spectacular magazine (feb-march 2013)

SPECTACULARMAGAZINE

www.spectacularmag.com

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEFPHYLLIS COLEY

FEATURES EDITORAPRIL MIAL

COLUMNISTSLAWRENCE DAVIS III

DR. SHARON ELLIOTT-BYNUM . REP. LARRY HALL DEL MATTIOLI

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSBRITTANY CHALMERS . DAWN DeANGELO

PHOTOGRAPHERSMEL BROWN - SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

GABRIEL AIKENS . GREGORY COATS . TERRENCE ROUSE

LAYOUT/DESIGNPHYLLIS COLEY

LAWRENCE DAVIS III

Spectacular Magazine enlightens, empowers and entertains African Americanswith features, columns, commentaries and calendars. Spectacular Magazine is pub-

lished bi-monthly and distributed free in Durham, Wake, Orange, Granville, andVance counties.

Deadline for all submissions is the 19th of each month.Contact us at:

[email protected]

or by mail at: Post Office Box 361 Durham, NC 27702

919-680-0465

PRESIDENT - CEO CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERPhyllis D. Coley Gary N. Jones, MBA

DIRECTOR OF SALESDiane Phillips

Sales Office Phone Number: 919-225-1515

4 SPECTACULAR February/March 2013 www.spectacularmag.com

In February/March 2013 Issue

Briefly 27Did U Know? 36Did U Know? Black History Month Edition 6Ear to the Streets 37Entertainment 35Features

ACC 32CIAA 31Congressman G.K. Butterfield 16 DMX 13Dr. Debra Saunders-White 21Durham MLK/BHM Parade Photos 18Jabberwock 29MEAC 32Nas 9Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation 23The Dramatics 35The Whispers 35

From The Publisher’s Desk 5Health 24Lifestyle 31Newsbriefs 25NC Legislative Update 8NCCU Chancellor-elect 21Sports 33This Is Your Life 32

COVER PHOTO: Nas’ Life is Good cd

ENTERTAINMENT EDITORGARY N. JONES

DISTRIBUTIONLAWRENCE DAVIS III . LELIA ROYSTER

SPECIAL THANKS TO 11TH ANNUAL DURHAMMLK/BLACK HISTORY MONTH PARADE

www.spectacularmag.com February/March 2013 SPECTACULAR 5

In 2013, some politicians are at it again.Restrictive voter photo-ID laws have passed legis-latures in a number of states, including Virginia,whose new law awaits the governor's signatureand will then require federal preclearance beforegoing into effect.

In North Carolina, the argument is that discrimina-tion of the type the law was meant to preventdoesn't exist; that black citizens' rights aresecure. All the justices acknowledge that progresshas been made on that front, but they differ as towhether that part of the Voting Rights Act shouldbe lifted.

Some argue that the push from Republicans in theN.C. General Assembly to establish a voter ID law is an example of "still there."Because some minority and elderly citizens lack conventional IDs such as dri-ver's licenses, they'd have to go through a bureaucratic process to get identifi-cation, which would be burdensome for many. Such a rule would increase thelikelihood that people in those groups wouldn't vote, a factor more likely to helpRepublicans than Democrats.

It smacks of being a cold calculation from Republicans to gain every advantagethey can. The fraud excuse, after all, doesn't fly. There is very little evidence ofany significant voter fraud in North Carolina. It may not be a poll tax, but avoter ID law is clearly designed to benefit one party over another, and courtshave struck down some.

High court justices should be rightly suspicious that a challenge to part of theVoting Rights Act comes as Republicans in North Carolina and elsewhere areworking hard on voter identification requirements. In this state, Republicanshave been quiet, doubtless hoping the Justices rule in favor of the Alabamiansso GOP legislative leaders here can move ahead with a voter ID law.

North Carolina made more progress in ensuring equal rights than most of itsneighbors. But discrimination is deceptive, and like a dormant virus it can besubject to an unpleasant recurrence. The extension of the Voting Rights Act, aproud landmark in the civil rights movement, was overwhelmingly approved byCongress in 2006. It should stand, all parts of it, until that 25-year extensionhas expired.

Without Section 5, voters would need to challenge restrictive laws on a case-by-case basis -- after they are already enacted. This is an inefficient method to pro-tect minority voting-rights. It would allow discriminatory laws to remain ineffect while opponents endure the slow and expensive litigation process ofchallenging them.

Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, however, is able to block discrimination beforeit occurs, acting as both a deterrent and a remedy to state and local govern-ments whose laws end up intentionally or unintentionally denying American cit-izens the equal right to vote.

Not only is Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act a necessary and effective tool, itis also a symbol of our nation's struggle and commitment to safeguarding themost fundamental right of American democracy. To weaken or invalidate thisAct would be a shameful departure from the values our society holds so dear -- equality, fairness, and an inclusive democracy. The Voting Rights Act is a reflec-tion and realization of these values, and it must be fully upheld.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Phyllis Coley [email protected]

From The Publisher’s Desk...

Supreme Court must defend democracy and uphold Voting Rights ActIn 2006 when the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 was reauthorized, I told my19-year old son to not take this for granted because it would come up againin his lifetime. I never thought it would be just 7 years later.

For generations, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 has been instrumental inmaking the promise of our democracy a reality for millions of citizens. Thismonth, the Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of Section 5 ofthe Act --- one of the most effective civil rights tools in our nation's history --in the case Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder. After a year where politiciansmanipulated voting laws for their own benefit, the Court must uphold this pro-tection and safeguard every American's fundamental right to vote.

Section 5 requires certain states and jurisdictions with documented histories ofdenying minority voting-rights to gain approval from the Department of Justiceor a federal court before changing voting procedures. This "preclearance"process is designed to ensure the changes do not discriminate against minorityvoters, either intentionally or unintentionally. Shelby County, a largely whitesuburb of Birmingham, filed suit in 2010, claiming Section 5 is unconstitutionalbecause it hurts states' rights.

Opponents of the law say it is unfair for some states to have to follow theserules. But the Supreme Court rejected this argument shortly after the Act wasoriginally enacted in 1965. In total, four separate Court decisions have upheldthe Act through the decades, and in 2006, Congress voted overwhelmingly toreauthorize it.

Opponents also argue the law is no longer necessary -- that discrimination inour electoral process is a thing of the past. But the recent push to restrict vot-ing, which came heavily in jurisdictions covered by Section 5, proves themwrong.

In 2011 and 2012, 19 states passed more than two-dozen measures that wouldhave effectively made it harder to vote, the biggest rollback in voting rightssince the Jim Crow era. These measures included voter ID laws, early-voting cut-backs, and curbs on community-based voter registration drives -- all of whichimposed burdens on minority voters.

Citizens rejected these laws at the polls, nearly a dozen courts overturned orweakened restrictive measures, and the Department of Justice blocked others.In the end, far fewer voters were affected by the voting-law changes than ini-tially predicted. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was instrumental in protect-ing these votes.

Any student of this nation's history knows that discrimination against black cit-izens with regard to voting has been blatant and commonplace over time, par-ticularly in the South. Poll taxes, literacy tests and just random exclusionsdesigned to keep African-Americans from voting out of spite or racism or in anattempt to mute their voices and beat their candidates were widespread in theformer Confederacy.

Speaking of the Confederacy, it is a challenge from Shelby County, Ala., that hasbrought the issue to the fore. The county says that the part of the law requiringvoting jurisdictions to get clearance from the federal government before anychanges can be made in voting rules is outdated and unnecessary.

SUPREME COURT MUSTUPHOLD VOTING RIGHTS ACT

Phyllis D. ColeyPublisher - Pres./CEO

www.spectacularmag.com6 SPECTACULAR February/March 2013

Did U Know?...BLACK HISTORY MONTH EDITIONSUCCESSES AND CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY AFRICAN-AMERICANS

Compiled by Special Gee

February is Black History Month, a time tocelebrate the many contributions and suc-cesses of African-Americans. SpectacularMagazine is sharing some important mile-stones and fun facts about influential blackfigures, inventors and barrier breakers.

Did U Know ...without the inventorslisted below, your favorite sandwich (peanutbutter and jelly), the Super Soaker and eventhe stop light wouldn’t be possible?

. Kiss your PB & J sandwiches goodbye,because without George WashingtonCarver— those sandwiches would justbe jelly-filled. Born a slave, Carver went onto develop several uses for the peanut(including soap, mayonnaise and adhesive)and 400 plant products according toScholastic!

. Next time you sit in a foldable chair, think of inventor NathanielAlexander. He designed the chair to be used for large gatherings at placeslike schools and churches.

. Thinking about corrective or cataracts eye sur-gery? You owe Dr. Patricia. E. Bath a bigthanks! Bath was not only the first African-American woman doctor to receive a patent for amedical invention, she developed an eye surgerythat utilizes laser devices to make incisions moreprecise.

. In 1992, Mae C. Jemison became the first femaleAfrican- American space traveler in the UnitedStates, according to NASA.. Ever print something off your laptop, computer orsmart phone? IBM computer engineer Mark E.Dean is the mastermind behind the technology thatlets you do that!. Think you could invent an improved sewing machine, but also the first trafficlight and WWI gas mask? Garrett Morgan was a man of many skills and theinventor behind all of those!

The list continues with more incredibly talentedblack inventors: Dr. Charles Drew (the doctorbehind the blood bank), Wallace Amos (thebaker behind Famous Amos chocolate chip cook-ies); Lonnie G. Johnson (the man behind theSuper Soaker water gun) and Dr. ShirleyJackson (the female scientist behind fiber opticscables and caller ID).

Other notable firsts by African-Americans: . 1909: W.E.B Du Bois formed the National Advancement of Colored PeopleOrganization (NAACP). 1947: Jackie Robinson became the first MLB player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. 1954: The Supreme Court rules on Brown versus Board of Education, deem-ing segregation in public school unconstitutional

. 1963: Civil Rights activist and leader Martin Luther King, Jr. makes his nowfamous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Did U Know ...that without the milestones made by the musiciansbelow, Beyonce wouldn’t have been able to rock out the Super Bowl and noone would jam to Usher?. In 1890, former slave George W. Johnson became the first African-American to record commercially.. In 1920, Mamie Smith was the first black artist to record a blues song onOkeh Records.. Count Basie of the Count Basie Orchestra was the title of first maleAfrican-American winner of a Grammy Award in 1958.

. Louis Armstrong was not only a talented musician (he taught himself toplay the coronet in a group home at age 7); he also helped transform the artof jazz.. The legendary voice behind “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” Ella Fitzgeraldwas the first female African-American winner in 1958 for best individual jazzperformance.. Stevie Wonder has won an impressive 25 Grammy awards, including winsfor best producer of the year and album of the year.. Maya Angelou— a trailblazer in poetry, film and education— was alsoSan Francisco’s first African-American female cable car conductor AND firstblack woman to recite a poem at an inauguration.. Often called the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklinhas 18 Grammy awards under her belt— includingbest female R&B vocal performance for the classic hit,“Respect.” She was also the first black woman induct-ed into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.. Female MC/rappers like Lady B paved the way forpopular lady rappers like Queen Latifah and NickiMinaj with beats like “To the Beat, Ya’ll.”

. Producer Quincy Jones holds themost Grammy nods (79) and wins (27) for an African-American.

We’re giving some major props to the women who haverocked powerful positions and proven girls really do run theworld.

Did U Know ...these notable firsts by African-American women?. Harriet Tubman: During the Civil War, this brave woman helped 300 slavesescape through the Underground Railroad. In addition, she became the firstwoman in American history to lead a military expedition.. Rosa Parks: Often remembered as a powerful player in the civil rightsmoment and her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white woman, she also is

Gary “Special Gee” Jones

Did U Know? BHM Edition continues on page 7


the first African-American woman to be honored with a statue in Statuary Hallin the U.S. Capitol.. Bessie Coleman: Busting through the barriers in the ‘boys only’ club,Bessie became the the first African-American female pilot in 1921.

. Shirley Chisholm: During the New York 1969 for a new leader, Chisholmwas elected the first African-American congresswoman. She went on to serveseven terms.. Patricia Roberts Harris: The Harvard grad and lawyer became the firstblack female named U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg by President Lyndon B.Johnson. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter selected her for his cabinet asSecretary of Housing and Urban Development, another first!. Condoleezza Rice: The political science professor made history when shebecame the first African-American female U.S. Secretary of State in 2005. She

also was among the first group of women admitted tothe Augusta National Golf Club.. Toni Morrison: The literary voice behind works like‘Beloved’ hit a major milestone in 1993 when she washonored as the first black woman to receive the NobelPrize in literature.. Ursula Burns: After working for Xerox for 29 years,Ursula became the CEO in 2009. That made her the firstAfrican-American woman to lead a Fortune 500 compa-ny.. Ruth Simmons: In 2000, Ruth was named the 18thpresident of Brown University— making her the firstblack president of an Ivy League school.. Oprah Winfrey: The philanthropist and TV person-ality was the first African-American woman to have asyndicated talk show. In 2003, she was named the firstblack female billionaire by Forbes.

