise this, or any investigation regardless of the level of scrutiny or criticism this department is facing at the moment.”
HOUSTON DEFENDER
An April 26th arraignment date is scheduled for Timothy Shepherd, the man accused of strangling his former girlfriend, mutilating her body and burning it on two barbecue grills on the patio of his apartment.
Shepherd’s bond has been set at $250,000 but his attorney, Chip Lewis, advised that his life might be in danger if he made his bond.
“The investigation is still underway,” District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said. “We are still collecting evidence and we will present it to the grand jury sometime hopefully before the arraignment date.”
The prosecutor assigned to the Shepherd case in the 183rd District Court, Marie Primm said, “I look forward to presenting the evidence and I am confident in prosecuting this case.”
Tynesha Stewart, a 19-year-old Texas A&M University freshman, was home on spring break when she disappeared after leaving her mother’s apartment with Shepherd on March 15.
According to Stewart’s friends, she ended the relationship with Shepherd, a former pizza delivery driver, earlier this year.
Authorities allege that the 27-year-old Shepherd confessed to strangling Stewart because he was angry that she had become involved in a relationship with another man. In the police report Shepherd confessed to burning the body, but the absence of physical evidence supporting this confession has caused community members to demand a more involved investigation.
A community protest in the form of a press conference, organized by members of the Houston Area Urban League as well as members of the NAACP demanded that the Harris County Sheriff’s department conduct a more thorough investigation into the case.
“The protest was a call for a much more comprehensive assessment of what happened to Tynesha,” said Sylvia Brooks, CEO of the Houston Area Urban League. “We do not feel that a thorough enough investigation of the whole case has been done by the fire department that went into the guy’s house or by the Sheriff’s Department.
“They are concerned that the Sheriff asked for money to search the landfill and is not using it. Some members of our group have spoke with the family and the family indicated that they did want them to search for her body,” Brooks asserted.
Despite claims that the complete destruction of human remains requires extremely high temperatures that would be difficult to reach with a home patio grill, Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas remained firm in his insistence that there are no remnants of Stewart’s body.
“Sheriff Thomas said there are no remains to be found and any search would be fruitless,” stated John Martin, Lieutenant Public Information Officer for the Harris County sheriff’s office. “Our investigators continue to strengthen their case. They’ve been out to the apartment searching for any forensic evidence. It remains to be seen how the case will proceed.”
In response to the protest, Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas issued a statement that read, “Never in my 38 years of law enforcement career have I been subjected to such harsh and unnecessary criticism, and based on the information being relayed to the public, the criticism was warranted. My decision was based on facts that were known to investigators or still being developed by investigators, and yet, facts that I could not discuss outside of law enforcement without compromising the investigation.
“The public in general, and Tynesha Stewart’s family in particular, deserve the best possible criminal investigation that the Harris County sheriff’s office can conduct,” the statement continued. “And I refuse to compromise this, or any investigation regardless of the level of scrutiny or criticism this department is facing at the moment.”
Missing: BLACK FACES
Naomi Campbell dishes about the lack of ethnic faces on the runway
By Te-Erika Patterson
HOUSTON DEFENDER
There’s a calm excitement backstage as models are being prepared for their runway debut at Houston’s FashionWeekLive 2007 organized by International Management Group (IMG), the managers of top models. Hair dryers are humming as eagle-eyed hairdressers primp and tease unruly locks. Cheekbones are accentuated by Sephora’s leading make-up artists and the team of dressers are systematically organizing the wardrobe ‘looks’ for each IMG model on the board.
At each dressing table, a reflection peeks back at you from the brightly lit mirrors. These are the same faces that you see in fashion magazines; serious expressions, hollow eyes, blonde hair and pale skin. But where are the Black faces among these celebrated beauties?
As you search for a face that resembles yours, you’re hard pressed to find one. That is…until you come across a dainty figure with a coco complexion, carelessly fiddling with her cell phone. Her big brown eyes open wide as she looks up to meet your gaze.
It’s Naomi Campbell, one of the world’s most sought after supermodels. Her introduction into the modeling industry proved to the world that the exclusive fashion lords can appreciate varying degrees of beauty. Over the course of her career, Campbell, who was born in South London, is reported to have appeared on more than 500 magazine covers including Time, Elle and The British Vogue.
This particular evening Campbell’s face lights up when asked about her participation in Houston’s FashionWeekLive, which offered the general public a chance to attend the exclusive showing of 30 of the fashion industry’s hottest looks for Fall 2007.
“I think this is going to take off all over the world,” Campbell said with a grin. “I think it’s a great idea for IMG to come up with this. It’s a great initiative because I feel that we get to share with the rest of the world and not just with the VIP’s and the editors. Its great to be able to spread ourselves to the public and those are the people who put us where we are today. So I feel really happy to be a part of this.”
Campbell, who was one of only two Black faces in IMG’s line-up for the show, paused reflectively when asked if she thought the fashion industry is now more open to embrace different ethnicities.
“Yes, it still could be better,” Campbell responded. “I would like to see more Black women on covers of magazines and I would like to see Black women treated equally as white women but I don’t know if that will ever happen. Will it?”
Will it ever happen? That’s the question that’s been on Bethann Hardison’s mind since she began a career as a model in the 1960’s.
“The girl of color has become less and less visible,” Hardison said as she sat erect in her chair, adjusting her posture while waiting for the fashion show to begin. The former model and head of Bethann Management, a now defunct modeling agency based in New York City, who is also the mother of actor Kadeem Hardison and the manager of Tyson Beckford, has remained heavily immersed in the fashion industry. Hardison supports Campbell’s assertion of unequal representation on the runway.
“When you look at television, everything looks very diverse,” Hardison said. “You see everybody and everything looks Black and brown and Latin. Everything is nicely balanced…[In direct contrast to what we see] when we look at the runway and we’re talking about fashion. We’re not talking about commercial television. We’re not talking about America’s Next Top Model because that’s not really fashion. That’s like a beauty pageant. I have no problem saying this. It’s true.”
“It’s a reality show and it’s a very successful one,” Hardison continued. “We must not get confused about what’s really true and what isn’t. When it comes to fashion, the people who decide who’s going to be on [the show] are editors, photographers and stylists who really have nothing to do with [the fashion] world. If you look at what you see go down the runway, you’ll see what’s on it and what’s not on it.”
But who decides who gets to be a model? Are all hopeful models at the mercy of fashion editors? Are a pretty face and a strong desire enough to make it in the industry?
“The person who is going to decide if you’re right for them is the seeker and not the individual who wants to be,” Hardison replied matter of factly. “She’s just got to be the right girl at the right time and be the right thing. Even me. I look. I have an eye. The industry has changed a great deal. No one is going to push a girl up ahead. It’s only going to happen if the girl is dragged [because] someone notices her.”
Marie Fuema, 22, experienced the immediate pull of the modeling industry, unlike most models who face consistent rejection before finding their niche. She left Senegal for the United States to study business management, walked into the IMG offices and walked out with a contract. A year and a half later she shares the runway with widely celebrated models like Naomi Campbell.
“I was really the biggest nerd,” Fuema recalled with a smile. “I had big glasses. I’m wearing contacts. I was the ugliest baby ever. If I showed you my pictures you’d be like, ‘Damn girl!’” But ugly babies can grow up and make runways sizzle, if they have the guts to believe in themselves.
Fuema believed in herself. And Naomi Campbell did too. That’s why Campbell offered words of advice to aspiring young models who believe they have what it takes to step above the color line.
“Keep it tight. Don’t listen to too many people. Try to keep your family around you. Try to be sincere and not take any of it personally. Sometimes you go for a casting and they don’t want you. Sometimes girls can take that really to heart and they can get very upset and hurt by it. That’s what I mean by taking it personally.”
For longevity on or off the runway, Campbell suggested a dose of humility.
“When I mess up. I say it. When I’m sorry, I say it. And I think a lot of people in my industry have forgiven me and given me many chances because I am that way. I am grateful and sincerely blessed to be able to have many opportunities traveling the world, meeting amazing people. I’m now in a stage in my life where I want to be in the business that I am in. I want to do it in a way that is going to set up for many generations to come.”
By Te-Erika Patterson
HOUSTON DEFENDER
There’s a calm excitement backstage as models are being prepared for their runway debut at Houston’s FashionWeekLive 2007 organized by International Management Group (IMG), the managers of top models. Hair dryers are humming as eagle-eyed hairdressers primp and tease unruly locks. Cheekbones are accentuated by Sephora’s leading make-up artists and the team of dressers are systematically organizing the wardrobe ‘looks’ for each IMG model on the board.
At each dressing table, a reflection peeks back at you from the brightly lit mirrors. These are the same faces that you see in fashion magazines; serious expressions, hollow eyes, blonde hair and pale skin. But where are the Black faces among these celebrated beauties?
As you search for a face that resembles yours, you’re hard pressed to find one. That is…until you come across a dainty figure with a coco complexion, carelessly fiddling with her cell phone. Her big brown eyes open wide as she looks up to meet your gaze.
It’s Naomi Campbell, one of the world’s most sought after supermodels. Her introduction into the modeling industry proved to the world that the exclusive fashion lords can appreciate varying degrees of beauty. Over the course of her career, Campbell, who was born in South London, is reported to have appeared on more than 500 magazine covers including Time, Elle and The British Vogue.
This particular evening Campbell’s face lights up when asked about her participation in Houston’s FashionWeekLive, which offered the general public a chance to attend the exclusive showing of 30 of the fashion industry’s hottest looks for Fall 2007.
“I think this is going to take off all over the world,” Campbell said with a grin. “I think it’s a great idea for IMG to come up with this. It’s a great initiative because I feel that we get to share with the rest of the world and not just with the VIP’s and the editors. Its great to be able to spread ourselves to the public and those are the people who put us where we are today. So I feel really happy to be a part of this.”
Campbell, who was one of only two Black faces in IMG’s line-up for the show, paused reflectively when asked if she thought the fashion industry is now more open to embrace different ethnicities.
“Yes, it still could be better,” Campbell responded. “I would like to see more Black women on covers of magazines and I would like to see Black women treated equally as white women but I don’t know if that will ever happen. Will it?”
