spectacular magazine (march 2015)

March 2015

Confirmation Hearing Stalled

R A CISM OR SE X ISM . . . OR BO T H?

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE

LORETTA LYNCH

BECAUSE OF THEM

WE CAN“IF THE FIRST WOMAN GOD EVER MADE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN

ALL ALONE, THESE WOMEN TO-GETHER OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO

TURN IT BACK, AND GET IT RIGHT SIDE UP AGAIN! AND NOW THEY

IS ASKING TO DO IT, THE MEN BETTER LET THEM.”

― Sojourner Truth

MARCH - NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 2015

4 SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE | March 2015 | www.spectacularmag.com

IN THIS ISSUE

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PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEFPHYLLIS COLEYENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

GARY N. JONES

COLUMNISTSLAWRENCE DAVIS

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JAYMES POWELL, JR.

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GREGORY COATSRENALDO JACKSON

OLEN KELLEY, IIIANTHONY ORTIZ

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DISTRIBUTIONDIANE DAVIS

NATHANIEL JONESLELIA ROYSTER

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ADMINSTRATIONKEYOSHIA JONES

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www.spectacularmag.com | March 2015 | SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE 5

COMMENTARY

THE SHAMEFUL JUSTICE SYSTEMMan Awarded $9.1 Million After Wrongful Conviction, Prison Rape And Contracting HIV

From The Publisher’s Desk...

Kirk Odom was convicted of raping and robbing a woman in 1981 in Washington, DC. FBI “experts” and their forensic tests concluded that Odom was the perpetrator of the crime. The court system sentenced him to 22 hard years in prison at the tender young age of 18.

While in prison, he was the victim of multiple rapes from which he contracted HIV. According to the Washington Post, his family abandoned him for unsaid reasons. After 2 decades in prison and a case review, his lawyers were able to cross-reference his DNA with the case evidence. The results clearly exonerated him from the crimes he was punished for.

To Make Matters Worse The criminal who actually committed the rape and robbery was caught and sentenced the very next year in 1982 for the actual crimes. This means the court system was cognizant that they sentenced the wrong man to prison 1 year before, and had the correct criminal in prison for the exact crime. However, they knowingly allowed Odom to languish in prison for 22 years as an innocent man.

Robbed of His LifeThe “justice system” robbed this man of the best years of his life and is culpable of the rape, depression, attempts at suicide, and contraction of HIV which Odom underwent.

Odom has been free for 10 years. He is married, and met his wife in an HIV counseling group. Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, a Washington, D.C. superior court judge awarded Mr. Odom $9.1 million dollars for the time and suffering he was unjustly subjected to.

The Shameful Justice SystemAccording to the Washington Post article, many D.C. attorneys for the city feel $9.1 million is too much money and that he should only be awarded $1.1 million. Their argument is that his case was handled by the U. S. attorney’s office and not the city.

My ThoughtsMy mind was so flooded with thoughts of hurt, disbelief, anger, and disgust. This man was robbed of his life. Who knows what he could have accomplished in 22 years as a free citizen? I tried to transpose myself into his shoes (though virtually impossible). This man lost his family.

He had a daughter who was born just a couple of weeks before his trial in 1981.

The justice system robbed this young lady of her biological father for 22 years of her life. How did this affect her growing from an infant into a mature woman and how she interacts with men?

The fact that the system knew they apprehended and incarcerated the real criminal one year later, but allowed Mr. Odom to stay behind bars is inexcusable and criminal in itself. The physical and mental trauma he experienced is horrifying.

I sincerely feel that the prosecutors and judges who permitted him to stay in prison after they caught the real criminal should be sentenced to prison. There is no reason that they should be allowed to walk around free. They should be brought up on charges and sent directly to prison for 22 years, just like Odom.

I can’t comment on the forensic investigators too much because they can play the “antiquated card,” meaning they did their job to the best of their ability with their 1981 forensic technology. However, a task force should be formed to conduct a thorough, in-depth retrospective case review of all inmates sentenced by the judges in question, affiliated prosecutors and forensic investigators.

This case highlights and underscores the inconsistencies, Achilles heel, injustice, and lackadaisical care-free attitude toward imprisonment in our country. Incarceration is a serious matter and should never be taken lightly. Lives can be destroyed by failure to conduct due diligence in investigative procedure and research.