Next, we’re talking sports and the performing arts;Did U Know? that…. According to Biography.com, tap dancer HowardSims was known as the “Sandman,” because hesprinkled sand on stage to amplify his tap dance steps.. In 1908, boxer Jack

Johnson became the first black world heavy-weight champion. Muhammad Ali would followin his footsteps decades later, becoming the firstboxer to win the title three times.. Jackie Robinson became the first black MLB

player in 1947, playing forthe Brooklyn Dodgers as thefirst baseman. In 1962, hewas also the first African-American to be inductedinto the Baseball Hall ofFame.. Tennis player ArthurAshe was the first black

man to win Wimbledon in 1975.. Pianist and performer Nat King Cole was the first black entertainer tohost his own show on national TV in 1956.. Playwright Lorraine Hansberry made history in 1959 with her drama‘Raisin in the Sun.’ The play became the first drama written by a black womanto make it to Broadway.. “Gone with the Wind”actress HattieMcDaniel was thefirst African-Americanto win an Oscar. Shetook home the awardfor best supportingactress.. Actress Halle Berrywas the first African-American to win ‘BestActress’ at the Oscarsin 2001. She won forher role in Monster’sBall.. At the 2002 WinterOlympics, track starturned bobsledderVonetta Flowers became the first black athlete to win a gold medal at thewinter games.

. In 2003, black singers held all top 10 spots on thepopular Billboard music chart for the first timein its 50 years. Beyonce’s song “Baby Boy”topped the list.

Other notable facts:. Allensworth is the only California communityto be founded, financed and governed by African-Americans.. Jazz is an African-American musical form bornout of the blues, ragtime and

february/february/march 2013 2013ing bands. It originated in Louisiana dur-ing the turn of the nineteenth century. The word jazz is actually a slang termthat at one point referred to a sexual act. Scandalous!. In 1938, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt challenged the segregation rules atthe Southern Conference on Human Welfare in Birmingham, Alabama. Part ofthe reason for her protest was so she could sit next to African-Americaneducator Mary McLeod Bethune, whom Roosevelt referred to as “herclosest friend in her age group.”. In 2008, BarackObama was elected asthe 44th President of theUnited States. and wasre-elected to a secondterm in 2012. He is thefirst African American tohold the office. His wife,Michelle LaVaughnObama is the firstAfrican-American first lady of the country. She also was the first woman andblack woman to appear on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens magazine andthe premiere first lady as a presenter at the 2013 Oscars.Until next time!

Gary ‘Special Gee’ Jones Entertainment Editor [email protected]

(Source: www.hlntv.com; www.wikipedia.org)

DID U KNOW? BHM EDITION CONTINUES


LAWMAKERS BUSY IN RALEIGH House opens with Unemployment Insurance, Medicaid

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE - HOUSE BILL 4To pay off NC’s federal debt three years earlier, in year 2015 verses 2018,Republicans filed House Bill 4. The weight of the burden of House Bill 4 falls onthe unemployed as the bill unfairly hurts the unemployed by drasticallydecreasing their benefits and only barely increasing the unemployment tax paidby employers. Notably, the decrease in citizens’ benefits is permanent, but theemployer’s higher unemployment tax is temporary, lasting only three years.

FACTS:. We are discussing people that are unemployed through no fault of their own;. NC continues to face an unemployment rate of more than nine percent (9%)which is one of the highest unemployment rates in the county;. There are three (3) unemployed workers for every one (1) job available in thestate; and. As legislators are to be responsible stewards of money and thereby makeevery responsible effort to pay down NC’s debt, legislators also owe it to fami-lies that are struggling to be sure to use a balanced approach in that steward-ship.

EFFECTS OF HOUSE BILL 4:. Cuts the maximum benefit from $535/week to $350/week (a $185 per weekdecrease) and caps it regardless of cost of living or inflation. The difference inweekly benefits can be the difference in paying a mortgage or paying a child’stuition;. Cuts the maximum number of weeks of benefits from 26 weeks to a slidingscale of 12 to 20 weeks;. Ends federal unemployment 6 weeks early for more than 80,000 families inNC, cutting $600 million from the state’s economy.

Democrats introduced several amendments for a more balanced approach yetall were either voted down or dismissed and the House tentatively approved theoverhaul of the state’s unemployment system.

On his second day as Governor of North Carolina, Pat McCrory signed the com-prehensive reform of the state’s unemployment insurance system into law. Thenew law applies to new claims for unemployment benefits filed on or after July1, 2013. One of Republican-led House Bill 4’s stated purposes is to addressNorth Carolina’s unemployment insurance debt — North Carolina’s unemploy-ment insurance system currently owes more than $2.5 billion dollars to the fed-eral government.

Dozens of groups urged a slower pace on unemployment insurance – more thantwo dozen groups took the unusual step of issuing a statement to urge theGeneral Assembly to adopt a slower pace on unemployment insurance reform.The coalition, which included AARP, AFL-CIO, the Teamsters and the NAACPamong others, issued an open letter to lawmakers in Raleigh, expressing theirconcerns over the passage of the “controversial” legislation at “breakneckspeed” and doing so without inviting advocates for jobless workers to the bar-gaining table.

Furthermore, the coalition urged the North Carolina Senate to honor the state’stradition of deliberative policymaking, calling upon leaders to consider compro-mise in the face of actions that will affect thousands of North Carolina familiesboth immediately and in the future.

The unemployment law also eliminates “substantial fault” as a means of par-tially disqualifying claimants from receiving unemployment benefits. Currentlaw allows for a finding of substantial fault to result in a claimant’s partial dis-qualification of between 4 and 13 weeks. Thus, a finding of substantial fault cur-rently results in a reduction of 15% to 50% of unemployment benefitsreceived. However, the unemployment law totally eliminates substantial fault asa means of partial disqualification.

The law’s elimination of “substantial fault” likely will result in an even greateremphasis on workplace “misconduct” as the principal basis by which NorthCarolina employers can defend claims for unemployment benefits. Best prac-tices for North Carolina employers to defend against unemployment benefitclaims include (1) documentation of employees’ acknowledgement of receipt ofwritten workplace policies and (2) enforcement and documentation of progres-sive discipline.

Reforms also include elimination of the health exclusion entirely. The exclusioncurrently allows a claimant to avoid disqualification from benefits if theclaimant can prove that he or she left work due to a disability or other healthcondition. The health exclusion also applies if the claimant proves that he or sheleft work due to a disability or health condition of the claimant’s minor child,parent, or immediate family member.

Finally, the unemployment law redefines North Carolina’s statutory definition of“suitable work,” which governs a claimant’s continued eligibility for unemploy-ment benefits. The new mandate provides that after a claimant receives 10weeks of unemployment benefit payments he or she must accept any “suitablework,” now defined as any employment offer paying at least 120% of aclaimant’s weekly benefit amount. Any claimant who fails to accept the offer of“suitable work” faces disqualification from receipt of any further unemploy-ment benefits.

MEDICAID - SENATE BILL 4The Medicaid bill is designed to block the implementation of major parts of thefederal health care law (popularly termed ‘ObamaCare’) in North Carolina. Itwould prevent more low-income residents from receiving healthcare coverageunder Medicaid and stop a state-sponsored online marketplace for insurancepolicies. Currently, the program only covers low-income women, the disabled,the elderly and children.

An expansion of Medicaid would provide health coverage for 648,000 low-income residents, a large portion of which do not have any health insurance.The federal government would fully fund newly eligible residents for the firstthree (3) years and then pay at least ninety percent (90%).

Senate Bill 4 passed the House of Representatives on Feb. 14th by a party-linevote of 75-42. The bill will be sent to back to the Senate and then to theGovernor.

Leader Hall voted against the bill designed to block the expansion of Medicaidin North Carolina. The Medicaid expansion would cover about 500,000 workingfamilies in North Carolina, providing them the insurance coverage requiredwhen the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented next year. The federal gov-ernment would pick up the full cost of the expansion for the first three yearsand ninety percent (90%) of the cost for several years thereafter.

Expanding Medicaid would have helped working families who are still strug-gling in this economy. Politics should not stand in the way of expanding healthcare coverage to 500,000 people, creating 23,000 jobs and preventing the costof treating the uninsured from being passed on to hard working taxpayers.Rejecting Medicaid expansion is a short-sighted decision that will hurt NorthCarolina’s economy and the quality of life for many citizens.

Please contact me or my office if I can be of any assistance.

Larry D. Hall Mail :: Post Office Box 25308, Durham, North Carolina 27702 Email :: [email protected] can listen to committee meetings and press conferences on the General Assembly’s web-site at www.ncleg.net.

HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER

NC LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

LEGENDARY RAPPERNAS

LIFE IS GOOD

Beginning with his classic debut, Illmatic (1994), Nas stood tall for yearsas one of New York City’s leading rap voices, outspokenlyexpressing a righteous, self-empowered swagger thatendeared him to critics and hip-hop purists. Whetherproclaiming himself “Nasty Nas” or “Nas Escobar” or“Nastradamus” or “God’s Son,” the self-appoint-ed King of New York battled numerous adver-saries for his position atop the epicenter ofEast Coast rap, none more challenging thanJay-Z, who vied with Nas for the vacatedthrone left in the wake of the NotoriousB.I.G.’s 1997 assassination.

Such headline-worthy dramainformed Nas’ provocative rhymes,which he delivered with both a master-ful flow and a wise perspective overbeats by a range of producers: legendslike DJ Premier, Large Professor, andPete Rock; hitmakers likeTrackmasters, Timbaland, andwill.i.am; street favorites like SwizzBeatz, Megahertz, and the Alchemist.

Nas likewise collaborated with some ofthe industry’s leading video directors,including Hype Williams and Chris Robinson,presenting singles like “Hate Me Now,” “OneMic” and “I Can” with dramatic flair.Throughout all the ups (the acclaim, popularity,and success) and downs (the expectations, adver-saries, and over-reaching), Nas continuallymatured as an artist, evolving from a young


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street disciple to a vain all-knowing philosopher to a humbled godlyteacher. Such growth made every album release an event and pro-longed his increasingly storied career to epic proportions.

Born Nasir Jones, son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas droppedout of school in the eighth grade, trading classrooms for the streetsof the rough Queensbridge projects, long fabled as the former stomp-ing ground of Marley Marl and his Juice Crew as immortalized in“The Bridge.” Despite dropping out of school, Nas developed a highdegree of literacy that would later characterize his rhymes. At thesame time, though, he delved into street culture and flirted with dan-ger, such experiences similarly characterizing his rhymes.

His synthesis of well-crafted rhetoric and street-glamorousimagery blossomed in 1991 when he connected with Main Sourceand laid down a fiery verse on “Live at the Barbeque” that earnedhim up-and-coming notice among the East Coast rap scene. Not longafterward, MC Serch of 3rd Bass approached Nas about contributinga track to the Zebrahead soundtrack. Serch was the soundtrack’sexecutive producer and had been impressed by “Live at theBarbeque.” Nas submitted “Halftime,” and the song so stunnedSerch that he made it the soundtrack’s lead-off track.

Columbia Records meanwhile signed Nas to a major-label con-tract, and many of New York’sfinest producers offered theirsupport. DJ Premier, LargeProfessor, and Pete Rock enteredthe studio with the young rapperand began work on Illmatic.When Columbia finally releasedthe album in April 1994, it facedhigh expectations; Illmaticregardless proved just asastounding as it had been billed.

It sold very well, spawned multiple hits, and earned unanimousacclaim, followed soon after by classic status.

The two years leading up to Nas’ follow-up, It Was Written(1996), brought another wave of enormous anticipation. The ambi-tious rapper, who had begun working closely with industry heavy-weight Steve Stoute, responded with a significantly different approach

than he had taken with Illmatic:where that album had been astraightforward hip-hop albumwith few pop concessions, thelargely Trackmaster-produced ItWas Written made numerousconcessions to the pop-crossovermarket, most notably on the twohit singles, “Street Dreams” and“If I Ruled the World (ImagineThat).” These singles — both of

which drew from well-known songs, Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams(Are Made of This)” and Kurtis Blow’s “If I Ruled the World,”respectively — broadened Nas’ appeal greatly and awarded himMTV-sanctioned crossover success. This same crossover successundermined some of his hip-hop credibility, however, and a minorbacklash by purists resulted.

Nas addressed his critics on “Hate Me Now,” the second singlefrom his next album, I Am (1999). The effort had originally beenplanned as a double-disc concept album comprised of autobiograph-ical material, but when some of the tracks were leaked, I Am wasscaled down and released as a single disc, with the DJ Premier-pro-

duced “Nas Is Like” chosen as thelead single. Besides “Nas Is Like”and “Hate Me Now,” which bothbroke into the Billboard Hot 100.“You Won’t See Me Tonight” and“K-I-S-S-I-N-G” also charted assingles.

Originally scheduled byColumbia as a follow-up albumcomprised of the pirated materi-al from the I Am sessions,

Nastradamus (1999) was released in time for the holiday shoppingseason; roughly six months after its predecessor. Comprised almostentirely of new material, recorded quickly to meet the late-Novemberrelease date, the album failed to garner the abundance of criticalpraise that had become customary for Nas. Moreover, unlike its twopredecessors, Nastradamus failed to debut at number one on theBillboard 200 album chart, peaking at number seven instead, andfailed to go double platinum. Though relatively disappointing on

these counts, Nastradamus stillwent platinum and spawned twocharting singles, “Nastradamus”and “You Owe Me,” so the albumwasn’t a failure, just disappoint-ing.