Will it ever happen? That’s the question that’s been on Bethann Hardison’s mind since she began a career as a model in the 1960’s.
“The girl of color has become less and less visible,” Hardison said as she sat erect in her chair, adjusting her posture while waiting for the fashion show to begin. The former model and head of Bethann Management, a now defunct modeling agency based in New York City, who is also the mother of actor Kadeem Hardison and the manager of Tyson Beckford, has remained heavily immersed in the fashion industry. Hardison supports Campbell’s assertion of unequal representation on the runway.
“When you look at television, everything looks very diverse,” Hardison said. “You see everybody and everything looks Black and brown and Latin. Everything is nicely balanced…[In direct contrast to what we see] when we look at the runway and we’re talking about fashion. We’re not talking about commercial television. We’re not talking about America’s Next Top Model because that’s not really fashion. That’s like a beauty pageant. I have no problem saying this. It’s true.”
“It’s a reality show and it’s a very successful one,” Hardison continued. “We must not get confused about what’s really true and what isn’t. When it comes to fashion, the people who decide who’s going to be on [the show] are editors, photographers and stylists who really have nothing to do with [the fashion] world. If you look at what you see go down the runway, you’ll see what’s on it and what’s not on it.”
But who decides who gets to be a model? Are all hopeful models at the mercy of fashion editors? Are a pretty face and a strong desire enough to make it in the industry?
“The person who is going to decide if you’re right for them is the seeker and not the individual who wants to be,” Hardison replied matter of factly. “She’s just got to be the right girl at the right time and be the right thing. Even me. I look. I have an eye. The industry has changed a great deal. No one is going to push a girl up ahead. It’s only going to happen if the girl is dragged [because] someone notices her.”
Marie Fuema, 22, experienced the immediate pull of the modeling industry, unlike most models who face consistent rejection before finding their niche. She left Senegal for the United States to study business management, walked into the IMG offices and walked out with a contract. A year and a half later she shares the runway with widely celebrated models like Naomi Campbell.
“I was really the biggest nerd,” Fuema recalled with a smile. “I had big glasses. I’m wearing contacts. I was the ugliest baby ever. If I showed you my pictures you’d be like, ‘Damn girl!’” But ugly babies can grow up and make runways sizzle, if they have the guts to believe in themselves.
Fuema believed in herself. And Naomi Campbell did too. That’s why Campbell offered words of advice to aspiring young models who believe they have what it takes to step above the color line.
“Keep it tight. Don’t listen to too many people. Try to keep your family around you. Try to be sincere and not take any of it personally. Sometimes you go for a casting and they don’t want you. Sometimes girls can take that really to heart and they can get very upset and hurt by it. That’s what I mean by taking it personally.”
For longevity on or off the runway, Campbell suggested a dose of humility.
“When I mess up. I say it. When I’m sorry, I say it. And I think a lot of people in my industry have forgiven me and given me many chances because I am that way. I am grateful and sincerely blessed to be able to have many opportunities traveling the world, meeting amazing people. I’m now in a stage in my life where I want to be in the business that I am in. I want to do it in a way that is going to set up for many generations to come.”
Power Summit Prepares Future Leaders
By Te-Erika Patterson
HOUSTON DEFENDER
It’s no secret that owning a business takes preparation, sacrifice and patience in order to achieve long-term success. Preparing entrepreneurial-minded young professionals for the realities of business ownership was the central message of a recent day-long Power Summit, which was organized by Urban Influence Magazine and the Houston Area Urban League of Young Professionals (HAULYP).
Oscar Joyner, President of Reach Media Inc, a media conglomerate based in Dallas, Texas was the featured speaker. The 31-year-old executive challenged the crowd of young professionals by raising a soul-stirring question, “Are you prepared for all of your dreams to come true?”
“Young, determined, professional African-Americans often have lofty dreams but are ill equipped to handle their own success. Many young Black men want to ‘own their own label’ without understanding basic tax, royalty, and copyright laws. They say they want to own their own company but have never taken a basic business law course to understand some of the simple in and outs of a lease agreement,” said Joyner, son of Radio Fly Jock Tom Joyner.
“So how can you want to own your own company or a record label, but not be prepared if someone should give you the seed capital?” Joyner inquired. “You find yourself with the money to lease a studio but you forgot to take basic accounting or business management and get taken by thelandlord. You have the funds to acquire artists and an office manager but realize you don’t know the first thing about payroll taxes, healthcare benefits, or writing your own operations manual.”
A working knowledge of business is important but according to some young business owners there are other hurdles to overcome.
Julie Griffith, the public relations officer for HAULYP, left the corporate world to start her own public relations firm a year and a half ago. Facing the stumbling blocks she believes African Americans confront early in building a business, Griffith said earning a paycheck every two weeks while starting your own business is actually a hindrance.
“The two-week paycheck is a hindrance because it doesn’t make you work as hard as you would if you didn’t have it. You really don’t have your own business. What you have is a back-up plan for your day job,” commented Griffith, who is now the President and CEO of JGriffith Public Relations.
“The biggest misconception that entrepreneurs have is that they need a whole bunch of start-up money to do it. All you really need is a laptop, a good cell phone and a few months worth of paychecks saved up, depending on the business you are starting.”
Participating in the CEO roundtable panel, President & CEO of the Houston Area Urban League Sylvia Brooks offered her life lessons for business success.
“It takes a commitment to be successful in business, not only to your business, but you have to be committed to your family. You have to work out a balance,” Brooks said.
Brooks shared with the audience how her husband Errol enjoyed a challenging career as the director of human resources for a chemical company until their two older children became toddlers. He was concerned that his wife’s demanding career would take away from quality time with his children so he stepped down from his high visibility position and took a less demanding job as anemployment counselor.
“Everyone has to figure out a way to meet their personal and spiritual needs,” added Brooks. “Otherwise you will go crazy and start making a lot of mistakes.”
According to Joyner one of the biggest mistakes a prospective entrepreneur can make is believing that he is alone in pursuing his goal.
“In business [we are often] looking at what other leaders have achieved on their own and thinking we have to do it the same way on our own,” Joyner stated. “Many would-be publishers want to start their own magazine and grow it like John Johnson grew Ebony & Jet, or like Earl Graves grew BlackEnterprise. They grew their publications on their own out of necessity because they didn’t have an Internet, they didn’t have graduate degrees, and they didn't have the open society to foster their ideas. This generation can have all of the above, and most importantly, we have each other.”
HOUSTON DEFENDER
It’s no secret that owning a business takes preparation, sacrifice and patience in order to achieve long-term success. Preparing entrepreneurial-minded young professionals for the realities of business ownership was the central message of a recent day-long Power Summit, which was organized by Urban Influence Magazine and the Houston Area Urban League of Young Professionals (HAULYP).
Oscar Joyner, President of Reach Media Inc, a media conglomerate based in Dallas, Texas was the featured speaker. The 31-year-old executive challenged the crowd of young professionals by raising a soul-stirring question, “Are you prepared for all of your dreams to come true?”
“Young, determined, professional African-Americans often have lofty dreams but are ill equipped to handle their own success. Many young Black men want to ‘own their own label’ without understanding basic tax, royalty, and copyright laws. They say they want to own their own company but have never taken a basic business law course to understand some of the simple in and outs of a lease agreement,” said Joyner, son of Radio Fly Jock Tom Joyner.
“So how can you want to own your own company or a record label, but not be prepared if someone should give you the seed capital?” Joyner inquired. “You find yourself with the money to lease a studio but you forgot to take basic accounting or business management and get taken by thelandlord. You have the funds to acquire artists and an office manager but realize you don’t know the first thing about payroll taxes, healthcare benefits, or writing your own operations manual.”
A working knowledge of business is important but according to some young business owners there are other hurdles to overcome.
Julie Griffith, the public relations officer for HAULYP, left the corporate world to start her own public relations firm a year and a half ago. Facing the stumbling blocks she believes African Americans confront early in building a business, Griffith said earning a paycheck every two weeks while starting your own business is actually a hindrance.
“The two-week paycheck is a hindrance because it doesn’t make you work as hard as you would if you didn’t have it. You really don’t have your own business. What you have is a back-up plan for your day job,” commented Griffith, who is now the President and CEO of JGriffith Public Relations.
“The biggest misconception that entrepreneurs have is that they need a whole bunch of start-up money to do it. All you really need is a laptop, a good cell phone and a few months worth of paychecks saved up, depending on the business you are starting.”
Participating in the CEO roundtable panel, President & CEO of the Houston Area Urban League Sylvia Brooks offered her life lessons for business success.
“It takes a commitment to be successful in business, not only to your business, but you have to be committed to your family. You have to work out a balance,” Brooks said.
Brooks shared with the audience how her husband Errol enjoyed a challenging career as the director of human resources for a chemical company until their two older children became toddlers. He was concerned that his wife’s demanding career would take away from quality time with his children so he stepped down from his high visibility position and took a less demanding job as anemployment counselor.
“Everyone has to figure out a way to meet their personal and spiritual needs,” added Brooks. “Otherwise you will go crazy and start making a lot of mistakes.”
According to Joyner one of the biggest mistakes a prospective entrepreneur can make is believing that he is alone in pursuing his goal.
“In business [we are often] looking at what other leaders have achieved on their own and thinking we have to do it the same way on our own,” Joyner stated. “Many would-be publishers want to start their own magazine and grow it like John Johnson grew Ebony & Jet, or like Earl Graves grew BlackEnterprise. They grew their publications on their own out of necessity because they didn’t have an Internet, they didn’t have graduate degrees, and they didn't have the open society to foster their ideas. This generation can have all of the above, and most importantly, we have each other.”
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Yates Graduate Joins CNN
By Te-Erika Patterson
HOUSTON DEFENDER
Nationally syndicated news columnist and author Roland S. Martin can now add CNN correspondent to his lengthy list of accomplishments after signing a healthy contract with the world’s most respected news source.
Martin, who has appeared sporadically as a contributing correspondent to CNN since July 2002, has now secured a more prominent position. He will continue to appear as a guest commentator on a number of shows while the network develops other program concepts that will showcase his signature commentating style.