I sincerely want Mr. Odom to know that people are paying attention to his story and that he has my complete compassion and sympathy, if it means anything. Be blessed brother, and may you and your wife continue on life’s journey in love and peace. Although it is probably an awkward experience for the both of you, I also pray that you and your daughter are able to connect and form a lasting relationship.

(Adapted from report by Dr. Samori Swygert)

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Phyllis Coley Phyllis Coley CEO/Publisher

[email protected]


COMMENTARYIS INSANITY A REQUIREMENT TO BE A BLACK

REPUBLICAN?SYSTEMATIC RACISM IN AMERICA

By William H. TurnerThe first week of March when as-yet unannounced 2016 Republican presidential candidate

Dr. Ben Carson stated his views on gays, I turned to an old saying that explains what some blacks do to become authentic and valued figures in conservative circles: “First, they fill their mouths with marbles. Next, they start talking. Then, when they have lost all of their marbles, they become legitimate and respected Republicans!”Dr. Carson – the highly acclaimed pediatric neurosurgeon – is on an ever-lengthening list of blacks who, in order to cozy up to the extreme right wing of the GOP, will utter the most conspicuously offensive words, all in service to firing up right wing support. Black Republican Vernon Robinson of Winston-Salem – Dr. Carson’s campaign director, himself a perennial candidate, while running recently for NC’s 5th Congressional district – ran under the slogan: “Jesse Helms is back. This time he is black!”

If Dr. Carson is right that “a lot of people who go into prison straight, and when they come out, they’re gay,” then it could be said that a lot of blacks who go into the Republican party stable and sane become flat-out foolish and say things that are disreputable, divisive, hurtful and very, very stupid.

Dr. Carson joins the ranks of Associate Justice Clarence Thomas who came up with several sharp and nasty barbs against affirmative action during the confirmation hearings for his Supreme Court seat. Both The College of Holy Cross and Yale Law School are on record for the programs they put in place in the 1960s to compensate for the exclusion of black students like Clarence Thomas.

Godfather Pizza CEO Herman

By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) report on the Ferguson, Mo. Police

Department sheds a brighter light on a serious racial injustice malignancy that is not isolated or unique to that besieged city. What the Justice Department concluded in Ferguson, after months of intense investigation, exposes a systematic pattern of injustice and inequality that can actually be found in many cities across the nation.

This federal report presented facts with years of supporting data that revealed how racism was the decisive phenomenon in how the police and courts dealt disparagingly with Black Americans.

Racial disparities in police departments and in judicial systems are not just local problems in a few municipalities that have been exposed as a result of a pattern of racial discrimination. This is a national problem that has persisted for decades in the United States. The absence of a cumulative national database on racially motivated police brutality and on judicial racial inequity is a contributing factor to this disgusting yet persistent societal contradiction.

The Justice Department report concluded, “These disparities occur, at least in part, because Ferguson law enforcement practices are directly shaped and perpetuated by racial bias.”

The good news is that in the aftermath of the details made public by the Justice Department provides a second opportunity for a more thorough national investigation. Racial justice activists and organizations should demand that the federal government perform a national investigation and audit of all major police departments and judicial systems concerning racial profiling, discrimination,

Cain often fueled his 2012 run for the Republican presidential nomination with remarks such as: “Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks. If you don’t have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself!”

Who can forget – or remembers – black Republican Alan Lee Keyes, whom President Ronald Reagan appointed to the State Department in 1985 and who later moved to Illinois in an attempt to take the Senate seat once occupied by Barack Obama, about whom he said: “Obama is a radical Communist…we are either going to stop him or the USA will cease to exist.”

When Mia Love, a Haitian-American Mormon, became the first black Republican woman elected to the US Congress last fall, she pooh-poohed the premise of a question about the role of her race or the immigrant status of her parents in her election. “I think what we need to mention here is this had nothing do with race,” she said. “Understand that Utahans have made a statement that they’re not interested in dividing Americans based on race or gender. That’s really what made history here. It’s that race and gender had nothing to do with it. Principles had everything to do with it, and Utah values had everything to do with it.”

Black Republicans running for office not only have to start at the political center, at the very least, but, once acknowledged publically, they must quickly move to an over-the-top message that deliberately ignores the historical fact that most blacks believe in uplift, personal responsibility, family values, and religious virtue. Once on the mountaintop of media attention, however, these black believers in God and country, say, in the words of former Florida congressman Alan West, “as conservatives, we don’t care about the color of your skin; we care about the color of our flag.”The resumes of black people like

abuse, police violence, prosecutorial misconduct and other forms of injustice based on race.