In the late-’90s wake of theNotorious B.I.G.’s assassination,Nas reigned atop the New Yorkrap scene alongside few contem-poraries of equal stature. In addi-

tion to his endless stream of hits by the industry’s most successfulproducers — “If I Ruled the World” (produced by theTrackmasters), “Hate Me Now” (Puff Daddy), “Nas Is Like” (DJPremier), and “You Owe Me” (Timbaland), among others — he co-starred in the Hype Williams-directed film Belly (1998) alongsideDMX and contributed to the soundtrack.

Furthermore, Nas led a short-lived supergroup of New York rap-pers known as the Firm (also comprised of rappers Foxy Brown, AZ,and Nature, with producers Dr. Dre and the Trackmasters) andassembled a broad coalition of fellow Queensbridge rappers for theQB Finest compilation (2000). Amid all of this publicity, though, crit-icism began to mount. For every crossover fan Nas won with his dra-matic MTV-aired videos, he lost support among purists, some ofwhom felt he had sold out, abandoning hip-hop ideals in favor ofcommercial success. The relative disappointment of Nastradamuswas symptomatic of this downturn.

A series of incidents in 2001 provided a key turning point forNas’ decline. The rapper’s personal life was becoming increasinglycomplicated; he encountered relationship trouble with the mother of

his daughter and, of greater con-sequence, his mother began suf-fering from cancer. To make mat-ters worse, longtime rival Jay-Zpointedly dissed Nas on“Takeover,” the much-discussedlead-off song from his acclaimedBlueprint album (2001). (It did-n’t help that Jay-Z had risen atop

10 SPECTACULAR February/March 2013

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the New York rap scene, giving him ample justification to call out Nas,who had receded from the public eye while he dealt with his person-al issues.)

Nas responded strikingly in December 2001 with Stillmatic, thetitle a reference to his classic Illmatic album, which had beenreleased nearly a decade earlier. Stillmatic opened with the song“Ether,” a very direct response to Jay-Z, followed by the aggressivelead single “Get Ur Self A....” These two songs in particular rallied thestreets while the moving video for “One Mic” received heavy supportfrom MTV. Throughout 2002, Nas continued his comeback with anumber of guest appearances, among them Brandy’s “What AboutUs?,” J-Lo’s “I’m Gonna Be Alright,” and Ja Rule’s “The Pledge,” aswell as yet more news-making controversy, this time involving his no-show at popular radio station Hot 97’s annual Summer Jam.

Amid all of the drama, Nas managed to salvage his esteemed rep-utation and reclaim his lofty status atop the New York scene.Stillmatic earned immediate acclaim from fans and critics alike andsold impressively, while Columbia furthered the comeback campaignwith two archival releases, one of remixes (From Illmatic toStillmatic [2002]), the other of outtakes (The Lost Tapes [2002],which notably includes some of the pirated I Am material).

Then at the end of the year Columbia released a new studioalbum, God’s Son (2002), and Nas once again basked in widespreadacclaim as the album sold well, spawned sizable hits (“ThugzMansion,” “Made You Look,” “I Can”), and received rampant mediasupport. Two years later Nas returned with Street’s Disciple (2004),a sprawling double album that delved deeply into various issues,most notably politics and his impending marriage to Kelis. The two-sided “Thief ’s Theme”/”You Know My Style” single dropped in sum-mer 2004, several months before the album’s release, and was fol-lowed that fall by the proper lead single “Bridging the Gap.”

Street’s Disciple came and went, however, without the level ofcommercial success that had become customary, as it struggled to goplatinum. More troubling, new kid on the block 50 Cent took a swipeat Nas on “Piggy Bank,” a call-out song on The Massacre (2005),further bringing the veteran rapper’s status into question.

In a surprising turn of events later that year, Nas made a surpriseappearance at Jay-Z’s much-hyped I Declare War concert in October2005. Together the two rivals performed “Dead Presidents,” Jay-Z’s1996 debut single; the classic song, produced by Ski Beatz and fea-tured on Reasonable Doubt (1996); it also features a prominentsample of “The World Is Yours,” a 1994 classic by Nas.

The reconciliation of Jay-Z and Nas opened the door to a dealwith Def Jam. The record label, overseen by Jay-Z as president at the

time, signed Nas and, in turn, released Hip Hop Is Dead (2006). Thealbum didn’t sell especially well, but it did inspire a lot of commen-tary about the state of hip-hop and included a much-anticipated col-laboration with Jay-Z, “Black Republican.” A politically charged self-titled album, at one point considered to be titled N*gger, material-ized in 2008, and not without some controversy of its own.

Following his divorce from Kelis, Nas released Distant Relatives,an album-length collaboration with Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, in2010. Two years later, his divorce would be addressed on the ven-omous Life Is Good, an album that featured Nas holding Kelis’ wed-ding dress on the cover.

Nas put his devotion for his daughter Destiny in his raw, emo-tional song “Daughters,” and in December 2012 he also made theday for other people’s daughters in Queens, New York with the 8thAnnual Bratz Doll Drive. The drive, which is being put together bySaving Our Daughters, honors Iliss Benjamin, the daughter of SODfounder Curtis Benjamin, who lost her battle to cancer.

It was important to Nas that there be a drive in Queens, becauseit’s his hometown. The recent onslaught of Hurricane Sandy madeputting a drive there all the more important. Before taking part in theholiday drive, Nas spoke about his involvement with Saving OurDaughters, the meaning behind his song “Daughters,” and what hisown daughter has taughthim.

“This time of the year iswhen I really get anxious tohelp out in any way I can,”Nas stated. “ This time of theyear has been special to mesince I was a kid, and I havea daughter. She saved my lifein many ways. I think aboutgirls all over the world whoare in single parent homes,or are the ones who grow upin neighborhoods like theone I grew up in, and it’s animmense love I have.”

When asked how otherscould get involved withSaving Our Daughters, Nasexplained simply that “peo-ple can call up EmagenEntertainment on thephone. They can call us up.That’s me. Call up EmagenEntertainment and we canstart building from there,with Saving Our Daughtersand everything we’reinvolved in.”

Nas said that“Daughters” off of Life IsGood really made this proj-ect resonate with him. “Myexperience with my owndaughter got me to write asong about her. Our life has

Two rap legends Nas (left) and Jay-Z reconcil after long-standing feud. Photo: Johnny Nunex

NAS continues on page 12

Nas and R&B singer Kelis weremarried in 2005 with Kelis wear-ing a green wedding gown (top).That gown is reportedly the onlything she left when the coupledivorced in 2009. Nas is holdingthe gown in the cover of his lat-est cd Life is Good.

February/March 2013 SPECTACULAR 11www.spectacularmag.com


been a roller coaster ride and being a parent going into that is nojoke, it’s no game. When you have a daughter, you want to protect herfrom the things that I’ve seen out there, you know, the things that’sout there that ain’t good for her. It’s a crazy world we live in. It takesreal parenting skills to really protect these kids, man. She made megrow up, made me grow up a lot faster. I didn’t fully grow up as fastas I needed to, but she helped me grow up a lot faster than I wouldhave on my own. She made me more responsible in lots of ways. Shemade me want to stay around at a time in my life where it didn’t mat-ter. It made me care. I stayed safe and stayed around and alive.”

(Sources: www.starpulse.com; www.mtv.com; www.wikipedia.com;www.rap.about.com; www.poemhunters.com)

NAS CONTINUES

February/March 2013 SPECTACULAR 13

RAPPER/ACTOR

DMXUNDISPUTED

Dark Man X, considered the next coming of the slain Tupac Shakur,took over as the reigning, undisputed king of hardcore rap followingthe deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. He was that rarecommodity: a commercial powerhouse with artistic and street credi-bility to spare. His rapid ascent to stardom was actually almost adecade in the making, which gave him a chance to develop the the-atrical image that made him one of rap’s most distinctive personali-ties during his heyday.

Born December 18, 1970 in Baltimore Maryland’s projects, EarlSimmons (DMX’s real name) grew up in the School Street housingprojects of Yonkers, New York. With a father that left him at a youngage, he also endured an abusive mother, which in combinationhelped mold Simmons into a life of crime, where he spent years ingroup homes and jail. This also led to other troubled behavior suchas alcoholism and drug abuse, a response to his manic depressedstate.

He began rapping around the age of 13, amusing crowds of chil-dren with rhymes that relied on spelled-out words, a style he called“spellbound.” A local rapper eventually asked the young Earl to beat-box for him, and Simmons agreed, adopting the stage name DMX,which stands for “Dark Man of the Unknown,” X being an algebraicexpression for unknown. His stage name also pays tribute to theOberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when hemade his own rap beats in the 80’s.

Eventually he decided to try his hand at serious rapping, andhoned his skills during a stint at a group home. During this period,he also began doing shows and battling other rappers (once battlingand defeating Jay-Z), making a name for himself in the New Yorkarea. He released his first album called “DMX: Unleashed and

Unreleased” whichwas an instant hit onthe streets ofYonkers.

E v e r y t h i n gabout DMX wasu n r e m i t t i n g l yintense, from hismuscular, tattooedphysique to his gruff,barking delivery,which made a perfectmatch for his trade-mark lyrical obses-sion with dogs. Plus,there was substancebehind the style;much of his work wastied together by a fas-cination with the split

between the sacred and the profane. He could move from spiritualanguish one minute to a narrative about the sins of the streets thenext, yet keep it all part of the same complex character; sort of like ahip-hop Johnny Cash. The results were compelling enough to makeDMX the first artist ever to have his first five albums enter the chartsat number one.

What turned Simmons life around was rap music. In the earlydays, he paid his dues rapping on street corners, playing in clubs, anddistributing his tapes. All this created a buzz for the performer in theNew York scene. Ruff Ryders Entertainment started managing DMX in1997 and he was quickly signed by the Def Jam label. He appeared asa guest of sorts for the likes of LL Cool J, Lox, and Mase before releas-ing his first single in 1998, Get at Me Dog. With this created theartists affection for ‘the dog’. In fact, DMX has a tattoo dedicated tohis late pit bull and what he calls his “best friend” which says “OneLove Boomer”.

His first full album, It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, went on to sell 3.6million copies. DMX also branched out into film, starring in Belly, aHype Williams directed crime saga which featured other rappers suchas T-Boz and Method Man.

The cash strapped Def Jam was eager to get another album outand released the 2nd DMX project of the year with Flesh of My Flesh,Blood of My Blood. The controversial cover had DMX in a bathtub fullof blood. This and the success of Jay-Z helped catapult Def Jam fromnear extinction in the prior year to the leader of the hip-hop pack.DMX hit the road with Jay-Z and the Method Man/Redman team onthe blockbuster Hard Knock Life tour the following year.

A warrant for his arrest was issued in connection with a stabbingduring a tour stop in Boston, of which he was later cleared. He wasaccused of assaulting a Yonkers man who’d allegedly harassed hiswife in May (the charges were once again dropped). More seriouscharges were brought that summer, when DMX’s uncle/manager wasaccidentally shot in the foot at a New Jersey hotel. DMX’s home wasraided by police, and they filed animal cruelty, weapons, and drugpossession charges against the rapper and his wife. He eventuallyreached a plea bargain, receiving only fines, probation, and commu-


Actor/rapper DMX, his son Xavier(right), godson Jevon (left) and pro-ducer/wife Tashera Simmons attendthe New York Premiere of “Never DieAlone” on March 24, 2004 at theClearview Chelsea West Cinemas, inNew York City.(Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images) DMX continues on page 12

nity service.DMX released his third and best-selling album ...And Then

There Was X, on December 21, 1999. It was his third album to debutat number one on the Billboard 200. Its most popular single, “PartyUp”, became his first Top Ten hit on the R&B charts. The album wascertified platinum six times. During its run, DMX returned to the bigscreen with a major supporting role in the Jet Li action flick RomeoMust Die.

Like Tupac, DMX’s post celebrity life has been touched withcrimes and alleged misdeeds. In 1998,charges that he raped a 29 year oldstripper were dropped after DNA testson the woman came back negative for amatch. In addition, he’s been arrestedin connection with stabbings in Denverand Yonkers, though both of those caseswere dropped.

He also was arrested on drug para-phernalia and weapons charges in addi-tion to spending two nights in a Trinidadjail for swearing during a concert, wherethe practice is legally forbidden.

He also entangled himself in alengthy legal battle with police in Cheektowaga, NY (near Buffalo),when he was arrested in March 2000 for driving without a license andpossession of marijuana. He missed one court date, and when heturned himself in that May, police discovered more marijuana in apack of cigarettes the rapper had brought with him. He pleaded guiltyand was sentenced to 15 days in jail, and his appeal to have the sen-tence reduced was finally denied in early 2001.

After stalling for several weeks, he turned himself in and wascharged with contempt of court. He was further charged with assaultwhen, upon learning he would not be let out early for good behavior,allegedly threw a food tray at a group of prison officers. He later bar-gained the charges down to reckless assault and paid a fine, andaccused guards of roughing him up and causing a minor leg injury.