A political firestorm with an unwavering stance about current issues of the day that ignites debates across the country, Martin has secured a handsome contract with CNN that he said, “Is certainly enough to get my shoes shined on a regular basis.”
A Houston native and 1991 graduate of Jack S. Yates High School, Martin is a self-described multi-faceted journalist. He has served as Managing Editor of The Houston Defender and Executive Editor with The Chicago Defender, presented poignant opinions as a commentator for TV One Cable Network, shaped the editorial content for BlackAmericaWeb.com and currently hosts The Roland S. Martin show on WVON/1690AM in Chicago. Martin insisted that it is a necessity for today’s journalist to be well-versed in all avenues of mass communication.
Martin attributed some of his success to his high school communications program, which exposed him to the brilliance of mass media.
“That’s what I wanted to do from day one,” Martin affirmed. “When I went to Yates High School, we had our own television station, radio station and newspaper. So I’ve never wanted to do one medium. In fact, I’ve always wanted to do all of them.”
At 38 years old, Martin may not be the youngest CNN correspondent but he is certainly one of very few African Americans who have developed a strong presence on the network. His powerful viewpoint concerning politics, race and religion have earned him a place among the top journalists and commentators in the industry.
From humble beginnings as an intern at the Defender and later returning to the paper as managing editor before moving on to other cities to promote his message, Martin has spent the majority of his career as a member of the Black Press.
“I am someone who is committed to the craft of media,” Martin said. “I also understand the power of media. I’ve always said that it’s the most powerful institution in the world and it is important to have our voices, our perspective and being able to see the world through our lenses to give people a better insight of what’s going on.”
Martin’s keen insight into the world of politics and media are a direct result of his family’s love for debate and politics. His parents, Reginald and Emelda Martin, raised their five children to be confident, which to their amazement translated into an aggressive leadership style that blossomed once the children reached their teenage years.
“My husband lived and breathed the news,” recalled Martin’s mother Emelda.
“Roland said to his father one night, ‘What makes you think that one of us would not have gone into news and communications when that’s all we had at home?’”
It was Martin’s agent Marc Watts, a former political correspondent for CNN, who was one of the first to recognize the gift in Roland Martin. “He’s just a fantastic story teller,” Watts said. “He has a gift for asking probing, insightful questions and finding a way of making people comfortable with communicating with him and telling him stories that generate news. That’s what Roland’s gift is. That’s what they teach us in journalism school. Roland has perfected that and now he is going to get to showcase that on CNN.”
Watts, who is the founder of Signature Media Group, a talent agency that represents highly recognized journalists across the country, said five years ago no one believed that Martin, then a highly respected newspaper journalist, could ever break out of that mold.
But Watts disagreed.
“He is so intellectual and he has such a refreshing message that we felt we could capitalize on that if his message in the electronic medium were heard. He has a powerful pen and he was always a gifted writer. I recognized that Roland had a speaking style and a wit and a charisma that could be transformed on television. Nobody believed me. Even my fellow colleagues in the agent world asked ‘Why would you represent Roland Martin? He’s a newspaper guy.’ And I said, ‘You just watch Roland Martin in five years you won’t believe what’s he’s going to turn in to.’
“The television news landscape is so disproportionate of African-American males,” Watts continued. “Roland Martin going to CNN doesn’t solve the problem but it certainly makes it look better.”
Martin now resides in Chicago with his wife Jacquie and will make the weekly commute to New York to tape his shows.
HOUSTON DEFENDER
Nationally syndicated news columnist and author Roland S. Martin can now add CNN correspondent to his lengthy list of accomplishments after signing a healthy contract with the world’s most respected news source.
Martin, who has appeared sporadically as a contributing correspondent to CNN since July 2002, has now secured a more prominent position. He will continue to appear as a guest commentator on a number of shows while the network develops other program concepts that will showcase his signature commentating style.
A political firestorm with an unwavering stance about current issues of the day that ignites debates across the country, Martin has secured a handsome contract with CNN that he said, “Is certainly enough to get my shoes shined on a regular basis.”
A Houston native and 1991 graduate of Jack S. Yates High School, Martin is a self-described multi-faceted journalist. He has served as Managing Editor of The Houston Defender and Executive Editor with The Chicago Defender, presented poignant opinions as a commentator for TV One Cable Network, shaped the editorial content for BlackAmericaWeb.com and currently hosts The Roland S. Martin show on WVON/1690AM in Chicago. Martin insisted that it is a necessity for today’s journalist to be well-versed in all avenues of mass communication.
Martin attributed some of his success to his high school communications program, which exposed him to the brilliance of mass media.
“That’s what I wanted to do from day one,” Martin affirmed. “When I went to Yates High School, we had our own television station, radio station and newspaper. So I’ve never wanted to do one medium. In fact, I’ve always wanted to do all of them.”
At 38 years old, Martin may not be the youngest CNN correspondent but he is certainly one of very few African Americans who have developed a strong presence on the network. His powerful viewpoint concerning politics, race and religion have earned him a place among the top journalists and commentators in the industry.
From humble beginnings as an intern at the Defender and later returning to the paper as managing editor before moving on to other cities to promote his message, Martin has spent the majority of his career as a member of the Black Press.
“I am someone who is committed to the craft of media,” Martin said. “I also understand the power of media. I’ve always said that it’s the most powerful institution in the world and it is important to have our voices, our perspective and being able to see the world through our lenses to give people a better insight of what’s going on.”
Martin’s keen insight into the world of politics and media are a direct result of his family’s love for debate and politics. His parents, Reginald and Emelda Martin, raised their five children to be confident, which to their amazement translated into an aggressive leadership style that blossomed once the children reached their teenage years.
“My husband lived and breathed the news,” recalled Martin’s mother Emelda.
“Roland said to his father one night, ‘What makes you think that one of us would not have gone into news and communications when that’s all we had at home?’”
It was Martin’s agent Marc Watts, a former political correspondent for CNN, who was one of the first to recognize the gift in Roland Martin. “He’s just a fantastic story teller,” Watts said. “He has a gift for asking probing, insightful questions and finding a way of making people comfortable with communicating with him and telling him stories that generate news. That’s what Roland’s gift is. That’s what they teach us in journalism school. Roland has perfected that and now he is going to get to showcase that on CNN.”
Watts, who is the founder of Signature Media Group, a talent agency that represents highly recognized journalists across the country, said five years ago no one believed that Martin, then a highly respected newspaper journalist, could ever break out of that mold.
But Watts disagreed.
“He is so intellectual and he has such a refreshing message that we felt we could capitalize on that if his message in the electronic medium were heard. He has a powerful pen and he was always a gifted writer. I recognized that Roland had a speaking style and a wit and a charisma that could be transformed on television. Nobody believed me. Even my fellow colleagues in the agent world asked ‘Why would you represent Roland Martin? He’s a newspaper guy.’ And I said, ‘You just watch Roland Martin in five years you won’t believe what’s he’s going to turn in to.’
“The television news landscape is so disproportionate of African-American males,” Watts continued. “Roland Martin going to CNN doesn’t solve the problem but it certainly makes it look better.”
Martin now resides in Chicago with his wife Jacquie and will make the weekly commute to New York to tape his shows.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Oldest Human Fossil Scheduled to Debut in Houston
By Te-Erika Patterson
Houston Defender, March 18, 2007
The continent of Africa has produced the oldest human fossil, affectionately nicknamed ‘Lucy.’ Never seen by the general public in its homeland or abroad, Lucy is coming to Houston as part of an 11-city U.S. tour and many are asking why.
In 1974 archaeologists discovered several hundred bone fragments during an archaeological dig in the desert-like Afar region of northeastern Ethiopia. After reconstruction, archaeologists found that the fragments comprised 40 percent of a female skeleton that appeared to have lived nearly 3.2 million years ago.
The team of researchers and archaeologists named the fossil Lucy after a Beatles song that was played repeatedly throughout the evening as the team celebrated their groundbreaking discovery.
According to scientists, Lucy is the oldest human fossil known to man, which they say indicates that mankind originated from the continent of Africa. Leading anthropologists also claim that Lucy’s existence supports the theory of evolution after being classified as an upright walking hominid. A hominid is any member of the biological family Himinidae (the “great apes”), including humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans.
Lucy’s bones are kept in a vault at the Ethiopian Natural History Museum and many in the scientific community believe they should stay there. The exhibition, which will be hosted by the Houston Museum of Natural Science, “Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia” exhibition will begin August 31st and will mark the first time Lucy has ever left the continent of Africa.
Anthropologists and many museum curators believe that traveling with Lucy could damage or destroy the irreplaceable scientific find.
In a National Geographic article in November 2006, Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program said, “Any risk of damage or removal from scientific study, especially when exact replicas of the fossils are indistinguishable for display purposes, seems unnecessary and in this particular case, not well conceived.”
But that didn’t deter Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Giorgis from offering the United States a first-hand look at his country’s national treasure. President Wolde-Giorgis, who visited Houston recently to discuss the plans for the first-time exhibition, believes Lucy has great significance.
“[It is important] to know your heritage and your background [and] how long ago people existed on this planet, from the time of evolution, from homosapiens, homoerectus and all of those things. It's a very useful thing to know,” stated President Girma Wolde-Giorgis.
Lucy’s American tour is expected to attract tourists to Ethiopia.
“Ethiopia is not very well known in American parts of the world,” stated President Wolde-Giorgis. “We’d like America to know that we are a big country… a good country and what a historic country it is.”
As one hand washes the other, local leaders recognize that this exhibit not only sends a positive message about the prominence of Ethiopia, it also propels our city into the public eye of the nation.
“Lucy, hands down, is the King Tut of the anthropology world and ranks as one of the most significant discoveries to date,” said Jeff Moseley, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership. “The Houston Museum of Natural Science went up against some of the biggest names in the museum community, including the Smithsonian, and came out on top. Lucy’s first visit to America for exhibition is a prestigious accomplishment for the Houston arts community, and it’s a testament to the international nature and world-class leadership of this region.”
While museums across the country scramble to be included in this historic tour, the city of Houston has already secured their place as the front runner. Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis claimed that Houston was a natural choice for the first exhibition.