Of course, most of us already know what the outcome of such a new national study would surely reveal. Black Americans and other people of color in the United States continued to endure long-term patterns of racial injustice not just in the so-called “criminal justice system,” but also in systems of health care, employment, housing, education, finance, and in exposures to multiple environmental hazards and toxicities.

Systematic racism in America has not and does not occur by osmosis. It is intentional and deliberate. It is the result of the “power” of imposed and unabridged institutionalized racial bias, discrimination, bigotry, hatred, stereotyping and ignorance.

Another important and remarkable “revelation” of the DOJ report on Ferguson was the economic greed of that form of systematic racism. The report stated, “Ferguson’s law enforcement practices are shaped by the City’s focus on revenue rather than by public safety needs. This emphasis on revenue has compromised the institutional character of Ferguson’s police department, contributing to a pattern of unconstitutional policing, and has also shaped its municipal court, leading to procedures that raise due process concerns and inflict unnecessary harm on members of the Ferguson community.”

The “harm” to the Ferguson community was and continues to be overwhelmingly targeted on Black Americans. Millions of dollars have been unjustly taken from the Black community in Ferguson and surrounding areas of St. Louis County as a direct result of the “unconstitutional” and illegal acts of police and court officials. Will the victims of the racism in Ferguson who have been financially fleeced and extorted by the law enforcement system be repaid or compensated?The family of young unarmed Michael Brown who was unjustly killed by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson

Black Republicans CONTINUES ON PAGE 7 Systematic Racism CONTINUES ON PAGE 7

Dr Ben Carson’s Campaign Director Models Himself After Jesse Helms


By Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II

In 1950, fifteen years before the Selma-to-Montgomery march, William Faulkner, one of the South’s

greatest authors, wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” In 2015, as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Faulkner’s insight is as true as ever.Nearly two years ago, the United States Supreme Court ruled to hollow out the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965, allowing several state legislatures, mostly in the South, to open their bags of disenfranchisement tricks and pass voter suppression laws aimed at curbing the progressive vote. Chief Justice John Roberts tried to justify the Court’s 5-4 decision by writing, “Our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy the problem speaks to current conditions.”Underscoring the naive nature of that statement, then-North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis and his regressive coalition in the General Assembly promptly signed into law the worst voter suppression bill since Jim Crow. The Supreme Court gutted the VRA on June 25, 2013. Forty-eight days later, on August 12, North Carolina’s elected leaders enacted a law that not only requires a government-issued photo I.D. to vote in 2016 and after, but also reduced the early voting and Sunday voting period and eliminated same-day-registration, out-of-precinct voting, and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-old voters who would be 18 on Election Day. Last fall, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote, “These measures likely would not have survived federal preclearance,” which had been maintained for nearly five decades to prevent exactly the sort of legislation we saw passed in North Carolina weeks after the Shelby ruling. In our state, the voter suppression

law has often been referred to as a Voter I.D. law, thereby giving it an air of “common sense,” as our legislators like to say. But it has done so much more to disenfranchise North Carolinians than merely require a photo I.D.—although that has been proven to be discriminatory enough in itself. Isaiah 10 states:“Woe to those who make unjust laws,to those who issue oppressive decrees,to deprive the poor of their rightsand withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,making widows their preyand robbing the fatherless.”This summer, two years after the Supreme Court ruling and the enactment of North Carolina’s voter suppression law, the North Carolina NAACP and other progressive constituencies - along with the U.S. Department of Justice - will challenge the discriminatory motives and effects of the Tillis law aimed at obstructing progressive votes in North Carolina. We are confident that we will win our case, which we filed 47 minutes after the legislation was passed in 2013. We should never have had to prosecute it in the first place. We should never have had to file this lawsuit. And our work would be much more difficult were it not for the tireless, pro-bono work of the Advancement Project. But our own legislators forced us into this corner. Instead of finding ways to make voting easier for all North Carolinians, they spent their time building new barriers around our right to vote.

We are glad that Ava DuVernay made a powerful movie based on a very powerful moment - and movement - in this nation’s history. But Selma is much more than a movie. It is a symbol of challenging those who would limit access to the most fundamental practice of a democracy. In North Carolina, we are called to challenge those who, in the 21st century, have decided to make voting much more difficult for thousands of people.