Not long after DMX’s release from jail, his latest movie, theSteven Seagal action film Exit Wounds, opened at number one in thebox office. DMX also contributed the hit single “No Sunshine” to thesoundtrack, and signed a multipicture deal with Warner Bros. in thewake of Exit Wounds’ success. With his legal problems finallyresolved, he returned to the studio and completed his fourth album,the more introspective The Great Depression.

It was released in the fall of 2001 and became his fourth straightalbum to debut at number one. Although it went platinum quickly, itdidn’t have the same shelf life as his previous releases. In late 2002,DMX published his memoirs as E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX,and also recorded several tracks with Audioslave (i.e., the formerRage Against the Machine). One of their collaborations, “Here ICome,” was featured on the soundtrack of DMX’s next film, a reunionwith Jet Li called Cradle 2 the Grave. The film opened at number oneupon its release in March 2003, and its DMX-heavy soundtrackdebuted in the Top Ten.

His fifth album, “Grand Champ”, once again debuted at num-ber one on the Billboard 200 charts, placing DMX as the only musi-cal artist in history to release five consecutive albums (his entirealbum catalog at the time) that debuted at number one. Singlesinclude “Where Tha Hood At” and “Get it on the Floor”. After itsrelease, he informed the public that he planned to retire, and thatGrand Champ would be his final album.

However, DMX signed to Columbia Records in January 2006. Herecorded his next album, Year of the Dog...Again, which was finallyreleased on August 1, 2006, and lost the number one Billboard spotby only one-hundred sales. He released two more singles, “Lord GiveMe A Sign” and “We In Here”

On June 12, 2008, DMX released a compilation of his greatesthits, The Definition of X: The Pick of the Litter. Def Jam releasedanother compilation album, The Best of DMX, in 2011, which fea-tures hit singles including “Where the Hood At?” and “X Gon’ Give It

to Ya”.In 2009, DMX claimed he would

pursue preaching in Jersey City, NewJersey but will also continue to producemusic. He completed a Gospel albumprior to his incarceration in 2010.According to MTV, he has semi-retired tostudy the Bible more in an effort to givemessages behind the pulpit.

After serving four out of six monthsfor violating drug probation, DMX wasreleased from jail on July 6, 2010. Thatday, a television pilot was filmed to por-tray his road to recovery; however, DMX

was arrested three weeks later and the pilot did not evolve into aseries. On July 27, 2010, DMX was sentenced to serve ninety days injail after turning himself in to Los Angeles Metropolitan Court for areckless driving charge he received in 2002. Arrested in ArizonaNovember 2010 on charges of violating his probation by consumingalcohol (at a performance), DMX served the full twelve-month jailsentence.

DMX’s latest album, Undisputed, was released on September 11,2012 and featured production from Swizz Beats and J.R. Rotem,along with a guest appearance from Machine Gun Kelly.

The father of ten children, DMX was married to TasheraSimmons in 1999 and they were married for eleven years. In July2010, Tashera announced their separation (just two weeks followingDMX’s release from prison). He still however claims they still remainbest friends.

DMX had multiple extramarital affairs during his marriage toTashera, some of which produced children. DNA testing confirmedthat he is the father of at least two of these children; the first was bornto Maryland resident Monique Wayne in 2004, the second was bornto a different woman in late 2008. DMX and Wayne fought over herclaim that he was the father of her son for years, during which shehas sued him repeatedly for defamation of character, and for childsupport. After DNA testing proved DMX fathered Wayne’s son in 2007,he was ordered to pay her $1.5 million.

He was arrested on February 13, 2013 in Spartanburg, SouthCarolina for driving without a South Carolina driver’s license.

DMX plays the role of Terrell (TJ) Johnson in the controversialmotion picture King Dog set for release in 2013. Terrell Johnson, aformer Insane Gangster Disciple leader went from making a gross for-tune on the streets, to being incarcerated for 35 years to life. A cou-ple of years later, Johnson, a convicted felon was hired as the firstfelon in America to become a police officer with the Memphis GangTask force at which point, this hardened criminal started a crusadenot only to change his life, but the lives of so many others. DMX, whois no stranger to adversity or overcoming odds, is the perfect fit forthis role both on and off the screen.

http://dmxweb.yaia.com/biography.html

DMX in “Cradle 2 the Grave”


DMX CONTINUES

CONGRESSMAN G. K. BUTTERFIELDTHE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE


By April MialFeatures Editor

laws to better suit the election resultsthey wanted, it was his presence atthe March on Washington on August28, 1963, when Dr. Martin LutherKing gave the memorable, “I Have aDream Speech” that shaped hisfuture.

“My father insisted that I travelwith him for the March onWashington. I didn’t want to go. Itwas a very hot day,” Butterfieldrecalled. “I had to miss a day fromschool, but I went to theMarch onWashington, and what I saw that daychanged my whole perspective of theworld and community service.”

The March on Washington was apeaceful demonstration to promoteCivil Rights and economic equalityfor African-Americans. An estimated250,000 people attended.

From that experience in his life,he earned a Bachelor’s degree in

Political Science and Sociology from North Carolina CentralUniversity. Afterwards, he served in the United States Army andlater received his Juris Doctor degree from the North CarolinaCentral University – School of Law in 1974.

True to his childhood ambition, he became a lawyer thatfought for injustices. As a civil rights lawyer who representedpoor people, Butterfield took on many voting rights cases.In the

POLITICAL HIGHLIGHTS. He served as a Superior Court judge for 12 years until February 2012.. In February 2012, Democratic Gov. Michael Easley appointed him to the stateSupreme Court. . After he lost election in 2002 to a full term, Easley appointed him as a specialSuperior Court judge.. He won in the July 2004 special election to replace the retiring Democratic Rep.Frank Balance, who later pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges in the operation ofhis antidrug foundation, party caucuses selected the nominees, and the six-weekcontest in this safe Democratic district.. In the House, he has a liberal voting record. One of his issues was urging theFederal Communications Commission to move slowly to all-digital cable televisionbecause he said that in poor rural places like eastern North Carolina, this could leavea lot of people in the dark when it comes to watching television.. In 2009, he became secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus, an influential fac-tion in the House. . In 2007, he got a seat on the influential Energy and Commerce Committee, wherehe has worked to prohibit states from passing on their Medicaid costs to counties. Inhis district, many counties spend more of their property-tax revenues on Medicaidthan on the public schools. He advocated incentives to develop energy from hog andchicken waste. With vestiges of tobacco farming in his district, he fought to limit thesize of an increase in the cigarette tax when House Democrats identified the tax asa source to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Congressman G. K. Butterfield willserve as Grand Marshal of the 11thAnnual Durham MLK/Black HistoryMonth Parade on Feb. 2nd.

Born in a segregated south,George Kenneth Butterfield, knownas “G.K. Butterfield”, grew up on theblack side of town, led civil rightsmarches, and is very proud of hisBlack identity.

“I lived in a small rural commu-nity that was starkly divided betweenblack and white. The railroad trackliterally divided the two communi-ties.”

Although he is proud of his Blackidentity, at first glance, he does notlook African-American nor does heappear to have any drop of Blackblood running through his veins.However, growing up in the south, itwas not uncommon for African-Americans to look white andhave Black ancestry from generations back.

Congressman Butterfield was born in Wilson, NorthCarolina to two successful African-American parents. His moth-er was a school teacher for over twenty years and his father wasa successful dentist. His father even held the title of Wilson’sfirst Black city council member in 1953 after beating a whitecandidate. As a result of his father winning, the city changedthe electoral process – from a district election to an at-largeelection, which hindered his father from becoming re-elected.

“The case was taken all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,and that case made quite an impression on me,” Butterfieldsaid. “From that day forward, I wanted to be a lawyer so I couldgo into court and litigate causes that were unjust.”

In addition to witnessing the injustice of whites changing

Congressman G. K. Butterfieldown

Butterfield continues on page 17

Congressman Butterfield serves as Grand Marshal in AnnualDurham MLK/Black History Month Parade. Photo: Mel Brown


1980s, he sued several jurisdictions to end the at large electionsthat hindered his father from winning his re-election and ulti-mately ending his political career.

“We filed voting rights lawsuits using the 1965 Voting RightsAct,” Butterfield begins, “and the success of all of those casesdismantled at-large elections and created electoral opportuni-ties for the African-American community.”

Now, there are more than 300 black elected officials in thedistrict he represents - the First Congressional District. Whilestrides have been made, he says there is still a long way to go,especially in his hometown of Wilson.

While Congressman Butterfield continues to make stridesin Wilson, as well as fights injustices across the district, he takesa moment to absorb and appreciate the work that he, and oth-ers have accomplished in the name of Civil Rights – especiallyon January 21, 2013, the same day as the Martin Luther King,Jr. holiday – when he shared a front row view of the inaugura-tion most people never see, which is right behind PresidentBarack Obama, our first African-American president.

In November, Congressman Butterfield was unanimouslyelected by his colleagues as First Vice Chair of the CongressionalBlack Caucus (CBC). As First Vice Chair, Butterfield will holdthe number two position in the Caucus for the duration of the113th Congress, which begins in January. Butterfield ispresently Second Vice Chair of the CBC and has faithfully servedthe organization since 2004. Founded with only a handful ofmembers in 1969, today the CBC boasts a membership of 42and has grown into one of the most influential caucuses in theU.S. Congress. Congressman G.K. Butterfield can be contacted athttps://butterfield.house.gov/email-congressman-butterfield

BUTTERFIELD CONTINUES

Congressman Butterfield on the campaign trail 2012


11th ANNUAL DURHAM MLK/BLACK HISTORY MONTH PARADE HIGHLIGHTS...Before the Parade starts, photographer Gabriel Aikens gets shots at the staging area.

PHOTOS: Gabriel Aikens More Parade Photos - next page

www.spectacularmag.comarm February/March 2013 SPECTACULAR 19

DURHAM MLK/BLACK HISTORY MONTH PARADE HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUES

...The Parade heads up Fayetteville and photographer Gabriel Aikens captured some of the action.

MORE PARADE PHOTOSon PAGE 38 AND on-line at: http://mtfimages.zenfolio.com/mlkparade2013

PHOTOS: Gabriel Aikens

20 SPECTACULAR February/March 2013 ulwww.spectacularmag.com

DEBRA SAUNDERS-WHITE SELECTED AS 11THCHANCELLOR OF NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

NCCU Chancellor continues on page 22


DURHAM, N.C. - Debra Saunders-White, deputy assistant sec-retary for higher education programs at the U.S. Department ofEducation, has been selected as the 11th chancellor of NorthCarolina Central University by the Board of Governors of themulti-campus University of North Carolina. Saunders-White,57, succeeds Interim Chancellor Charles L. Becton, who joinedthe university in August 2012 following the abrupt retirementof Charlie Nelms. She starts the $285,000-a-year job June 1.

In recommending Saunders-White to the Board ofGovernors, UNC President Tom Ross said: “Over the past threedecades, Deb Saunders-White has accumulated a wealth ofleadership experience - in the corporate sector, at two highlyrespected universities, and in the halls of Washington. At eachstep along the way, she has proven herself to be an energeticleader who promotes collaboration, creativity, strategic think-ing, and real-life commitment to engagement and public serv-ice. She has also demonstrated a passionate commitment tohelping all students succeed academically and reach their fullpotential. She is no stranger to North Carolina or thisUniversity—having served for five years as a vice chancellorand interim associate provost at UNC Wilmington—so we canconsider this a homecoming of sorts. With her broad experi-ence in business, higher education, and government; herproven integrity and sound judgment; and her profound

understanding of the changing marketplace in which our stu-dents must compete, Dr. Saunders-White will be a forceful andeffective leader for NCCU. We are delighted to bring her back toNorth Carolina.”

Since joining the Department of Education in May 2011,Saunders-White has been responsible for administering federalprograms that increase access to postsecondary education forlow-income, first-generation college students and students withdisabilities. As deputy assistant secretary, she serves as theassistant secretary’s chief advisor on higher education pro-grams and has oversight for more than 60 programs thatstrengthen the capacity of minority-serving institutions andhelp recruit and prepare disadvantaged students for successfulcollege completion. This is the largest grant-making functionwithin the Department of Education.

A Hampton, Va., native, Saunders-White earned her bache-lor’s degree in history in 1979 from the University of Virginia,where she was a DuPont Scholar. She earned a master’s ofbusiness administration from The College of William & Mary in1993 and a doctorate in higher education administration fromThe George Washington University in 2004. She also has partic-ipated in executive leadership programs sponsored by the

Dr. Debra Saunders-White (third from left) has been selected as the 11th chancellor of North Carolina Central Universityin Durham by the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina. Dr. Saunders-White is joined on campus by (Lto R) SGA Vice President Carmelo Montalvo; SGA President Reginald McCrimmon; Chancellor-Elect Dr. DebraSaunders-White; Miss NCCU Harmony Cross; Mr. NCCU Steven Cannady; and NCCU Board of Trustees Chair Dr. DwightPerry. Photo: Sage Brown

NCCU CHANCELLOR CONTINUES


American Council on Education, the American Association ofState Colleges and Universities and Hampton University.

“Our students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners arethrilled to welcome Dr. Saunders-White into the NCCU family,”said Dwight D. Perry, chair of NCCU’s Board of Trustees. “Underher leadership, NCCU is poised for continued growth and futuresuccess. She possesses an innate passion for developing, edu-cating and graduating the next generation of innovators andchange agents. We look forward to working in collaboration withDr. Saunders-White to raise NCCU’s profile as a premier institu-tion for higher education.”