“What connects Houston to Ethiopia more than anything else is the late Congressman Mickey Leland,” Senator Ellis said of the late Texas congressman who was a champion for the hungry and poor. “Mickey Leland died in Ethiopia. We certainly used his name in order to secure this exhibit. A part of the impetus for doing this was the fact that Gezaghen Kebede the local consulate general lives here in Houston. It was his idea. He took over folks from the Mickey Leland Center with him along with Jew Don Boney during the early discussions about this. This discussion has been going on for five years. It’s been a long road to get this [exhibit].”
The courtship of this exchange could prove beneficial for both parties involved according to Senator Ellis.
“Lucy is going to be a major tourist attraction,” he said. “It’s going to be a major status coo for the Houston museum. People at the Smithsonian, in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are all now saying, ‘Why Houston?’ We were told when we were there, it's because we Texans were bold enough to ask. Obviously there are security risks and costs associated with it. Insurance would have to be put in place. The federal government plays a role in making sure that Lucy comes and she is secured.”
In addition to meeting with the Governor and the Texas Senate, Ethiopian President Wolde-Giorgis also met with representatives from Maximus Coffee Group concerning increased trade opportunities between Ethiopia and the city of Houston.
“We’re here to represent the coffee industry here in Houston,” said Leo Vasquez, Executive Vice President of Maximus Coffee Group. “Ethiopia is a major coffee exporter with very high quality coffee. People wouldn’t normally know that. We’re trying to help get more business going here through the port of Houston and through our different warehouses and finished product plants…It’s all part of that circle of life that we are talking about; a small world bringing everything together.”
The world may seem smaller when we recognize the significant ties between Houston and Ethiopia. According to the Greater Houston Partnership, in 2005 trade between Houston and Ethiopia totaled $101.9 million. Waterborne trade with Ethiopia through the Port of Houston totaled $63.9 million in 2005. That’s more than a 600 percent increase from just $9.1 million in 2000.
Imports from Ethiopia to Houston totaled just $493,000, or less than one percent of the total. Coffee, tea and spices accounted for the bulk of imports. Cereals, animal and vegetable fats, oils and waxes accounted for the bulk of Houston’s exports to Ethiopia. In addition to increased opportunities for trade, the world’s stage is set for Houston to take the spotlight as this much anticipated historical discovery is made available to the general public for the first time.
Houston Defender, March 18, 2007
The continent of Africa has produced the oldest human fossil, affectionately nicknamed ‘Lucy.’ Never seen by the general public in its homeland or abroad, Lucy is coming to Houston as part of an 11-city U.S. tour and many are asking why.
In 1974 archaeologists discovered several hundred bone fragments during an archaeological dig in the desert-like Afar region of northeastern Ethiopia. After reconstruction, archaeologists found that the fragments comprised 40 percent of a female skeleton that appeared to have lived nearly 3.2 million years ago.
The team of researchers and archaeologists named the fossil Lucy after a Beatles song that was played repeatedly throughout the evening as the team celebrated their groundbreaking discovery.
According to scientists, Lucy is the oldest human fossil known to man, which they say indicates that mankind originated from the continent of Africa. Leading anthropologists also claim that Lucy’s existence supports the theory of evolution after being classified as an upright walking hominid. A hominid is any member of the biological family Himinidae (the “great apes”), including humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans.
Lucy’s bones are kept in a vault at the Ethiopian Natural History Museum and many in the scientific community believe they should stay there. The exhibition, which will be hosted by the Houston Museum of Natural Science, “Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia” exhibition will begin August 31st and will mark the first time Lucy has ever left the continent of Africa.
Anthropologists and many museum curators believe that traveling with Lucy could damage or destroy the irreplaceable scientific find.
In a National Geographic article in November 2006, Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program said, “Any risk of damage or removal from scientific study, especially when exact replicas of the fossils are indistinguishable for display purposes, seems unnecessary and in this particular case, not well conceived.”
But that didn’t deter Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Giorgis from offering the United States a first-hand look at his country’s national treasure. President Wolde-Giorgis, who visited Houston recently to discuss the plans for the first-time exhibition, believes Lucy has great significance.
“[It is important] to know your heritage and your background [and] how long ago people existed on this planet, from the time of evolution, from homosapiens, homoerectus and all of those things. It's a very useful thing to know,” stated President Girma Wolde-Giorgis.
Lucy’s American tour is expected to attract tourists to Ethiopia.
“Ethiopia is not very well known in American parts of the world,” stated President Wolde-Giorgis. “We’d like America to know that we are a big country… a good country and what a historic country it is.”
As one hand washes the other, local leaders recognize that this exhibit not only sends a positive message about the prominence of Ethiopia, it also propels our city into the public eye of the nation.
“Lucy, hands down, is the King Tut of the anthropology world and ranks as one of the most significant discoveries to date,” said Jeff Moseley, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership. “The Houston Museum of Natural Science went up against some of the biggest names in the museum community, including the Smithsonian, and came out on top. Lucy’s first visit to America for exhibition is a prestigious accomplishment for the Houston arts community, and it’s a testament to the international nature and world-class leadership of this region.”
While museums across the country scramble to be included in this historic tour, the city of Houston has already secured their place as the front runner. Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis claimed that Houston was a natural choice for the first exhibition.
“What connects Houston to Ethiopia more than anything else is the late Congressman Mickey Leland,” Senator Ellis said of the late Texas congressman who was a champion for the hungry and poor. “Mickey Leland died in Ethiopia. We certainly used his name in order to secure this exhibit. A part of the impetus for doing this was the fact that Gezaghen Kebede the local consulate general lives here in Houston. It was his idea. He took over folks from the Mickey Leland Center with him along with Jew Don Boney during the early discussions about this. This discussion has been going on for five years. It’s been a long road to get this [exhibit].”
The courtship of this exchange could prove beneficial for both parties involved according to Senator Ellis.
“Lucy is going to be a major tourist attraction,” he said. “It’s going to be a major status coo for the Houston museum. People at the Smithsonian, in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are all now saying, ‘Why Houston?’ We were told when we were there, it's because we Texans were bold enough to ask. Obviously there are security risks and costs associated with it. Insurance would have to be put in place. The federal government plays a role in making sure that Lucy comes and she is secured.”
In addition to meeting with the Governor and the Texas Senate, Ethiopian President Wolde-Giorgis also met with representatives from Maximus Coffee Group concerning increased trade opportunities between Ethiopia and the city of Houston.
“We’re here to represent the coffee industry here in Houston,” said Leo Vasquez, Executive Vice President of Maximus Coffee Group. “Ethiopia is a major coffee exporter with very high quality coffee. People wouldn’t normally know that. We’re trying to help get more business going here through the port of Houston and through our different warehouses and finished product plants…It’s all part of that circle of life that we are talking about; a small world bringing everything together.”
The world may seem smaller when we recognize the significant ties between Houston and Ethiopia. According to the Greater Houston Partnership, in 2005 trade between Houston and Ethiopia totaled $101.9 million. Waterborne trade with Ethiopia through the Port of Houston totaled $63.9 million in 2005. That’s more than a 600 percent increase from just $9.1 million in 2000.
Imports from Ethiopia to Houston totaled just $493,000, or less than one percent of the total. Coffee, tea and spices accounted for the bulk of imports. Cereals, animal and vegetable fats, oils and waxes accounted for the bulk of Houston’s exports to Ethiopia. In addition to increased opportunities for trade, the world’s stage is set for Houston to take the spotlight as this much anticipated historical discovery is made available to the general public for the first time.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Obama Courts Black Voters
By Te-Erika Patterson
HOUSTON DEFENDER, March 11, 2007
Presidential candidate Barack Obama is making a concerted effort to cultivate a relationship with the Black community based on his recent actions. Obama conducted his first teleconference with members of the Black Press followed by his appearance in Selma, Alabama commemorating Bloody Sunday.
During his speech at Brown Chapel A.M.E. church, Obama connected with the African-American audience citing the historical legacy which allows him to run for president.
“It is because they marched that I got the kind of education I got, a law degree, a seat in the Illinois senate and ultimately in the United States senate. It is because they marched that I stand before you here today,” said Obama to the crowd.
Across the street, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addressed another Alabama church congregation which indicated the importance both candidates place on attracting African-American voters. Earlier in the week, Obama took a major step in generating a stronger connection with the Black community by discussing with members of the Black Press a range of topics: targeting young voters, strengthening relationships between parents and the school system, introducing a bill protecting the voting process, re-igniting the Civil Rights movement and demanding relief efforts for rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.
Despite serving eight years in the Illinois State Senate and two years in the United States Senate, Obama’s political resume has been heavily scrutinized. However, his charisma and propensity to unite America by identifying universal needs has propelled him in the polls, closing in on frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
During the conversation with the reporters and publishers of the Black Press, Obama expressed a need to continue the dialogue and made several poignant comments about key topics.
Attracting Young Voters
“The younger generation has to be engaged and brought into the process of deciding what it is that they care most about,” Obama said as he pledged to establish chapters of “Students for Barack Obama’ on every historically Black college campus in an effort to allow students to help shape their agenda. According to Obama, young constituents have expressed concerns about our foreign policy towards Africa and friction surrounding the war in Iraq as well as its huge budget. The freshman senator then pointed to the economic anxiety of the younger generation.
“What I have heard from talking to young people is that they are anxious about their economic futures. [They are concerned about] whether or not they are going to be able to afford a college education, whether or not they will be able to deal with the incredible crunch of student loans that many are dealing with,” stated Obama. “There are a lot of young people out there who don’t even go to college at all because they either hadn’t gotten a high school diploma or they had not been encouraged to go. To me, the most important thing that we have to work with the young people on is creating a career path for them and having the educational structures in place that will support those career paths [as well] as making sure they can finance college and making sure that they have access to career opportunities.”
Regulating Voting Procedures
After the hoopla in Florida and other states following recent elections, Black voters experienced an insurmountable number of incidents where they were turned away from the polls causing community concern. Obama indicated that he is taking a proactive role to assure that the votes of African-Americans are not tampered with and are counted.