Selma is not dead. It’s not even past. It is alive in North Carolina.

Rev. Dr. William Barber is state president of the North Carolina NAACP

NORTH CAROLINA IS OUR SELMA

is going forward with a massive civil suit against Wilson, the police and the court system in Ferguson. The DOJ report should be used as conclusive evidence of the pattern and system of racial wrong doing in Ferguson.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder did the right thing by ordering the DOJ investigation. Holder kept his public promise to stand by the people of Ferguson. In fact to the credit of his outstanding leadership at the DOJ, there have been more that 20 DOJ civil rights investigations into various other police departments in the U.S. during Holder’s tenure as Attorney General. Holder reaffirmed, “I again commit to the people of Ferguson

that we will continue to stand with you and to work with you to ensure that the necessary reforms are implemented.”

Thus, the struggle for racial justice continues in Ferguson and across the nation. The antidote to systematic racism in America is to support and empower Black Americans and other people of color in the transformation of the system of injustice in the U.S. into a fair and unbiased system of justice and equality for all people.

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

Systematic Racism CONTINUES

Herman Cain, Ben Carson, Allen Keyes, Mia Love, Vernon Robinson, Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas, Alan West, and many other black conservatives, including Condoleezza Rice, show that all are very sharp, quick-witted, and exceptionally intelligent people. Too bad that in order to be appealing and saleable inside the predominantly white Republican Party they feel obligated to perform a version of

themselves that is equivalent to having lost their marbles. No matter our political affiliation, in that game, we all lose.

Black Republicans CONTINUES

For nearly three decades, William H. Turner has contributed to the understanding of race and American culture through his teaching, publications, lectures, newspaper editorials, media consulting and mentoring. Turner was also a research assistant to “Roots” author Alex Haley for a decade.

By Ken Spaulding

DURHAM, NC – Today, March 16, 2015, I woke up and heard that Attorney General Roy Cooper would

be speaking at the Sunshine Day Conference. It was said that his topic would be about body cameras.

Last year (December), I called upon Governor Pat McCrory to push for all North Carolina local law enforcement officers to wear and use video body cameras. This was at a time when Ferguson was volatile and race relations and law enforcement were on the forefront. This was also at a time when constructive solutions should have been addressed by those who are seeking to lead this state.

Leadership should be exercised when leadership is needed, not when there is a conference. North Carolina’s top

law enforcement officer, Roy Cooper, was silent and timid on this issue at the time when his leadership was needed.

North Carolina deserves better.

I also sent a letter to Governor McCrory on March 12, 2015 to hold off on closing down any of our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). What will Roy do then, speak at a conference after the first HBCU has closed? If we don’t think it’s real, ask South Carolina State.

His lack of leadership proves that North Carolina needs something different, something better. If you are ready for a real change in North Carolina, please visit www.kenspaulding.com and let’s move this state in a New Direction.

Ken Spaulding, Durham NC native and practicing attorney since 1970, is a candidate for the Governor of North Carolina.

ATTORNEY GENERAL ROY COOPER - SILENT FOR MIKE BROWN AND ERIC GARNER

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and phone number. By e-mail to: [email protected]


OUT & ABOUT

CHARLOTTE, NC - Livingstone College displayed its balance in winning a second consecutive CIAA Men’s Basketball title on Saturday, February 28, 2015. The Blue Bears, who defeated Winston-Salem State 106-91 in the CIAA Tournament finals at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Blue Bears are the first team since Johnson C. Smith in the 2008 and 2009 seasons to repeat as CIAA champions. (PHOTO: Greg Coats)

R&B recording artist, actor and Virginia State University alum Tank stands with team. (PHOTO: Randy Singleton)

CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams thanks fans for their support. (PHOTO: Greg Coats)

With a 73-49 victory over The Lincoln University, the Virginia State University Trojans clinched the 2015 CIAA Women’s Basketball Championship. The title win was the first for Virginia State since 2002. The Trojans earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament with the victory and advance with a 20-9 overall record. The Lady Lions end their season with a 21-8 record. (PHOTO: Randy Singleton)

CIAA CHAMPS CROWNED


NCCU RETIRES JERSEY OF CELTICS LEGEND, BASKETBALL HALL OF FAMER SAM JONESDURHAM, NC – On Thursday, March 5, North Carolina Central University officially retired the jersey and its number of alumnus and Boston Celtics legend Sam Jones during a ceremony between the NCCU women’s and men’s basketball games against rival North Carolina A&T inside McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium. Prior to the unveiling of the jersey hanging from the rafters of the gym where he played more than 50 years ago, Governor Pat McCrory presented Jones with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a citizen of North Carolina. One of the greatest NBA players of all-time, Jones played at NCCU from 1951-54 and 1956-57, and remains the school’s second-leading career scorer with 1,745 points in four seasons. (PHOTOS: Olen Kelley III)

Sam Jones banner now hangs from the rafters of McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium.