Before entering higher education administration,Saunders-White spent 15 years in the corporate sector. Shejoined IBM in in 1979 as a systems engineer and soon transi-tioned to marketing, where she assumed increasing levels ofmanagerial responsibility for IBM’s higher education, finance,and public-sector marketing. By the time she left the companyin 1994, she had earned numerous awards for customerengagement and other accomplishments.

From 1994 to 1998, Saunders-White taught college-preparatory mathematics at St. George’s School in Newport, R.I.During her tenure there, she developed a course that used tech-nology to engage students who “hated” math and developed aunit in which teams of students invested in the New York StockExchange.

In 1999, Saunders-White joined Hampton University asassistant provost for technology, tasked with designing andbuilding the university’s first information-technology organiza-tion. Under her leadership, Hampton became the first HBCU inthe nation to join the Internet 2 community and was namedone of America’s “most wired universities” by Forbes Magazineand the Princeton Review. In 2005, she was promoted to thenewly created post of vice president for technology and chiefinformation officer.

Saunders-White left Hampton the following year to join theUniversity of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) as vice chan-cellor for information technology systems. As a member of thechancellor’s executive leadership team, she was responsible forthe strategic direction and operation of all IT resources on thecampus. From 2007 to 2008, she also served concurrently asUNCW’s interim associate provost in the Office of InstitutionalDiversity and Inclusion and as chief diversity officer.

At UNCW, Saunders-White was credited with improvingemergency communications for campus safety preparedness;introducing new cost-effective classroom technologies; garner-ing national recognition for UNCW’s innovative use of mobileservices; and co-developing the UNCW Learning Commons, atechnology-supported library space for student learning andcollaboration. In addition, she implemented a mentoring pro-gram to support at-risk teenagers in the Wilmington HousingAuthority; collaborated with the UNCW Department of Sociologyto provide reading and computer literacy training for HousingAuthority residents; and engaged black male faculty in the cre-ation of SEAM (Seahawks Empowering African-American Men)to provide mentoring and help improve retention and gradua-tion rates. In the spring of 2011, she was tapped by the WhiteHouse to serve as deputy assistant secretary and reported toWashington to assume her current post.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan applauded herselection to lead NCCU. “As a first-generation college graduate

herself, Deb truly understands boththe opportunity that higher educa-tion provides and the challengesthat so many of our nation’s youngpeople face in accessing and afford-ing college,” he said. “She hasworked tirelessly to expand accessto resources that have opened doorsfor millions of students across thecountry, and her leadership has fur-thered our Department’s efforts toensure that more young peoplehave the chance to go to college. Iam personally grateful for her lead-

ership and am thrilled that as chancellor at North CarolinaCentral University, she will continue to help our nation achievePresident Obama’s goal of again leading the world in collegegraduates.”

Active in civic and professional organizations, Saunders-White has held adjunct faculty appointments in the HamptonUniversity Business School and UNCW’s Cameron School ofBusiness. She has been named a “cyber star” by Black Issuesin Higher Education and has published articles and whitepa-pers on the role of technology in learning. While at UNCW, shewas elected by her peers across the UNC system to serve as vicechair and then chair-elect of the UNC Chief Information OfficersCouncil.

Saunders-White is a Silver Star member of Alpha KappaAlpha Sorority Inc. and a member of the Links Inc. She is themother of two children: Elizabeth Paige, a senior and memberof the track and field team at Temple University; and Cecil III, asecond-year student at the University of Virginia.

A reception in her honor was held in the W.G. PearsonCafeteria banquet hall the same day Saunders-White appoint-ment was announced. Hundreds from the university facultyand staff, as well as the Durham community, stood in line tomeet the new chancellor-elect.

“The promise of higher education is what makes our eter-nal soul what it is in America,” Saunders-White said. “W.E.B. DuBois stated that ‘If someone is going down the wrong road, hedoesn’t need motivation to speed him up. What he needs iseducation to turn him around.’ Education is a powerful eco-nomic engine, especially for people like me and my threebrothers — all first-generation college graduates. My mothergrew up as a sharecropper in Northampton County, NorthCarolina, and my father, who is now in glory, was a used-carsalesman. They educated the four of us without any debt, onlyby the sweat of their brow. They knew the value of higher edu-cation. For their sacrifices, I am eternally grateful. I believe thatquality higher education is transformative and is our nation’smost prized asset.”

About North Carolina Central UniversityFounded in 1910 and located in Durham, North CarolinaCentral University was the nation’s first publically supportedliberal arts college for African-Americans, and it is one of 17institutions in the University of North Carolina system. With astudent population of more than 8,400, NCCU is a comprehen-sive university offering baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral andprofessional degree programs.

Dr. Saunders-White

www.spectacularmag.comarm February/March 2013 SPECTACULAR 23

RARE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW PRELIMINARYEMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION IN RALEIGH

RALEIGH, NC - The Preliminary EmancipationProclamation is one of the most significant documents inUnited States history. President Abraham Lincoln issued thedocument on Sept. 22, 1862, after the Union victory atAntietam (also called the Battle of Sharpsburg).

Signed by President Lincoln, the Preliminary EmancipationProclamation ordered thatin 100 days the federal governmentwould free all slaves in the states still rebelling against theUnion. The document formally alerted the Confederacy ofLincoln’s intention. On Jan. 1, 1863, with the Confederacy stillin full rebellion, the president issued the final EmancipationProclamation.

The public will have a rare opportunity to see thePreliminary Emancipation Proclamation at the NorthCarolina Museum of History in Raleigh from Wednesday,May 15 through Sunday, June 16, 2013. This historicalseven-page document is on loan from the National Archives inWashington, D.C. Admission is free.

The Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation will be fea-tured in the exhibit Freedom Coming, Freedom for All,which is being presented by the North Carolina FreedomMonument Parkand the North Carolina Museum ofHistory. The exhibit follows a timeline of events focusing onthe status of North Carolina before the Civil War,events leadingup to Lincoln’s issuance of the Preliminary EmancipationProclamation, andoutcomes and results of the document in thestate and nation. Freedom Coming also examines the differ-ences between the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation,the final Emancipation Proclamation and the 13thAmendment.

“We are honored to join with North Carolina FreedomMonument Park to present this exhibit, which is especially rel-evant during the sesquicentennial of the 1863 signing of thefinal Emancipation Proclamation,” emphasizes MuseumDirector Ken Howard. “We are grateful to the National Archivesfor entrusting this document to us to share with others.”

Adds Dianne Pledger, Executive Director of North CarolinaFreedom Monument Park, “What we will achieve through thispartnership is an exploration of the deeper ramifications of theEmancipation Proclamation and its influence on society in sub-sequent years. By doingso, we hope toincrease historical aware-ness and civic engagement about the importance of freedom forall people. The Emancipation Proclamationis a reminder of ourongoing obligationto learn our history because it reminds us ofour mistakes and successes.”

Freedom Coming will be complemented by educationalresources and programs, including a two-day symposium onMay 31 and June 1. After the exhibit closes and the PreliminaryEmancipation Proclamationreturns to National Archives, a trav-eling version of Freedom Coming, comprised of 14 informa-tional panels, will be available for museums, historic sites, andother organizations across North Carolina.

North Carolina Freedom Monument Project, Inc. is a com-munity-initiated effort which will honor what freedom means to allpeople in the state of North Carolina through beautiful public art and

educational programs. The goals of the NC Freedom MonumentProject are: To create and strengthen bonds among diverse people,to educate and enhance mutual understanding, and to serve as amodel of cooperation, respect and common values. NC FreedomMonument Park planned for completion by 2017, will honor theAfrican American experience and affirm the struggle for freedom forall by the creation of a public art park on a large corner space nearthe State Legislature and State Library-a spot visited annually by thou-sands of tourist and school children.

Major sponsors of Freedom Coming are theNorth CarolinaHumanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of theNational Endowment for the Humanities, PNC Bank, BlueCross Blue Shield of North Carolina, North Carolina Mutual LifeInsurance Company, Mechanics and Farmers Bank,Spectacular Magazine, and the News & Observer. Additionalsupport is provided by the North Carolina African AmericanHeritage Commissionand the State Archives of North Carolina.

For more information view website at www.ncfmp.org or Facebook.Formore information about the Museum of History, call 919-807-7900 oraccess www.ncmuseumofhistory.org or Facebook.


Hagan congratulates AndreaHarris on winning Lifetime

Achievement AwardWASHINGTON, DC – U.S.Senator Kay Hagan met last weekwith Andrea Harris, President ofthe North Carolina Institute ofMinority Economic Development(NCIMED), on the same day she waspresented with a major award inrecognition of her instrumentalrole in assisting minority- andwomen-owned businesses in NorthCarolina. Harris received the U.S.Department of Commerce MinorityBusiness Development Agency’s(MBDA) Abe Venable Award for LifetimeAchievement last Thursday, December 6th.

“It was an honor to meet with Andrea andcongratulate her on winning this impressiveaward that recognizes her immense contribu-tions to North Carolina,” Hagan said. “My toppriority is helping businesses grow and puttingNorth Carolinians back to work, and Andrea ishelping us achieve these goals, especially withminority- and women-owned businesses. I

HAGAN MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF NC INSTITUTE OF MINORITYECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

THE CENTRAL CAROLINA BLACK NURSES COUNCIL, INC. CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY

The Central Carolina Black Nurses Council, Inc. held its 30th Anniversary and 22nd Annual Lecture Luncheon onDecember 1 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. Dr. Deidre Walton, the 17th national president of the National Black NursesAssociation, Inc., delivered the keynote address. The distinguished chapter service award was bestowed upon Ms.Angeline Baker of Chapel Hill for rending exceptional service to the chapter and a scholarship award of $1,000 was givento Willie Gilchrist-Stanfield from Hillsborough. Music was rendered by pianist Christian Foushee-Green. Pictured (seatedLeft to right): Jocelyn Gladney-Allsbrook, Edena Thomas (treasurer), Stephannie Cooper Senegal (secretary), HelenHorton (president), Mary Baldwin, and Bertha Williams; Standing (left to right): Erma Smith-King, Connie Kelley-Sidberry,Willie Gilchrist-Stanfield, Lily Richardson, Connie Levister, Dr. Deidre Woods Walton (NBNA President and keynote speak-er), Jabar Akabar (vice president), Angeline Baker, Charlotte Knight-Ruffin, Gloria Anderson and Lisa Patterson.

NEWSBRIEFS

look forward to continuing to work with Andreato move our economy forward.”

“Having a Senator that sits on Committeeswith responsibilities for Armed Services,Banking, and Small Business andEntrepreneurship makes it so much easier toshare some of the needs and challenges wehear every day from businesses we serve,”Harris said. “I shared the importance and thevalue of the Minority Business Development

Agency in Commerce and theWomen’s Business Center in SBA asso important to assisting firmsinterested in global opportunities,but more importantly, who want togrow their businesses right here inthese United States of America.We must do more to support thesefirms right here at home. Sheunderstood. She reached out and Iappreciate that.”

The Abe Venable Award forLifetime Achievement is a nationalaward given to “an individual whohas played an integral role in thecreative, technical or professional

progress of the minority business communityover the course of his or her life,” according toMBDA. Abe Venable was appointed by PresidentRichard Nixon to serve as MBDA’s first AfricanAmerican Director from 1970 to 1971.

Harris has led NCIMED as president for 25years. NCIMED is a statewide economic develop-ment nonprofit organization that aims to assistminority- and women-owned businesses.

For more information about NCIMED, please visit:http://www.ncimed.com/.

NCIMED President Andrea Harris (l) with NC Senator Kay Hagan

NEWSBRIEFS CONTINUES


RACISM ON AMERICAN IDOL?In January, nine former African-American contenders banded together for a

potential lawsuit against the show. All of them were disqualified from the program forfailing to disclose prior arrests, and if their attorney is to be believed, it’s not a coinci-dence that the powers that be decided to axe them when none were ever convicted ofcrimes. Apparently, it’s all a big conspiracy to exploit African-Americans in order to gen-erate ratings.

According to TMZ, several former contestants have spoken out in recent days todefend the show and say they were all asked to disclose all former arrests and legalbrushes they had. To some, their words have been enough to call into question theclaims of racism, but to others, there’s still something very suspicious about all nine ofthe disqualified contestants being African-Americans.

TMZ also reports that it has obtained a letter, submitted to the U.S. EqualEmployment Opportunity Commission by NY attorney James H. Freeman -- in which heasks for permission to sue Idol and FOX on behalf of his clients ... who have allappeared on the show: FYI, Freeman is required to file with the EEOC before filing suit.The ex-contestants are: Corey Clark (Season 2), Jaered Andrews (Season 2), DonnieWilliams (Season 3), Terrell Brittenum (Season 5), Derrell Brittenum (Season 5), ThomasDaniels (Season 6), Akron Watson (Season 6), Ju'Not Joyner (Season 8) and ChrisGolightly (Season 9).