“We have a bill right now that I introduced that we helped shape with the Civil Rights Organizations, the NAACP, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and other organizations that will make deceptive voting practices a felony,” stated Obama. “Many of you have reported on some of the nonsense that’s gone on during previous elections. Folks getting phone calls saying their polling place has been moved when it hasn’t been. Or pamphlets being circulated saying that if you’ve got a parking ticket and you try to vote you will be committing a crime. [All of these are] mechanisms to discourage people from voting. And what we basically say is, ‘that’s a felony and you will be fined or you will be jailed if you engage in that kind of… activity.’”
Re-Igniting the Civil Rights Movement
When asked about “Bloody Sunday” and its modern day significance, the Illinois Senator emphasized the need for today’s generation to continue the fight, drawing an analogy from the Bible. Citing economic equality as a major goal, Obama affirmed that African-Americans must take personal responsibility if change is going to occur.
“I think that we are the Joshua Generation,” Senator Obama asserted. “We are that next generation that is supposed to follow through on what Moses [set into place]. What that means is we have to keep on fighting for some of the hard won rights that are always in danger of being [taken away]. That means we have to make sure that our voting rights are protected. We have to have significant civil rights enforcement. We’ve had a civil rights division that has not been attentive to discrimination claims. [They] haven’t even tried to prosecute discrimination claims other than prosecuting universities for setting up affirmative action programs.”
Senator Obama added, “When I’m president that’s one thing I will promise is a serious enforcement of the anti-discrimination laws that are on the books. I think the most important thing that we have to do now is to achieve economic equality. That involves a combination of putting pressure on all our institutions, whether it’s the school system or the university system or corporate America, to be inclusive and to open up doors and opportunities to those who are locked out.”
Alluding to the importance of personal involvement, Senator Obama stated, “Internally we’ve got to make sure that we are applying ourselves in terms of striving for the kind of excellence that is necessary to compete in this new economy. Our schools need more money but we also need to make sure that our kids are working hard, turning off the TV and doing their homework [and] that we are meeting with their teachers and making sure that they have high standards in the schools where they are being taught. It’s a combination of our own efforts and pressure on the larger society to make sure that they are acting in a just and equitable way that I think ultimately is going to lead us to cross that bridge.”
Disaster aid for Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina
Recently the Senate debated the issue of whether to waive the Stafford Act related to Louisiana’s rebuilding efforts. The Stafford Act is a United States federal law designed to bring an orderly and systemic means of federal natural disaster assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. Obama was outraged at his colleague’s response to waive the act.
“We had those hearings just about two or three weeks ago, and I could not for the life of me understand why they would waive the Stafford Act rule for Manhattan, they would waive it for Florida after hurricane Andrew but they wouldn't waive it for the single biggest natural catastrophe in our history," stated Obama. “I’ve already started working with [United States Senator] Mary Landrieu to make sure that we have legislation that says it's time to waive that. We can't expect New Orleans to come up with a billion dollars to match what's needed to rebuild when they need that money to actually provide assistance to the folks on the ground.”
Targeting the Black Vote
Because Obama is racially mixed, concerns have been raised during the campaign about ‘his Blackness’. Supporters consider his candidacy as an indication of progress in race relations in this country. When The Defender asked, “Do you plan to aggressively target the Black vote and if so, have you developed a plan that will not polarize your white supporters?,” Obama responded confidently.
“We will absolutely target the African-American vote because I think that one of the promises of this campaign is to re-energize the African-American vote,” Obama said. “The best way I think to do it is to make sure we do an outreach to the outlets like the African American press. I will make sure that any rallies or political events that we do in any city targets a lot of our community.”
“In terms of issues, I think that a lot of the issues that we are going to be talking about are issues that everybody is concerned about. Everyone is concerned about a healthcare system that is broken,” continued Obama. “Everybody is concerned about Iraq. Everyone is concerned about an education system that is failing too many of our kids. But, one thing that I do anticipate spending more time on than maybe some other candidates is ‘What do we need in terms of an urban agenda?’ I think that we will be attentive to some of the voting rights issues and civil rights issues that have not been addressed over the last 6 years.”
HOUSTON DEFENDER, March 11, 2007
Presidential candidate Barack Obama is making a concerted effort to cultivate a relationship with the Black community based on his recent actions. Obama conducted his first teleconference with members of the Black Press followed by his appearance in Selma, Alabama commemorating Bloody Sunday.
During his speech at Brown Chapel A.M.E. church, Obama connected with the African-American audience citing the historical legacy which allows him to run for president.
“It is because they marched that I got the kind of education I got, a law degree, a seat in the Illinois senate and ultimately in the United States senate. It is because they marched that I stand before you here today,” said Obama to the crowd.
Across the street, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addressed another Alabama church congregation which indicated the importance both candidates place on attracting African-American voters. Earlier in the week, Obama took a major step in generating a stronger connection with the Black community by discussing with members of the Black Press a range of topics: targeting young voters, strengthening relationships between parents and the school system, introducing a bill protecting the voting process, re-igniting the Civil Rights movement and demanding relief efforts for rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.
Despite serving eight years in the Illinois State Senate and two years in the United States Senate, Obama’s political resume has been heavily scrutinized. However, his charisma and propensity to unite America by identifying universal needs has propelled him in the polls, closing in on frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
During the conversation with the reporters and publishers of the Black Press, Obama expressed a need to continue the dialogue and made several poignant comments about key topics.
Attracting Young Voters
“The younger generation has to be engaged and brought into the process of deciding what it is that they care most about,” Obama said as he pledged to establish chapters of “Students for Barack Obama’ on every historically Black college campus in an effort to allow students to help shape their agenda. According to Obama, young constituents have expressed concerns about our foreign policy towards Africa and friction surrounding the war in Iraq as well as its huge budget. The freshman senator then pointed to the economic anxiety of the younger generation.
“What I have heard from talking to young people is that they are anxious about their economic futures. [They are concerned about] whether or not they are going to be able to afford a college education, whether or not they will be able to deal with the incredible crunch of student loans that many are dealing with,” stated Obama. “There are a lot of young people out there who don’t even go to college at all because they either hadn’t gotten a high school diploma or they had not been encouraged to go. To me, the most important thing that we have to work with the young people on is creating a career path for them and having the educational structures in place that will support those career paths [as well] as making sure they can finance college and making sure that they have access to career opportunities.”
Regulating Voting Procedures
After the hoopla in Florida and other states following recent elections, Black voters experienced an insurmountable number of incidents where they were turned away from the polls causing community concern. Obama indicated that he is taking a proactive role to assure that the votes of African-Americans are not tampered with and are counted.
“We have a bill right now that I introduced that we helped shape with the Civil Rights Organizations, the NAACP, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and other organizations that will make deceptive voting practices a felony,” stated Obama. “Many of you have reported on some of the nonsense that’s gone on during previous elections. Folks getting phone calls saying their polling place has been moved when it hasn’t been. Or pamphlets being circulated saying that if you’ve got a parking ticket and you try to vote you will be committing a crime. [All of these are] mechanisms to discourage people from voting. And what we basically say is, ‘that’s a felony and you will be fined or you will be jailed if you engage in that kind of… activity.’”
Re-Igniting the Civil Rights Movement
When asked about “Bloody Sunday” and its modern day significance, the Illinois Senator emphasized the need for today’s generation to continue the fight, drawing an analogy from the Bible. Citing economic equality as a major goal, Obama affirmed that African-Americans must take personal responsibility if change is going to occur.
“I think that we are the Joshua Generation,” Senator Obama asserted. “We are that next generation that is supposed to follow through on what Moses [set into place]. What that means is we have to keep on fighting for some of the hard won rights that are always in danger of being [taken away]. That means we have to make sure that our voting rights are protected. We have to have significant civil rights enforcement. We’ve had a civil rights division that has not been attentive to discrimination claims. [They] haven’t even tried to prosecute discrimination claims other than prosecuting universities for setting up affirmative action programs.”
Senator Obama added, “When I’m president that’s one thing I will promise is a serious enforcement of the anti-discrimination laws that are on the books. I think the most important thing that we have to do now is to achieve economic equality. That involves a combination of putting pressure on all our institutions, whether it’s the school system or the university system or corporate America, to be inclusive and to open up doors and opportunities to those who are locked out.”
Alluding to the importance of personal involvement, Senator Obama stated, “Internally we’ve got to make sure that we are applying ourselves in terms of striving for the kind of excellence that is necessary to compete in this new economy. Our schools need more money but we also need to make sure that our kids are working hard, turning off the TV and doing their homework [and] that we are meeting with their teachers and making sure that they have high standards in the schools where they are being taught. It’s a combination of our own efforts and pressure on the larger society to make sure that they are acting in a just and equitable way that I think ultimately is going to lead us to cross that bridge.”
Disaster aid for Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina
Recently the Senate debated the issue of whether to waive the Stafford Act related to Louisiana’s rebuilding efforts. The Stafford Act is a United States federal law designed to bring an orderly and systemic means of federal natural disaster assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. Obama was outraged at his colleague’s response to waive the act.
“We had those hearings just about two or three weeks ago, and I could not for the life of me understand why they would waive the Stafford Act rule for Manhattan, they would waive it for Florida after hurricane Andrew but they wouldn't waive it for the single biggest natural catastrophe in our history," stated Obama. “I’ve already started working with [United States Senator] Mary Landrieu to make sure that we have legislation that says it's time to waive that. We can't expect New Orleans to come up with a billion dollars to match what's needed to rebuild when they need that money to actually provide assistance to the folks on the ground.”
Targeting the Black Vote
Because Obama is racially mixed, concerns have been raised during the campaign about ‘his Blackness’. Supporters consider his candidacy as an indication of progress in race relations in this country. When The Defender asked, “Do you plan to aggressively target the Black vote and if so, have you developed a plan that will not polarize your white supporters?,” Obama responded confidently.
“We will absolutely target the African-American vote because I think that one of the promises of this campaign is to re-energize the African-American vote,” Obama said. “The best way I think to do it is to make sure we do an outreach to the outlets like the African American press. I will make sure that any rallies or political events that we do in any city targets a lot of our community.”
“In terms of issues, I think that a lot of the issues that we are going to be talking about are issues that everybody is concerned about. Everyone is concerned about a healthcare system that is broken,” continued Obama. “Everybody is concerned about Iraq. Everyone is concerned about an education system that is failing too many of our kids. But, one thing that I do anticipate spending more time on than maybe some other candidates is ‘What do we need in terms of an urban agenda?’ I think that we will be attentive to some of the voting rights issues and civil rights issues that have not been addressed over the last 6 years.”
Kuumba Dance Company Celebrates 25 Years
By Te-Erika Patterson
HOUSTON DEFENDER, March 11, 2007
A group of more than 200 youngsters at Bellfort Academy are seated on the floor of their school’s multi- purpose room, squirming and giggling in anticipation of a Black History Month treat. The 4th and 5th graders are anxious to experience the zestful performance as African culture meets the down south Texas swagger.
The hollow ruminations of a beating drum silence the talkative pre-teens as the first member of the dance company emerges, his expression playful yet proud. The rest of the dance company soon follows, each clothed in authentic South African attire, their bodies pumping rhythmically to the beat of the drum master.
The Kuumba Dance Company (pronounced koo-oomba) will celebrate 25 years of outreach in the Houston community this March. In celebration of this momentous milestone, Founder and Artistic Director of the Kuumba Dance Company, Lindi Yeni, will host a gala on the 23rd of March at the Holiday Inn Southwest. The gala will honor community members and faithful supporters of the non-profit dance company.
The gala will feature South African Ambassador to the United States, Barbara Masekela as the keynote speaker. Masakela is the sister of legendary jazz musician, Hugh Masekela. Honorees will include Dikembe Mutombo of the Houston Rockets, Audrey Lawson, president Ameritus of the Ensemble Theater and Mr. and Mrs. John Broussard, faithful patrons of Kuumba house among others.
“Twenty-five years ago there really was a void in Houston,” Yeni recalled. “You could tell. No one cultivated and celebrated the African dance movement as an art. My hope was to bring that to the forefront.”
As the years rolled by Yeni watched in amazement as the city of Houston embraced her dance troupe, creating opportunities to perform more than 200 times a year, exposing many African Americans to their first true glimpse of African culture as well as allowing people from other ethnicities to taste the richness of the African people.
Adam Carman, a Caucasian, 27-year old musician, has played the drums with the Kuumba Dance Company for three years.
After a friend encouraged him to audition Carman admits he was a bit shook by the new and intense regimen but he soon developed an even more laudable drumming technique.
“We meet a lot of interesting people. We perform at a lot of charitable events. There is a lot of good that is done through my involvement with this company,” Carman said. “It’s an experience that expands the worldly consciousness. It reminds us that we should open up the lines of communication.”
For school performances such as the one at Bellfort Academy, located in Southeast Houston, where there is an even mixture of ethnic backgrounds, the Kuumba Dance Company tailors the show with a more educational tone. Group members teach the children about language, geography, social and cultural studies through a myriad of story-telling, dance, songs and physical activities.
“We are more than entertainers,” Yeni said proudly. “We are edu-tainers.”
If “edu-tainment” were an Olympic event, The Kuumba House would earn a gold medal. Year after year, Yeni and her dance troupe perform and educate students, and year after year, these students grow older and wiser in the world, but they never forget their Kuumba experience.
Crystal Johnson who has served as the Instructional Coordinator at Bellfort Academy for the past 3 years believes exposure to the Kuumba Dance Company will enhance the students in their personal development.
“Their services are worth so much to the children,” Johnson said. “I have been with this school for the past 3 years and I have invited them to perform every year.”
Debbie Ogabonnaya is a reserved Bellfort Academy 5th grader who wears a white zip down sweater over her blue uniform t-shirt.
“I remember seeing [the Kuumba Dance Company] in 2nd grade, in 4th grade and now in 5th grade,” Ogabonnaya said.
Ogabonnaya’s family is Nigerian which lends a more personal connection to the show. “When I see it, I feel kind of milky (shy) because they are showing a bunch of stuff that I’ve never said to anybody.”
Whether it’s expressed in English or Xhosa, the South African language demonstrated during the Kuumba performance, there is a universal language that speaks to all hearts once the drums begin to play.
“Twenty-five years ago I was more energetic and passionate about what I do,” Yeni reflected on her early days as a hopeful entrepreneur. “I saw myself as a pioneer in this field and a community worker. Twenty-five years later, I am a grandmother. I have slowed down. I see the fruit of my work and I marvel that we actually did accomplish what we set out to accomplish.”
Yeni who is originally from Tietermaritzburg, South Africa will embark on the next leg of her life journey when she voyages to South Africa in June of 2008 on a self professed “calling from God”. She will return to her native land to work with homeless children. She was apprehensive about answering her “call” but since accepting the burden on her heart as a message from God, she has made peace with her decision.
“Non-profits are created to solve a problem. When you have accomplished that, it’s time to step away and move on,” Yeni said. “The problem was that there was a void in African dancing in this city. Kuumba house has made its presence known, and it will continue.”
HOUSTON DEFENDER, March 11, 2007
A group of more than 200 youngsters at Bellfort Academy are seated on the floor of their school’s multi- purpose room, squirming and giggling in anticipation of a Black History Month treat. The 4th and 5th graders are anxious to experience the zestful performance as African culture meets the down south Texas swagger.
The hollow ruminations of a beating drum silence the talkative pre-teens as the first member of the dance company emerges, his expression playful yet proud. The rest of the dance company soon follows, each clothed in authentic South African attire, their bodies pumping rhythmically to the beat of the drum master.
The Kuumba Dance Company (pronounced koo-oomba) will celebrate 25 years of outreach in the Houston community this March. In celebration of this momentous milestone, Founder and Artistic Director of the Kuumba Dance Company, Lindi Yeni, will host a gala on the 23rd of March at the Holiday Inn Southwest. The gala will honor community members and faithful supporters of the non-profit dance company.
The gala will feature South African Ambassador to the United States, Barbara Masekela as the keynote speaker. Masakela is the sister of legendary jazz musician, Hugh Masekela. Honorees will include Dikembe Mutombo of the Houston Rockets, Audrey Lawson, president Ameritus of the Ensemble Theater and Mr. and Mrs. John Broussard, faithful patrons of Kuumba house among others.
“Twenty-five years ago there really was a void in Houston,” Yeni recalled. “You could tell. No one cultivated and celebrated the African dance movement as an art. My hope was to bring that to the forefront.”
As the years rolled by Yeni watched in amazement as the city of Houston embraced her dance troupe, creating opportunities to perform more than 200 times a year, exposing many African Americans to their first true glimpse of African culture as well as allowing people from other ethnicities to taste the richness of the African people.
Adam Carman, a Caucasian, 27-year old musician, has played the drums with the Kuumba Dance Company for three years.
After a friend encouraged him to audition Carman admits he was a bit shook by the new and intense regimen but he soon developed an even more laudable drumming technique.
“We meet a lot of interesting people. We perform at a lot of charitable events. There is a lot of good that is done through my involvement with this company,” Carman said. “It’s an experience that expands the worldly consciousness. It reminds us that we should open up the lines of communication.”
For school performances such as the one at Bellfort Academy, located in Southeast Houston, where there is an even mixture of ethnic backgrounds, the Kuumba Dance Company tailors the show with a more educational tone. Group members teach the children about language, geography, social and cultural studies through a myriad of story-telling, dance, songs and physical activities.
“We are more than entertainers,” Yeni said proudly. “We are edu-tainers.”
If “edu-tainment” were an Olympic event, The Kuumba House would earn a gold medal. Year after year, Yeni and her dance troupe perform and educate students, and year after year, these students grow older and wiser in the world, but they never forget their Kuumba experience.
Crystal Johnson who has served as the Instructional Coordinator at Bellfort Academy for the past 3 years believes exposure to the Kuumba Dance Company will enhance the students in their personal development.
“Their services are worth so much to the children,” Johnson said. “I have been with this school for the past 3 years and I have invited them to perform every year.”
Debbie Ogabonnaya is a reserved Bellfort Academy 5th grader who wears a white zip down sweater over her blue uniform t-shirt.
“I remember seeing [the Kuumba Dance Company] in 2nd grade, in 4th grade and now in 5th grade,” Ogabonnaya said.
Ogabonnaya’s family is Nigerian which lends a more personal connection to the show. “When I see it, I feel kind of milky (shy) because they are showing a bunch of stuff that I’ve never said to anybody.”
Whether it’s expressed in English or Xhosa, the South African language demonstrated during the Kuumba performance, there is a universal language that speaks to all hearts once the drums begin to play.
“Twenty-five years ago I was more energetic and passionate about what I do,” Yeni reflected on her early days as a hopeful entrepreneur. “I saw myself as a pioneer in this field and a community worker. Twenty-five years later, I am a grandmother. I have slowed down. I see the fruit of my work and I marvel that we actually did accomplish what we set out to accomplish.”
Yeni who is originally from Tietermaritzburg, South Africa will embark on the next leg of her life journey when she voyages to South Africa in June of 2008 on a self professed “calling from God”. She will return to her native land to work with homeless children. She was apprehensive about answering her “call” but since accepting the burden on her heart as a message from God, she has made peace with her decision.
“Non-profits are created to solve a problem. When you have accomplished that, it’s time to step away and move on,” Yeni said. “The problem was that there was a void in African dancing in this city. Kuumba house has made its presence known, and it will continue.”
Saturday, June 03, 2006
A Night on the town with the kids in tow
FAMILY
The Miami Herald
February 25, 2006
BY TE-ERIKA PATTERSON
On a typical Sunday evening, Natasha Figueros, 22, gets dressed for the club early.
She pulls her long brown hair back into a bun and attaches her silver earrings and matching bracelets. She smiles at her reflection in the mirror as she applies a last dab of clear lip gloss.
She grabs her purse and hops into her SUV as she makes a quick phone call to see if her girls are ready to accompany her to the club. She tosses her phone onto the passenger seat as she pulls into their driveway.
Seconds later, they emerge, smiling and waving. ''TASHA!'' they scream in unison as they jump up and down.