Briefly...MCDOWELL NAMED PRINCIPAL FORMCDOUGLE ELEMENTARYCHAPEL HILL - Patrenia McDowell was named the principal forMcDougle Elementary at the Jan. 17 Chapel Hill-Carrboro CitySchool Board of Education meeting. McDowell has served asMcDougle Elementary's interim principal since Septemberand was the school's assistant principal since 2008.McDowell holds a both Bachelor of Science degree inElementary Education and a master of education degree in

Educational Administration and Supervision from Winthrop University in Rock Hill,SC. She also holds: a NC Principal's Certificate, Grades K-12; a NC ProfessionalTeaching Certificate in Elementary Education, Grades K-6; a Curriculum InstructionalSpecialist certification; and Academically Gifted and Talented licensure. McDowell isalso certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).Before joining Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, McDowell was an elementary schoolteacher in Durham Public Schools and in South Carolina. McDowell begins her tenureas principal at McDougle Elementary immediately.

ST. AUGUSTINE’S UNIVERSITY JUNIOR WINS FIRST PLACE ATRESEARCH CONFERENCERALEIGH, NC - Saint Augustine's University's Brandon Scott won first place in theEngineering, Mathematics and Physics category for his presentation at the 12thAnnual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in San Jose,Calif., Nov. 7-10. Dr. Doreen Cunningham and Dr. Marino Green accompanied six stu-dents to the research conference. The students, Brooke Gaines, Dezarea Little,Jennifer Plair, Scott, Kayla Walker, and Derrick Williams, networked with other stu-

RADIO STATION DONATES TO LOCALCHILDREN'S HOME

(From left) Tracy J. Mosley - Radio One RaleighPromotions Director, Angela Williams - Central Children'sHome of North Carolina, Inc. Executive Director andScott English, Longhorn Steakhouse Managing PartnerRadio One Raleigh (WQOK 97.5FM, The Light 103.9FM, and Foxy107.1/104.3FM) presented the Central Children's Home of North Carolina,Inc., located in Oxford, with a check for $3502.00. The radio stationswere able to raise the money for the Central Children's Home throughtheir Tip-A-Jock Holiday Community Service Efforts. During this projectRadio One Raleigh's on-air personalities waited tables for tips at theLonghorn Steakhouse (8121 Brier Creek Parkway - Raleigh, NC). All tipscollected were tax deductible charitable contributions to the CentralChildren's Home of North Carolina. Tracy J. Mosley, Radio One Raleigh'sPromotions Director and Henderson native, organized the 'Tip-A-Jock"Holiday Community Service Efforts. "Being that our efforts supported anorganization so close to home made organizing and participating in thisproject very special to me. With the support of Longhorn Steakhouse inBrier Creek, Radio One Raleigh listeners and Cricket Wireless, the "Tip-A-Jock" community service initiative was a huge success. We were able toexceed our goal of donating $2500 to the Central Children's Home andalso increased awareness about the organization. That's what life isabout…helping others," said Mosley.

HILLSIDE DRAMA TROUPE ONEVOICE PERFORMING AT DUKE

UNIVERSITY MLK EVENT

DURHAM - Hillside High School drama students of theDrama Troupe "ONE VOICE" are pictured withScreenwriter and Author Antwone Fisher. The drama stu-dents performed prior to a speech given by Antwone Fisheron January 11, 2013 at Duke University Hospital to com-memorate the events in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Holiday. The Hillside Drama students received a standingovation after their performance. The Drama students werealso invited to a VIP Reception where they enjoyed per-sonal time with Antwone Fisher discussing "what it takes tomake it in Hollywood."Photo courtesy of Duke University Photographer Jared Lazarus

Briefly continues on page 28


dents while navigating the many summerresearch internship and graduate school opportu-nities. Additionally, students are judged on theiroral and poster presentations. More than 1,100colleges, universities and companies were inattendance to actively recruit some of the bestand brightest minority students in the world.ABRCMS is the largest professional conference forbiomedical, bioengineering, and behavioralmathematic students, attracting approximately3,300 individuals, including approximately 1,700undergraduate students, 400 graduate students& postdoctoral scientists, and 1,200 faculty, pro-gram directors and administrators. Students rep-resent more than about 350 U.S. colleges and uni-

versities. The conference is designed to encourage underrepresented minority studentsto pursue advanced training in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, including math-

ematics, and provide faculty mentors and advisors with resources for facilitating stu-dents' success.

NCCU SHARES IN GRANT TO DEVELOP WATER QUALITYSOLUTIONSDURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina Central University (NCCU) is one of six universities shar-ing in a $4.7 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The grant, ofwhich NCCU will receive $400,000 over five years, is from the NSF's Partnerships forInternational Research and Education (PIRE) program and will support interdisciplinaryresearch aimed at developing technological solutions to water quality problems. Theprogram combines international collaborations in cutting-edge research in science andengineering while also promoting the development of young African-Americans andLatinos scientists and engineers. Six universities are involved in the project: NCCU, DukeUniversity and Michigan State University are the U.S. participants. Joining them areleading research universities in Turkey, France and Singapore. The graduate studentswill also have opportunities to conduct research at one or more of the foreign univer-sities involved in the project.

BRIEFLY CONTINUES

SAINT AUGUSTINE’S UNIVERSITY PLANSTO ACQUIRE SAINT PAUL’S COLLEGE

RALEIGH, NC -Beginning on January 1,2013, Saint Augustine’sUniversity moved for-ward with joint manage-ment of the operationsof Saint Paul’s Collegelocated in Lawrenceville,Virginia. Founded in1888, Saint Paul’sCollege is one of threehistorically black col-leges affiliated with theEpiscopal Church. SaintAugustine’s University

and Voorhees College are the other two. The executive committees of the boards of trustees of both

schools negotiated in November that Saint Augustine’sUniversity would acquire Saint Paul’s College, a financiallystruggling institution that was stripped of its accreditation inJune by the Commission on Colleges of the SouthernAssociation of Colleges and Schools. Loss of accreditation meantstudents wouldn’t be eligible for federal and state aid.

In August, a federal judge granted an injunction allowingSt. Paul’s to keep its accreditation while it continued to contestthe case in court. The school opened in September with astripped-down schedule and only 111 students. The acquisitionwould mean that St. Paul’s would fall under St. Augustine’saccreditation.

The joint management agreement will allow SaintAugustine’s University to complete its due diligence on the pro-posed acquisition while providing support to the Saint Paul’sCollege campus. A plan is being developed that will create acampus of Saint Augustine’s University, which is located neardowntown Raleigh, at the Saint Paul’s College site, a 183-acrecampus in south central Virginia.

“The acquisition wasn’t something we set out to do,” saidShelley Willingham-Hinton, a spokeswoman for St. Augustine’s.“We’re saving a sister institution that was struggling.” SaintAugustine’s University is committed to preserving the legacyand history of Saint Paul’s College. This strategic decision by

both boards will allow for enhancededucational opportunities for currentand future students enrolled in bothinstitutions.

“There continues to be a number ofunknowns; however, we are excitedabout the possibilities as we move for-ward in a cautious and responsiblemanner. Our main responsibility con-tinues to be the on-going health, andviability of Saint Augustine’s University.We have a tremendous opportunityahead of us – a chance to create a model

for other institutions with challenging circumstances. And, achance for both of these fine institutions to leave their footprintson the future,” said President Dianne Boardley Suber.


Suber


RALEIGH, NC - The Shaw University Athletic Booster Club made a $10,000donation to the Shaw Athletic Department in a check presentation heldbefore the October 27 football game against Winston-Salem State. Thegift is the largest the group has made to the athletic department. Thefunds will go to cover scholarships and operating expenses. The checkwas presented to Interim Athletic Director Marcus Clarke by CharlesGraves, treasurer of the club, who was accompanied by a number of clubmembers. “The Athletic Department is grateful for the generous donationto our program by our athletic boosters. Their support of us goes beyondjust attending games, but also striving to make sure that financially wecan meet our goals in serving our student-athletes,” said Clarke. ThePresident of the Shaw University Athletic Booster Club is Bobby Davis.For more information or to join the Boosters, visit www.shawbooster-sclub.com. For more information on Shaw athletics, visit www.shaw-bears.com.

BOOSTER CLUB MAKES $10,000DONATION TO SHAW ATHLETICS

Honolulu, Hawaii - Shaw UniversityPresident Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy,was one of five Historically BlackColleges and Universities (HBCUs) pres-idents selected to participate in a spe-cial symposium on the campus ofChaminade University in Honolulu,Hawaii on January 15. As part of NewYork University’s (NYU) Faculty ResourceNetwork Winter Seminars, the sympo-sium discussed programs that helpminority students successfully attendand graduate from college. In addition,the goal of the event was to bring

together mainland Hawaii and other local educators to discuss strategiesthat have been effective and new ideas for recruiting, retaining andengaging high-risk students, including those who are African-American,Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. This symposium is a program of theFaculty Resource Network at NYU, an award-winning professional devel-opment initiative that sponsors programs for faculty members from aconsortium of over 50 colleges and universities, including a core group of13 HCBUs. The Network hosts lectures, symposia and intensive seminars,all of which are designed to improve the quality of teaching and learningat its member and affiliate institutions.

PRESIDENT YANCY PARTICIPATES IN NYUSYMPOSIUM ON MINORITY EDUCATION

OXFORD, NC — At the December 18th Central Children’s Home (CCH) ofOxford Board of Directors’ meeting, the Honorable Milton F. Fitch, Jr.,Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall GrandLodge of N.C., Inc., presented two monetary gifts to CCH from the PrinceHall Masons of N. C. Angela Williams (left), CCH Executive Director and Dr.Michelle Ogle (right), Board president, accepted the gifts. A $5,000 giftwas given to fund improvements to the outdoor lighting on the campus.The second gift of $20,000 was the annual contribution from individualmembers of Prince Hall. The Prince Hall Masons have also committed$25,000 to fund the installation of air conditioning in the campus gym.The Grand Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, Prince Hall affiliate, has alsodonated $25,000 for the AC installation.

PRINCE HALL MASONS OF NC DONATE TOCENTRAL CHILDREN’S HOME

Yancy



LIFESTYLE


DURHAM, NC – With the theme “Golden Jubilee: 50 Years ofElegance and Scholarship” thirteen beautiful debutantes gracedthe stage of the B.N. Duke Auditorium on February 2nd inanticipation of the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta SigmaTheta Sorority, Inc.’s annual Jabberwock Scholarship Gala.

The Durham Alumnae Chapter Jabberwock Gala honoredthe event’s last 50 years of service as the sorority is celebrating100 years of service. The thirteen debutantes expressed theirheight of excellence with a dynamic opening performance toMichael Jackson “Remember the Times”.

The moment many awaited came with the crowning of MissJabberwock 2012-13 Janae Best. The Jabberwock Court con-sisted of 1st Runner-up Tessa Bryd, 2nd Runner-up Kira Taylor,3rd Runner-up Shontonette Johnson and 4th Runner-upArieýana Easterling.

Other superlative awards presented were Most Dependable- Janae Best & Lawrence Mitchell; Most Sincere - Kira Taylor &Lloyd Branch, Jr.; Deepest Thinker - Tessa Byrd & MarcusMcGarrah; Most Dramatic - Chelsea Williams & TremayneSaliim; Most Unique Style - Sade Monds & McKinley Edwards;Mr. Personality - Larry Hall, Jr. and Miss Congeniality - ArieýanaEasterling.

JABBERWOCK DEBUTANTES

JANEA BEST, a Durham Academy junior, is the daughter of MosesBest, Jr and Veta McNeil-Best. Her escort was Akiel Pyant andshe was mentored by Sharon Beard and Leola Jenkins.

TESSA BYRD, a Josephine Dobbs Clement Early College HighSchool senior, is the daughter of Herman and Valentina Byrd.Her escort was McKinley Edwards and she was mentored byBetty Blackmon, Helen Hudson and Carolyn Thornton Walker.

ARIEÝANA EASTERLING, a Hillside High School junior, is thedaughter of Aric Easterling and Torya Smith. Her escort wasNicolas Roberts and she was mentored by Chonna Campbell,Remell Clemons and Deloris Harris.

DOMINQUE GREEN, a Northern High School senior, is the daugh-ter of Lieutenant Dayeta Bailey. Her escort was Lloyd Branch,Jr and she was mentored by Lori Jones Gibbs and StephanieWilliams.

DYONNA HOOPER, a Durham Performance Learning Center sen-ior, is the daughter of the late Ellis Dock Hooper and DianneLaVerne Thorne. Her escort was Larry Hall Jr. and she wasmentored by Carol Johnson and Nina Jones.

DURHAM ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA,INC. PRESENTS MISS JABBERWOCK 2012-13

Group of the 2012-13 Jabberwock Court with Escorts from Left to Right – Mr. Tremayne Saliim escorted Miss Kira Taylor(2nd Runner Up), Mr. McKinley Edwards escorted Miss Tessa Bryd (1st Runner Up), Miss Janea Best (2012-13 MissJabberwock Queen) with escort Mr. Akiel Pyant, Miss Shontonette Johnson (3rd Runner Up) with escort Mr. LawrenceMitchell and Arieýana Easterling (4th Runner Up) with escort Mr. Nicolas Roberts.

Jabberwock continues on page 32


SHAIANNA JOHNSON, a Riverside High School junior, is the daugh-ter of Regina Johnson. Her escort was Bryce Thompson andshe was mentored by Jamie Lewis and Tara Shuler.