''Hey, munchkins,'' she says and waves goodbye to her sister Jessica, who is standing in the doorway holding her 4-month-old son. Natasha guides the girls into her truck and buckles their seat belts. Her ''girls'' are her 5-year-old and 2-year old nieces, Dezaray and Alysha, and she's taking them out for their highly anticipated night on the town.
Their destination is L'Boulevard Cafe, at 3632 NW 25th Ave. in Miami.
The Latin cafe was opened five years ago by owner Edward Pena, who has been promoting parties for the past 20 years in cities from New York to Nicaragua.
His signature event is Family Sunday, a weekly gathering dedicated to bringing families closer together through good music, great food and a relaxed atmosphere.
''I like L'Boulevard because it gives the kids a chance to have fun,'' Figueros says as she ushers her nieces inside. ``They can dance, they can eat and it gives me a chance to hang with all of the people I knew from school and in the neighborhood.
``The girls get to get up and get dressed up and go out dancing just like their auntie. At the end of the night, we're all exhausted but happy and I drop them off knowing that we'll be back again next Sunday.''
Every Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. dozens of parents from all ages and all ethnic backgrounds bring their children to L'Boulevard Cafe for the dance contests, prizes and personal attention from Pena, who hosts the kiddie dance contests himself.
Regular party goers are allowed inside during Family Sunday, and admission is free if you bring children. If you don't have children there is a $10 cover charge. With the exception of beer, no alcohol is served until after the children leave.
Pena, a native of the Dominican Republic, has four children of his own, who he says enjoy the club as much as he does.
Rosery Castillo, 21, brings her 22-month old daughter regularly.
''I've been coming with my daughter since she was 4 months old,'' Castillo says. ``I guess we follow the traditions because in Santo Domingo, [Dominican Republic] this is what we do on Sundays.''
Castillo and her daughter, Sabrina, hold hands as they move their bodies fluidly on the edge of the dance floor to the pulsating music of Bachata Swing, the live band.
''This club is like family,'' says Juan Mora, a 25-year-old Miami resident, sitting on a bar stool and watching the kiddie dance contest. ``I'm here with my cousins and my brother. It's good to see the kids dancing. They're having fun. We're all feeling good.''
On the other side of the club, Figueros giggles as her two nieces stand near the crowded stage watching the dance competition.
''Alysha won a bike one time after winning a competition,'' Figueros says proudly, pointing to her 2-year-old niece. ``Next week we're hoping to win the 13-inch TV.''
The Miami Herald
February 25, 2006
BY TE-ERIKA PATTERSON
On a typical Sunday evening, Natasha Figueros, 22, gets dressed for the club early.
She pulls her long brown hair back into a bun and attaches her silver earrings and matching bracelets. She smiles at her reflection in the mirror as she applies a last dab of clear lip gloss.
She grabs her purse and hops into her SUV as she makes a quick phone call to see if her girls are ready to accompany her to the club. She tosses her phone onto the passenger seat as she pulls into their driveway.
Seconds later, they emerge, smiling and waving. ''TASHA!'' they scream in unison as they jump up and down.
''Hey, munchkins,'' she says and waves goodbye to her sister Jessica, who is standing in the doorway holding her 4-month-old son. Natasha guides the girls into her truck and buckles their seat belts. Her ''girls'' are her 5-year-old and 2-year old nieces, Dezaray and Alysha, and she's taking them out for their highly anticipated night on the town.
Their destination is L'Boulevard Cafe, at 3632 NW 25th Ave. in Miami.
The Latin cafe was opened five years ago by owner Edward Pena, who has been promoting parties for the past 20 years in cities from New York to Nicaragua.
His signature event is Family Sunday, a weekly gathering dedicated to bringing families closer together through good music, great food and a relaxed atmosphere.
''I like L'Boulevard because it gives the kids a chance to have fun,'' Figueros says as she ushers her nieces inside. ``They can dance, they can eat and it gives me a chance to hang with all of the people I knew from school and in the neighborhood.
``The girls get to get up and get dressed up and go out dancing just like their auntie. At the end of the night, we're all exhausted but happy and I drop them off knowing that we'll be back again next Sunday.''
Every Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. dozens of parents from all ages and all ethnic backgrounds bring their children to L'Boulevard Cafe for the dance contests, prizes and personal attention from Pena, who hosts the kiddie dance contests himself.
Regular party goers are allowed inside during Family Sunday, and admission is free if you bring children. If you don't have children there is a $10 cover charge. With the exception of beer, no alcohol is served until after the children leave.
Pena, a native of the Dominican Republic, has four children of his own, who he says enjoy the club as much as he does.
Rosery Castillo, 21, brings her 22-month old daughter regularly.
''I've been coming with my daughter since she was 4 months old,'' Castillo says. ``I guess we follow the traditions because in Santo Domingo, [Dominican Republic] this is what we do on Sundays.''
Castillo and her daughter, Sabrina, hold hands as they move their bodies fluidly on the edge of the dance floor to the pulsating music of Bachata Swing, the live band.
''This club is like family,'' says Juan Mora, a 25-year-old Miami resident, sitting on a bar stool and watching the kiddie dance contest. ``I'm here with my cousins and my brother. It's good to see the kids dancing. They're having fun. We're all feeling good.''
On the other side of the club, Figueros giggles as her two nieces stand near the crowded stage watching the dance competition.
''Alysha won a bike one time after winning a competition,'' Figueros says proudly, pointing to her 2-year-old niece. ``Next week we're hoping to win the 13-inch TV.''
Shoppers find bliss, bargains and happiness at local garage sales
The Miami Herald
4/16/06
BY TE-ERIKA PATTERSON
Olga Rodriguez emerges from her Hialeah home at 8 a.m. with a hopeful expression. A quick glance to her left and then to her right and Olga's smile shines as brightly as the warm sun during these early morning hours. Sunshine equals fun time for the Rodriguez family, who have made a ritual of waking up early every Saturday to hunt for hidden treasures at garage sales.
Rodriguez's 15-year-old daughter Alicia and 8-year-old son Alec join her as they stroll down the walkway to their car. ''We're ready!'' Rodriguez, a former schoolteacher, calls over her shoulder to her husband, Mario, who is in the doorway. All four are heading out to their favorite Saturday morning shopping destination, the quiet residential neighborhood of Miami Springs.
Their first stop is the bank for some cash. ''We won't need much,'' says Olga Rodriguez. ''The whole point of the garage sale is to get a good bargain and we've been doing this long enough. We know how to bargain.''
The Rodriguez family began their ''garage sailing'' more than eight years ago as a fun activity to do with the kids. At first they went once a month, then twice a month and soon every weekend they were up by daybreak, eyes wide in anticipation of their next conquest.
''I became an addict because it was affordable,'' Olga Rodriguez admits. ''The more treasures I found, the more things I wanted to find. I started looking for garage sale ads in newspapers, The Flyer, on computer sites like Craigslist and local community boards, too.''
Since the advent of the Internet, garage sale shopping has evolved from a simple trip to replenish household items to one of spotting hidden treasures at a discount for possible resale on eBay, an online auction site.
Rodriguez is among the growing community of garage sale bargain hunters whose part-time passion leads to a new business venture. Part scavenger, part entrepreneur, these savvy investors turn their leisure activity into a source of income by using the garage-sale-to-eBay route.
''My greatest find ever were some Snoopy ornaments that I sold on eBay for hundreds of dollars,'' Rodriguez recalls. 'I also look for old dolls because they sell as well, and used kids' clothes for eBay.''
The monetary gains coupled with the sheer excitement of recognizing the value in an item that no one else does often ignites a certain kind of euphoria.
''It's like what I guess a high would feel like,'' Rodriguez whispers out of earshot of her husband, a former corrections sergeant for the state of Florida. ''Sometimes I think it's even better than sex.''
After visiting the bank the Rodriguez family stops by the police station to get a fresh map of Miami Springs. Here, streets aren't numbered and one could easily get lost among the bird and Indian names of streets. The family also scopes out the community bulletin board on Westward Drive and Apache Street to chart their route.
Like many cities, Miami Springs requires residents to get a permit (at no charge) for garage sales, says Miguel Parages, the local code enforcement officer on duty. Parages is out making his rounds, checking permits and greeting eager shoppers shortly after dawn.
''We only allow each household to have three garage sales a year,'' Parages says. Like some other cities, Miami Springs also limits the number and placement of signs.
Cooper City resident Elsa Zamora, a married mother of two, does the garage sale circuit solo. Zamora, a Broward Sheriff's Office employee, became hooked 15 years ago when she found the perfect watch at an estate sale in New York while browsing with her mother. Now, every Saturday morning she goes out early and returns refreshed to search for a place in her home to showcase her newly found prizes.
''At first it looked like a bunch of stuff in boxes all jumbled up,'' Zamora says of her early forays to garage sales. ''Then after looking week after week, I developed a knack for it. I could go in there and identify things like it was second nature.''
Spring is the perfect time to get up, get out and get personal by going through your neighbors unwanted household goods.
''This is the right time of year,'' Zamora says. ''The weather is beautiful. There's no traffic. It's early in the morning. You meet a bunch of nice new people and you find good items, too.''
Zamora has devised a strategic shopping plan. She leaves by 8:15 a.m. and is back home by 10 a.m. She follows a certain route each Saturday, looking for garage sale signs posted on main thoroughfares. She knows she can't beat the early birds to all of the sales so she hopes the first two arrows she follows lead to a second-hand jackpot.
After she spends 15 minutes scouring the items at each of the first two sales, she relaxes. By then, she knows the good stuff at other sales is already gone so she slows her pace as she finishes her route.
For Zamora, garage sailing is not an activity to generate extra income; it's a way to release the stresses of the workweek.
On this particular Saturday, stress busting is made simple as she completes her rounds and drives away with an armful of goodies including a rhinestone pin for her mom, a coffee tray, a silk plant and hose spray nozzle -- all for less than $8.
Zamora equates the garage sale experience to that of a spiritually empowering event. ''When I'm out shopping I feel very free,'' she says. ''The only thing I think about is finding something that I like. I find it very, very relaxing. It makes me feel like I don't have a care in the world.''
4/16/06
BY TE-ERIKA PATTERSON
Olga Rodriguez emerges from her Hialeah home at 8 a.m. with a hopeful expression. A quick glance to her left and then to her right and Olga's smile shines as brightly as the warm sun during these early morning hours. Sunshine equals fun time for the Rodriguez family, who have made a ritual of waking up early every Saturday to hunt for hidden treasures at garage sales.
Rodriguez's 15-year-old daughter Alicia and 8-year-old son Alec join her as they stroll down the walkway to their car. ''We're ready!'' Rodriguez, a former schoolteacher, calls over her shoulder to her husband, Mario, who is in the doorway. All four are heading out to their favorite Saturday morning shopping destination, the quiet residential neighborhood of Miami Springs.
Their first stop is the bank for some cash. ''We won't need much,'' says Olga Rodriguez. ''The whole point of the garage sale is to get a good bargain and we've been doing this long enough. We know how to bargain.''
The Rodriguez family began their ''garage sailing'' more than eight years ago as a fun activity to do with the kids. At first they went once a month, then twice a month and soon every weekend they were up by daybreak, eyes wide in anticipation of their next conquest.
''I became an addict because it was affordable,'' Olga Rodriguez admits. ''The more treasures I found, the more things I wanted to find. I started looking for garage sale ads in newspapers, The Flyer, on computer sites like Craigslist and local community boards, too.''
Since the advent of the Internet, garage sale shopping has evolved from a simple trip to replenish household items to one of spotting hidden treasures at a discount for possible resale on eBay, an online auction site.
Rodriguez is among the growing community of garage sale bargain hunters whose part-time passion leads to a new business venture. Part scavenger, part entrepreneur, these savvy investors turn their leisure activity into a source of income by using the garage-sale-to-eBay route.
''My greatest find ever were some Snoopy ornaments that I sold on eBay for hundreds of dollars,'' Rodriguez recalls. 'I also look for old dolls because they sell as well, and used kids' clothes for eBay.''
The monetary gains coupled with the sheer excitement of recognizing the value in an item that no one else does often ignites a certain kind of euphoria.
''It's like what I guess a high would feel like,'' Rodriguez whispers out of earshot of her husband, a former corrections sergeant for the state of Florida. ''Sometimes I think it's even better than sex.''
After visiting the bank the Rodriguez family stops by the police station to get a fresh map of Miami Springs. Here, streets aren't numbered and one could easily get lost among the bird and Indian names of streets. The family also scopes out the community bulletin board on Westward Drive and Apache Street to chart their route.
Like many cities, Miami Springs requires residents to get a permit (at no charge) for garage sales, says Miguel Parages, the local code enforcement officer on duty. Parages is out making his rounds, checking permits and greeting eager shoppers shortly after dawn.
''We only allow each household to have three garage sales a year,'' Parages says. Like some other cities, Miami Springs also limits the number and placement of signs.
Cooper City resident Elsa Zamora, a married mother of two, does the garage sale circuit solo. Zamora, a Broward Sheriff's Office employee, became hooked 15 years ago when she found the perfect watch at an estate sale in New York while browsing with her mother. Now, every Saturday morning she goes out early and returns refreshed to search for a place in her home to showcase her newly found prizes.
''At first it looked like a bunch of stuff in boxes all jumbled up,'' Zamora says of her early forays to garage sales. ''Then after looking week after week, I developed a knack for it. I could go in there and identify things like it was second nature.''
Spring is the perfect time to get up, get out and get personal by going through your neighbors unwanted household goods.
''This is the right time of year,'' Zamora says. ''The weather is beautiful. There's no traffic. It's early in the morning. You meet a bunch of nice new people and you find good items, too.''
Zamora has devised a strategic shopping plan. She leaves by 8:15 a.m. and is back home by 10 a.m. She follows a certain route each Saturday, looking for garage sale signs posted on main thoroughfares. She knows she can't beat the early birds to all of the sales so she hopes the first two arrows she follows lead to a second-hand jackpot.
After she spends 15 minutes scouring the items at each of the first two sales, she relaxes. By then, she knows the good stuff at other sales is already gone so she slows her pace as she finishes her route.
For Zamora, garage sailing is not an activity to generate extra income; it's a way to release the stresses of the workweek.
On this particular Saturday, stress busting is made simple as she completes her rounds and drives away with an armful of goodies including a rhinestone pin for her mom, a coffee tray, a silk plant and hose spray nozzle -- all for less than $8.
Zamora equates the garage sale experience to that of a spiritually empowering event. ''When I'm out shopping I feel very free,'' she says. ''The only thing I think about is finding something that I like. I find it very, very relaxing. It makes me feel like I don't have a care in the world.''
Still a class act as time goes by
The Miami Herald
4/15/06
REUNION
BY TE-ERIKA PATTERSON
In 1965, 16-year-old Pat Allen played the cello with her school orchestra and spent lazy Saturday afternoons at the center in Bunche Park watching movies with her friends. She was also a dedicated member of the youth choir at her neighborhood church, Mount Zion. She looked forward to her senior year of high school.
But at the end of her junior year, her cozy world was shaken when officials announced that her school, North Dade Junior/Senior High School, at 1840 NW 157th St., would close to comply with a state integration order.
''They wanted us to go to Carol City High,'' Allen remembers. ''We didn't think it was a good idea. We had already invested five years at North Dade, where we received a great education.''
When word spread that the festivities designed to celebrate their senior year would be curbed in an effort to discourage students from attending, many left. Those who stayed and became the school's last graduating class will celebrate their 40th reunion this summer.
''The majority wanted to stay,'' Allen remembered. ''But the county changed the school bus routes, so many of our classmates no longer had transportation to school. I lived close enough so that I could walk to school. My parents were very supportive of my decision to stay during my senior year.''
Allen watched sadly as her class size dwindled from about 180 students to fewer than 150. They left behind a school that the community had valued.
''We had an orchestra, a band and extremely caring teachers,'' Allen said. ''They lived in our neighborhood and would stop by to check up on us. I think they [administrators] took the path of least resistance by moving us out instead of improving the school, books and the quality of education.''
After the members of the Class of 1966 placed their tassels on the right side of their graduation caps, North Dade Junior/Senior High School closed its doors for the last time, re-opening later as North Dade Middle School.
Allen, who has since enjoyed several careers, including supervisor of reservations for Eastern Airlines and being the mother of a son and daughter, now enjoys spending time with her four grandchildren.
In June, she and other members of the North Dade Junior/Senior High School Class of 1966 will meet in Miami to celebrate their 40th reunion. The group holds formal reunions every 10 years but makes sure to get together in between the decades to check on each other.
The Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson, the pastor of Sweet Home Baptist Church in Perrine, served as senior class president in 1966 and was appointed class reunion president. ''We have formal reunions every 10 years but we do stuff in between like dances and fundraisers,'' Richardson said. ''We played together. We worshipped together. We went to school together. We're family.''
On a recent Saturday, 30 members of the class met at the school to pose for The Miami Herald in their first class photo, 40 years after graduation.
''I was extremely excited about seeing classmates that I hadn't seen in well over 20 years,'' Allen said. ''We love the school and we wanted to come back ourselves to validate that community schools really are the best things for students.''
INFORMATION
The 40-year reunion will include a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, June 19-23, a fish fry June 24 and a worship service at Sweet Home Baptist Church in Perrine June 25. Call the Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson at 305-233-5653 for information. Today is the deadline to secure a place on the cruise.
4/15/06
REUNION
BY TE-ERIKA PATTERSON
In 1965, 16-year-old Pat Allen played the cello with her school orchestra and spent lazy Saturday afternoons at the center in Bunche Park watching movies with her friends. She was also a dedicated member of the youth choir at her neighborhood church, Mount Zion. She looked forward to her senior year of high school.
But at the end of her junior year, her cozy world was shaken when officials announced that her school, North Dade Junior/Senior High School, at 1840 NW 157th St., would close to comply with a state integration order.
''They wanted us to go to Carol City High,'' Allen remembers. ''We didn't think it was a good idea. We had already invested five years at North Dade, where we received a great education.''
When word spread that the festivities designed to celebrate their senior year would be curbed in an effort to discourage students from attending, many left. Those who stayed and became the school's last graduating class will celebrate their 40th reunion this summer.
''The majority wanted to stay,'' Allen remembered. ''But the county changed the school bus routes, so many of our classmates no longer had transportation to school. I lived close enough so that I could walk to school. My parents were very supportive of my decision to stay during my senior year.''
Allen watched sadly as her class size dwindled from about 180 students to fewer than 150. They left behind a school that the community had valued.
''We had an orchestra, a band and extremely caring teachers,'' Allen said. ''They lived in our neighborhood and would stop by to check up on us. I think they [administrators] took the path of least resistance by moving us out instead of improving the school, books and the quality of education.''
After the members of the Class of 1966 placed their tassels on the right side of their graduation caps, North Dade Junior/Senior High School closed its doors for the last time, re-opening later as North Dade Middle School.
Allen, who has since enjoyed several careers, including supervisor of reservations for Eastern Airlines and being the mother of a son and daughter, now enjoys spending time with her four grandchildren.
In June, she and other members of the North Dade Junior/Senior High School Class of 1966 will meet in Miami to celebrate their 40th reunion. The group holds formal reunions every 10 years but makes sure to get together in between the decades to check on each other.
The Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson, the pastor of Sweet Home Baptist Church in Perrine, served as senior class president in 1966 and was appointed class reunion president. ''We have formal reunions every 10 years but we do stuff in between like dances and fundraisers,'' Richardson said. ''We played together. We worshipped together. We went to school together. We're family.''
On a recent Saturday, 30 members of the class met at the school to pose for The Miami Herald in their first class photo, 40 years after graduation.
''I was extremely excited about seeing classmates that I hadn't seen in well over 20 years,'' Allen said. ''We love the school and we wanted to come back ourselves to validate that community schools really are the best things for students.''
INFORMATION
The 40-year reunion will include a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, June 19-23, a fish fry June 24 and a worship service at Sweet Home Baptist Church in Perrine June 25. Call the Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson at 305-233-5653 for information. Today is the deadline to secure a place on the cruise.
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