SHONTONETTE JOHNSON, a Hillside New Technical High Schooljunior, is the daughter of Shonnethia Johnson. Her escort wasLawrence Mitchell and she was mentored by Pamela Criswell,Ayana Moore and Dakya Sims.

ALEXIS MCCALLOP, a Josephine Dobbs Clements Early CollegeHigh School senior, is the daughter of Alton and MichelleMcCallop. Her escort was Marcus McGarrah and she was men-tored by Phyllis Joyner and Marietta Taylor.

SADE MONDS, a Hillside High School senior, is the daughter ofthe late Danny Monds and the late Teresa Conrad. Her escortwas Kameron Dickens and she was mentored by Gloria Doyle,Sitti Lowery and Ida Page.

JAMIE OXENDINE, a City of Medicine Academy senior, is thedaughter of Pastor Robert and Pamela Oxendine. Her escortwas Jaron White and she was mentored by Yvonne Fisher andTrish Harleston.

KIRA TAYLOR, a Hillside High School junior, is the daughter ofTodd Taylor and Natasha Smith. Her escort was TremayneSaliim and she was mentored by Lauren Davis, April Pyatt, andBernadette Watts.

IMANI THOMPSON, a City of Medicine Academy senior, is thedaughter of Rohan Thompson and Toya Lennon. Her escortwas Imasiku Mufali and she was mentored by Harriette Davisand Frances McIver.

CHELSEA WILLIAMS, a City of Medicine Academy senior, is thedaughter of Norman Lovick Jr. and Deborah Williams. Herescort was Shi Brooks and she was mentored by Betty Reed andAngelique Witherspoon.

The Jabberwock was initially presented in 1925 in Boston,Massachusetts. Jabberwock, a word copyrighted by Delta SigmaTheta Sorority, Inc., derives from Lewis Carroll’s tale Alice inWonderland nonsense poem “Jabberwocky,” in which it wascustomary for creatures from throughout the kingdom to gath-er annually to present a gala event.

The Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma ThetaSorority, Inc. has held this annual scholarship program since1962, awarding scholarships to Durham County residents. TheJabberwock Gala is a formal event resulting from the culmina-tion of social activities, community service, educational work-shops, and scholarship fundraising opportunities. The scholar-ships awarded to the 2012-13 debutantes Jabberwock candidatewere in excess of $41,000.00. Mrs. Kesha Lee and ABC 11 NewsAnchor Fred Shropshire were outstanding in their role asMistress and Master of Ceremony. Gloria McNeil - DurhamAlumnae Chapter President, Sonya Harris (2nd Vice Presidentand Jabberwock Chair) and Chena Flood (Jabberwock Co-Chair) coordinated the event, along with Durham AlumnaeChapter members assisting in many roles to make theJabberwock Gala a huge success.

JABBERWOCK CONTINUES

Black History Month recognizes the enduranceand astonishing acts of unwavering heroism ofAfrican Americans. Black History month (February) was started by Dr. Carter G.Woodson in 1926 as “Negro History Week” and later as “Black History Month. Hewas disturbed that African American contributions to America were barely recog-nized and Blacks were perceived as “inferior in social positions”.

Dr. Woodson was the son of former slaves. He started high school at 20 years old,graduated in two years and obtained his PH.D from Harvard.

February was chosen because it recorded birthdays of two great heroes that hadgreatly influenced the African American population (Frederick Douglas andAbraham Lincoln). Frederick Douglas desired to better the lives of his fellowAmericans. He conferred with Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and was askedby Abraham Lincoln to recruit Northern African Americans for the Union Army. Hewas the leader of the abolitionist movement that impacted the ending of slaveryand was known for being the first African American leader of national stature inUS History and continued to fight for racial equality.

The history of life insurance for African Americans is interesting. Life insurancehas been around since the early Roman Empire. ONLY burial polices were sold toBlacks. Policy premiums sometimes exceeded the amount to be paid out at deathand Blacks paid higher premiums because of race. Even though the practice is nolonger the case - studies show that 80% of African Americans still ignore theimportance of life insurance.

North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company was started to allow Blacks to dis-cuss and obtain life insurance. America didn’t support or recognize AfricanAmericans as valued business owners based on their ability rather than on theirrace. North Carolina Mutual was not only an insurance company for Blacks - it car-ried additional burdens for the Black race such as being a “safe haven” for Blacksto become educated in financial literacy. The company served both as an “infor-mational center” and a complaint center. Blacks felt comfortable to “open up” andbe appreciated. BLACK HISTORY WAS MADE!

By encouraging our youth, our community leaders, our institutions, businesses,and families to learn more as how to protect themselves by owning adequateLife Insurance is key to everyone’s “peace of mind”. Life Insurance is one of thetools that make sense to include in a financial plan but it is the most misunder-stood because you can’t eat it, touch it, drive it, wear it, or feel it. The big “Payoff” is when you are gone and someone else can do these things.

Hypothetical: If 1,000 head of households owned $250,000 term insurance and10% die within 20 years...consider $2,500,000 flowing back in our communities.Awesome thought, right?

Many people seem to avoid the basics and settle for burial expenses. It goesbeyond funerals and plots. Life insurance can prevent some financial ruins if prop-erly set up.

Black History Month is an opportune time to explore the guarantees of LifeInsurance. Experienced professionals will assist you with your priorities andgoals. Let’s commit to bridging the gap of poverty to wealth and make our legacylast forever. WE CAN DO IT! Doing this may ease some of the tax burdens we nowface. Education and change in perception are virtually “FREE”.

DDeell MMaattttiioollii Del Mattioli, MBA, CLTC, LUTCF, MDRT, an experienced financial service professional for over 25years. 919 .401.9988 4213 Hope Valley Road, Durham, NC 27707 www.delmattioli.com

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

This is Your Life...

BBYY DEELL MAATTTTIIOOLLII

Del Mattioli


SPORTS

......WWhheerree SSppoorrttss iiss KKiinngg!!by LAWRENCE ‘King Law’ DAVIS

Hello, welcome to the newest section ofSpectacular Magazine: SpectacularSports. I am Lawrence Davis, yourguide to all things dealing with yourfavorite teams around the Triangle.

CIAA – With the CIAA Tournamentcoming up February 27 - March 2, thereare a few things you should know incase there is a chance you can find timeto actually watch a game. First off, in theMen’s division, look for Winston-SalemState to make a big push forwardtowards the end of the season. Coach

Bobby Collins has this team playing very well recently. Great play fromthe point position in Marcus Wells and a hot-handed Justin Glover, theywill be the team to watch coming out of the South region.

Another team to keep your eye on is Elizabeth City State. They seemto be the strongest team heading in to the end of the season. They havehad outstanding leadership and effort from Senior guard AngeloSharpless all season. Coach Shawn Walker has the best 3pt shootingteam in the CIAA believing they can win it all this year.

In the Women’s division, Elizabeth City is looking very nice this year.They are looking to overcome their disappointing season last year andreturn to their dominant ways. They have been very impressive and lookto be a great pick heading in to this year’s tourney and look to grab theirsecond championship in three seasons under Coach Alico Dunk. StephanieHarper and Shatara Jackson, preseason All-CIAA forward and guardrespectively, have led these Lady Vikings very well so far.

One group of ladies you can never forget to mention are the return-ing CIAA Champions, The Lady Bears of Shaw. Despite Coach JacquesCurtis describing this year as “a rebuilding year,” The only thing they arerebuilding is a repeat of success experienced last year. This may have alot to do with returning senior guard Sequoyah Griffin, who has a 1.3assist-to-turnover ratio, 4th best in the CIAA. She is joined by underrat-ed senior forward Taylor Dalrymple, who is averaging a monster 14.8 ppgand 8.5 rpg. The Lady Bears will definitely be a favorite going in to theend of the season.

Lawrence ‘King Law’ Davis

Highlights from CIAA 2012

PHOTOS: Greg Coats

SOUTHSt. Augustine’s 15-7 (8-4)Winston-Salem State 17-4 (10-2)Livingstone 16-5 (8-4)Johnson C. Smith 15-7 (8-4)Shaw 13-9 (7-5)Fayetteville State 8-13 (3-9)

MEAC - North Carolina Central University men's basketball team is look-ing forward to MEAC tournament play but not before finishing off regularseason play at Hampton on March 7th. The women will also finish outtheir season as well as part of a double-header. The women are trying tofinish out the season strong despite a less-than-spectacular season.

The NCCU men are recently coming off a victory over rival NC A&T,winning 51-47 in the home of the Eagles. This was a hard-fought game

Sports continues on page 34

STANDINGS (MEN) NORTHElizabeth City State 14-8 (7-5)Lincoln (Pa.) 13-9 (6-6)Virginia Union 8-12 (5-7)Virginia State 11-11 (5-7)Bowie State 9-12 (5-7)Chowan 6-15 (0-12)


SPORTS CONTINUES

where defense real-ly set the tone ofthe game. It wasapparent as bothteams struggled toshoot over 40%from the field. Thefree-throws werethe key to a maroonand gray victory asthey went 19-21,90% from the line.A&T however strug-gled in that catego-ry, only shooting31% from the free-throw line, includinggoing 0-4 in the firsthalf. Despite thewoes at the charity

stripe, the team from Greensboro led for the majority of the game. TheEagles were led by Stanton Kidd and Jeremy Ingram, who both had 14points. The Aggies were led by Jeremy Underwood coming in as a substi-tution to contribute all 11 bench points.

ACC - The Lady Blue Devils of Duke University look to enter the ACCTournament and continue their dominance in the conference despite los-

ing their main focuson offense ChelseaGray. CoachMcCallie has thesegirls believing theycan go all the way.They are coming offa very intense sen-ior day victoryagainst rivals UNC,winning 65-58. Thisgame was a hugebuilding block forthe Blue Devils asfreshman AlexisJones achieved acareer-high inpoints with 22, not

forgetting to men-tion she went 11-12from the charitystripe. She alsoadded four assistsand rebounds to thestat sheet.

After thegame when askedwhat she haslearned so far aftercompleting her firstregular season, shetold us "You have toplay hard every sin-gle game. You can-not take anythingfor granted." Thiswas evident as shewas aggressive on

both sides of the ball, making key plays on defense and also getting twothree-point play opportunities and completing them. "It takes all of us towin [games]."

Sophomore Elizabeth Williams also had a spectacular game as shecontributed 13 points, six rebounds, one assist, two steals and fiveblocks. This game was a pick-me-up as they lost to the University ofMiami six days before. The Lady Blue Devils head in to ACC tournamentplay March 8th as they have the number one seed and await the winnerof NC State/Clemson game.

The Duke Blue Devils men's team look to build on momentum aftera huge 79-76 win as senior Ryan Kelly, a Raleigh native, returned backfrom a foot injury that sidelined him for over a month with what CoachKrzyzewski calls, "One for the ages. As good a performance as any[Duke] player has had in Cameron." Kelly had a career-high 36 points,shooting 10-14 from the field, 7-9 from behind the arc. He added sevenrebounds to contribute. The Blue Devils take on Virginia Tech TuesdayMarch 5th for Senior Night.

NCCU junior forward Stanton Kidd goes up for 2 of his 14points for victory against rival NC A&T. Submitted photo

ACC MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGSSCHOOL W L CONFMiami 23 5 14-2Duke 25 4 12-4North Carolina 21 8 11-5NC State 21 8 10-6Virginia 20 9 10-6Maryland 20 9 8-8Florida State 15 14 7-9Georgia Tech 15 13 5-11Clemson 13 15 5-11Boston College 13 16 5-11Wake Forest 12 16 5-11Virginia Tech 13 16 4-12

MEAC MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGSSCHOOL W L CONFNorfolk 20 10 15-0NC Central 21 8 14-1Hampton 14 15 11-4Savannah State 17 13 10-5Morgan State 13 14 9-6NC A&T 15 15 8-7Delaware State 13 16 8-7Bethune Cookman 12 18 7-8Florida A&M 8 21 5-10Coppin State 7 23 4-11Howard 7 23 4-12Md Eastern Shore 2 24 2-13

ACC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGSSCHOOL W L CONFDuke 27 2 17-1North Carolina 26 5 14-4Maryland 23 6 14-4Florida State 21 8 11-7Miami 20 9 11-7Virginia 16 13 8-10NC State 15 15 7-11Georgia Tech 14 15 7-11Wake Forest 12 18 5-13Boston College 11 18 5-13Clemson 9 20 5-13

Lady Blue Devils Sophomore Elizabeth Williams shoots from the charity line in gameagainst Florida State. Photo: Lawrence Davis


ENTERTAINMENT

THE WHISPERS vs THE DRAMATICSSATURDAY MARCH 9TH AT DURHAM PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Who Will The Battle?

One of R&B music’s most beloved and consistently popular vocal groups, TheWhispers, began their legendary and timeless career in 1963. Twin brothersWalter and Wallace Scott joined with friends Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson,and Gordy Harmon to form a local singing group. They perfected their tight har-monies on the street corners in the Watts section of Los Angeles and in night-clubs in the in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area.

They began singing together as “The Eden Trio” created by Nicholas Caldwelland Marcus Hutson. Later, they were renamed The Whispers by Lou Bedell ofDore Records. The group recorded nine singles for the Dore label between 1964and 1967. In 1969 they released “The Time Will Come” for a small L.A. basedlabel Soul Clock Records, and subsequently recorded their first Top 10 R&B hit,“Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong,” in 1970 when the group switched to JanusRecords. By 1971 Gordy Harmon decided to leave the group and was replaced byLeaveil Degree who had previously sung with “The Friends of Distinction”.

The Whispers produced a string of hits over the next two decades and emergedas the leading romantic singers of their generation, racking up one gold albumafter another and charting numerous R&B hits throughout the seventies andeighties. The Whispers were the first artists featured on the newly formed SoulTrain label (co-owned by the TV show’s creator and host Don Cornelius and entre-preneur Dick Griffey). They gained national attention with their seventiesalbums, “One For The Money”, “Open Up Your Love”, and “Headlights” produc-ing two singles that graced Billboard’s Top 20 R&B Charts: “(Let’s Go) All theWay” and “(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out”.

Their first platinum album “The Whispers” (1980) highlighted “A Song ForDonny,” a song written by Carrie Lucas in memory of Donny Hathaway, andtheir biggest hit “And The Beat Goes On.” It was their most successful sellingalbum (double platinum). The neoclassic “Lady,” written by group memberNicholas Caldwell, is still a favorite at concerts. 1987’s “Just Gets Better withTime”, went platinum. It featured the R&B number 1 and US Top 10 pop entry“Rock Steady”, a collaboration with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.

Their vocal style harkens back to a more genteel era of crooning, preferring softpillow talk and songs that speak to heartfelt emotions. They are arguably themost celebrated R&B balladeers of their generation and still make womenswoon with their silky yet forceful tenors of twins Walter and Scotty. In the1990s, The Whispers joined the Capitol Records family releasing more favorites.Expanding their creative horizons, brothers Walter and Scotty cut “My Brothers

In the late 1960s, success was undoubtedly on the horizon for the Detroit-basedsextet known as The Dynamics. The original sextet was comprised of Ron Banks,Rob Davis, Larry Reed, Robert Ellington, Larry Demps and Elbert Wilkins. AfterEllington s departure, the group released their first single in 1967, “All Becauseof You,” under the name The Dramatics. The song reached No. 42 on theBillboard R&B Charts, but still some members were disheartened with the direc-tion of the group, which brought about major lineup changes. William Howardreplaced Reed as the lead singer and Willie Ford replaced Rob Davis as Bass.

The Dramatics also signed with producer Don Davis and with all the pieces final-ly in place, they were poised to make a run at stardom. Their rise would be aslow, patient process, but it paid off when they collaborated with songwriterTony Hester to create their first bona fide hit, the soulful “Whatcha See isWhatcha Get.” The song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard R&B charts and itstayed on the charts for 15 weeks. The Dramatics followed up their first hit withanother Top Ten single, “Get Up and Get Down.”

The following year, The Dramatics made the successful R&B/pop crossover withthe single, “In The Rain,” another Hester creation. The song bolted to No. 1 andNo. 4 on the Billboard R&B and pop charts, respectively.

Even with their rising momentum, The Dramatics managed to continue their sig-nature roster shuffling. Larry L.J. Reynolds, an up-and-coming artist, who waspursuing a solo career and was signed with Don Davis’ production company,impressed The Dramatics with an audition following a performance at the Apolloone night. Their common production company made him a logical fit to replaceHoward as lead singer during absences.

In 1973, Howard decided to leave the group, opening the door for Reynolds toreplace him permanently. The group underwent yet another change when LennyMayes replaced Wilkins around the same time as Howard’s departure. The resultwas a flawless transition as they continued to prevail with such hits as “Hey YouGet Off My Mountain” which cracked Top Ten status on the R&B charts.

As they moved into the latter half of the 70s during the prime of disco music,The Dramatics survived with such Top 20 R&B hits as “Shake It Well”, “Ocean ofThoughts” and “Dreams”, off their 1977 album, Shake It Well. The Dramatics'success continued with mainly R&B Top 20 hits, cracking the R&B Top Ten justonce more with "Welcome Back Home" in 1980.

In 1980, the group recorded one of its strongest efforts with the album, 10,

The Whispers continues on page 35 The Dramatics continues on page 37

Did U Know?...10 THINGS YOU THOUGHT WEREBLACK OWNED -- BUT AREN'T

BET, George Foreman Grills and Dark & Lovely No LyeRelaxer have a commonality: They’re not as black asyou think. For the confused, we have compiled ashocking list of 10 things you thought were blackowned but actually aren’t. (source: www.thebvx.com)

10. Black Entertainment TelevisionIf black is in the name, it must be black owned, right?

The network was founded by anAfrican American, RobertJohnson, in the ‘80s, but in 2003,BET was sold to Viacom, whichalso owns MTV and VH1. The sale

made Johnson one of the first black billionaires.Ballin’!

9. Def Jam RecordsThe label, born out of a college dorm room and builton MCs like Run-DMC, Jay-Z and Kanye West, is com-

monly associated with its co-founder,Russell Simmons, who escaped a financialmishap by selling 50 percent of the labelto Polygram in 1994. In 1999, Russell soldhis stake in the business to Universal

Musical Group for $100 million. No wonder the label’smore Rihanna than rap these days.

8. Marc EckoIf you’re into urban wear, then you may already knowthat Marc Ecko is a thirtysomething New Jerseynative who never tried to pass for black. Instead the

man whose line was once considered “toowhite” or “too black” for some retailershas attracted multiethnic consumers bycleverly targeting urban markets. Butwhere does the rhino fit?

7. Jimmy JazzThe 20-year-old company, which has more than 120stores throughout the United States, housing lineslike Baby Phat, Rocawear and Coogi, was founded byJames Kherzie. The young Brooklynite opened thestore as an alternative outlet for hard-to-find urbanbrands. Despite hip-hop’s lyrical mentions of thebrand, the name is based on the song ‘Jimmy Jazz’ bypunk rockers The Clash.

6. Essence MagazineThe publication that was once thesecond largest black publicationhasn’t been black owned since theremaining minority stake in EssenceCommunications Inc. was sold toTime Inc. in 2005. The corporationoriginally purchased 49 percent ofthe popular African American publi-cation in 2000, leaving the stylebible in the hands of a man more partial to BrooksBrothers than Carol’s Daughter.

5. ‘The Game’The popular CW show, which is set to have second lifeon BET, was created by Mara Brock Akil, but one of

www.spectacularmag.com 36 SPECTACULAR February/March 2013

the producers behind the black dramedy is KelseyGrammer. Grammer is best known for his role on‘Cheers’ as Frasier, and his production Grammnet wasalso responsible for the African American comedy‘Girlfriends.’

4. The George Foreman GrillSay it isn’t so! The householdstaple bearing GeorgeForeman’s name is not owned bythe former heavyweight cham-pion. The grill’s inventor,Michael Boem, sought outGeorge because he was a burg-er freak known to consume theitem before fights. The moneybehind the grill? Salton Inc., which was later acquiredby Applica, and George sold the rights to the use of hisname in 1999 for $127 million and stock options. I ain’tmad at ‘em!

3. Church’s ChickenNo, we don’t think African Americans have a super-size love for chicken but we do know that Church’s is

scattered across numerous urbanneighborhoods occupied by minori-ties. The founder targeted areaswhere Kentucky Fried Chicken, at thetime, would not locate. George Churchstarted the no-frills chain in Texasbefore being acquired by a public

company and then sold to a private equity firm.

2. T.V. OneThe network that has revived ‘A Different World” isnot 1980s BET in the making. T.V. One is primarily apartnership between Radio One’s Cathy Hughes andthe mammoth cable company Comcast Corporation. Butwe do love ‘Unsung,’ though.

1. SoftSheen CarsonIf you’re thinking of hair careproducts, items by SoftSheenCarson probably come to mind.The 46-year-old Softsheenbrand was acquired by L’Oreal in1998 and merged with anotherminority brand, Carson Products. The company thathelps many black women maintain their hair is actuallyowned by L’Oreal USA, which is owned by the parentParisian company L’Oreal Group. We knew KellyRowland was just the face for Dark & Lovely.

Until next time!

Gary ‘DJ Special Gee’ Jones Entertainment Editor [email protected]

ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUES

Keeper”, a critically acclaimed duet album in 1993, scoring another R&B hit witha cover of the Intruders’ “I Wanna Know Your Name.” “Toast to the Ladies,”released in 1995, featured a collection of love songs dedicated to women allover the world. In 1997 the group moved to Interscope Records where they fea-tured the works of Babyface once again with their album, “Songbook, Vol. 1: TheSongs of Babyface”.

Marcus stopped performing with the group in 1989 due to ill health, and in 2000,when he passed on, the Whispers vowed never to replace him. The group has notmade any personnel changes and still consists of Walter Scott, Wallace Scott,Nicholas Caldwell, and Leaveil Degree.

On September 23, 2003, The Whispers’ four decades of accomplishments wereacknowledged when Charlie Thomas of the Drifters inducted them into the VocalGroup Hall of Fame. They continue to perform to sell-out crowds all over theworld, and their popularity continues to grow among youth whose parents“raised” them on the Whispers’ music.

They are also known for their charitable work with youth that participate in thePAL (Police Athletic League) Reading Program, and their ongoing support todomestic violence organizations and cancer agencies.

The Whispers waited almost a decade to produce a new CD in 2006. This inde-pendent product, the first venture of their newly formed company, Satin TieProductions, is a masterpiece entitled “For Your Ears Only”.

According to Walter, “This title is a way of saying to our fans that we appreciateeverybody’s support that has been with us for many, many years.” Nick’s per-spective deals with its essence. He states, “In my opinion, the CD represents themusical DNA and artistic expression of what the Whispers were and havebecome during their 42 years together. It was conceived to please the ears,hearts and minds of our super- supportive and loyal family of fans. It was alabor of love and I believe a body of work blessed by God.”

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Four Decades of Pop and R & B Favorites, Seven GoldAlbums, Two Platinum Albums, 12 Top Twenty Singles, 40 Charted Hits Since1970, American Music Award Nominees, Soul Train Award Nominees, GrammyAward Nominees 2003 Vocal Group Hall of Fame Inductees, 2005 RegionalGrammy Governors Award, 2002 NAACP Image Award.

which turned out to be somewhat of a farewell album as Reynolds left in 1981,and Banks followed suit in 1983.The group was mentioned in the book TheAlgiers Motel Incident by John Hersey. They were staying at the Algiers Motel,following a performance at Detroit’s Fox Theatre, during an alleged murder bymembers of the Detroit Police Department, which was one of the incidentswhich sparked the Detroit Riots of 1967.

The Dramatics’ “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” appeared in the 2003 documen-tary 8 Wheels & Some Soul Brotha’ Music, in the 2005 documentary SundayDriver, as well as the movies, Wattstax and Darktown Strutters, and the 2007Petey Greene biopic, Talk To Me.

The Dramatics were reunited in the late 80s and continue to the present day,keeping up a busy touring schedule and occasionally releasing a new studioalbum. Even Howard, their original lead vocalist, returned in 1986, as a featuredsinger on their Somewhere in Time album. Their grasp of superior soul remainsas sure as ever.

EEAR TTO TTHE SSTREETS

NOMINATE A DESERVING MAN TO BE NAMED

Spectacular Magazine 2013 Man of the Year

Criteria & nomination form at www.spectacularmag.com

Nomination Period: April 1 - April 19, 2013

Voting Period:May 6 - May 24, 2013

ARTIST SONG LABEL1. EARTH, WIND & FIRE Reasons COLUMBIA2. TEDDY PENDERGRASS Turn Off The Lights ELECTRA3. FREDDIE JACKSON Rock Me Tonight CAPITOL4. LUTHER VANDROSS A House Is Not Home J RECORDS5. PRINCE Adore PAISLEY6. RICK JAMES Fire & Desire MOTOWN7. ZAPP FEA. Computer Love WARNER

ROGER TROUTMAN

8. O’JAYS Forever Mine MCA9. BOOTSY COLLINS I Rather Be With You WARNER10. BLUE MAGIC Side Show ATLANTIC11. CON FUNK SHUN Love Train MERCURY12. CAMEO Why Have I Lost You CHOCOLATE CITY13. THE MANHATTANS Kiss And Say Goodbye COLUMBIA14. THE WHISPER Lady CAPITOL15. ISLEY BROTHERS For The Love Of You T-NECK16. READY FOR THE WORLD Let Me Love You Down MCA17. THE COMMODORES Just To Be Close To You MOTOWN18. KEITH SWEAT Make It Last Forever ELECTRA19. JOHNNY GILL My My My MOTOWN20. GUY Lets Chill MCA

GARY‘SPECIAL GEE’

JONES

CLASSICSLOW JAMS

THE WHISPERS CONTINUES

THE DRAMATICS CONTINUES


If you would like to be featured as Unsigned Artistof the Month, email cd as an mp3, along withphoto, bio and contact info to:

[email protected] selection is at the sole discretion of Gary Jones, Entertainment Editor.

ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUES



...Photographer Mel Brown captured the entire Parade. Here are a few. More photos at http://mtfimages.zenfolio.com/mlkparade2013

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