Sam Jones and wife Gladys watch as banner is unveiled.

NC Governor Pat McCrory and Sam Jones NCCU Basketball Head Coach Levelle Moton (left), Governor McCrory and Sam Jones

Sam Jones with wife Gladys (left) and NCCU Chancellor Dr. Debra Saunders-White.

UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS BLACK HISTORY MONTH COMMUNITY BREAKFASTDURHAM, NC - Spectacular Magazine hosted the UniverSoul Circus Black History Month Community Breakfast on February 25 at Nzinga’s Breakfast Cafe. Community leaders met Circus executives and learned about the circus, the only black owned and operated circus in the world. (PHOTO: Anthony Ortiz)


COVER STORY

WASHING-TON, DC - In November 2014 President Obama nominated U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch as his next attorney general. If confirmed, the Durham native would be the first black woman in the job.

Lynch, 55, is an experienced prosecutor with deep relationships inside the Justice Department and a long history of lit-igating political corruption, terror-ism and organized crime cases. “She has spent years in the trenches as a prosecutor aggressively fighting ter-rorism, financial fraud, cyber-crime, all while vigorously defending civil rights,” said Obama. “In a country that is built on the rule of law, there are few offices more important than that of Attorney General.”

Lynch was the least controversial of the final choices before the pres-ident, according to several gov-ernment officials. “She’s a black woman. She’s a Democrat. She’s been confirmed by the Judiciary Committee of the Senate twice - once under President Clinton and once under President Obama. But the political climate is getting sour,” Lynch’s father Lorenzo Lynch told ABC-11. “It’s a terrible fight ahead in the Senate Judiciary Committee and we’re not underestimating that fact ahead of the fight.”

Still, the nomination has sparked a

battle on Capitol Hill. Republicans warned before the midterm elec-tion said they opposed the idea of approving a nomination in a lame-duck session of Congress. Demo-crats, however, chose not to have the confirmation fight while they still have control of the Senate.

In February United States Attor-ney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta Lynch was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, placing her attorney general nomi-nation on the Senate floor for a vote. Now, she’s having a difficult time getting confirmed. Despite oppo-sition to Lynch from both sides of the political aisle, the White House is pointing the blame for the stone-walling of her nomination at Senate Republicans.

“Let me just say that if Ms. Lynch were not confirmed by the United States Senate, it would be an as-tonishing display of partisanship, particularly given the fact that not a single member of the United States Senate has raised a legitimate

concern about her aptitude for that office,” White House Press Sec-retary said during the daily briefing on March 16. “It is the responsi-bility of each one of these Senators to make their own decisions but if the outcome were to be that she were denied confirmation for this seat it would be astonishing.”

During her confirmation hearing earlier this year, Lynch tried to dis-tance herself from Attorney General Eric Holder but embraced President Obama’s recent executive action on illegal immigration. Lynch also argued that anyone who is in the United States, regardless of how they got there, has a right to work.

“This is an opportunity, within the Senate rules, to express my disap-proval of the president’s abuse of ex-ecutive authority, and it’s an oppor-tunity I intend to take,” Republican Senator Lamar Alexander said in a statement about his opposition to Lynch. “I will vote against Presi-dent Obama’s nomination of Loretta Lynch for attorney general of the United States.”

The White House and Senate Dem-ocrats are growing increasingly frustrated with the GOP’s obstruc-tion of Loretta Lynch’s confirmation to become America’s next attorney general. Some are calling the re-

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE

LORETTA LYNCHCONFIRMATION HEARING STALLED

RACISM OR SEXISM...OR BOTH?

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES:

WHO IS LORETTA LYNCH?

Loretta E. Lynch was born in Greensboro, NC in 1959, to

Lorenzo and Lorine Lynch and moved with her family to Durham, NC as a child. Her father was a Baptist minister, having

been Pastor of White Rock Baptist Church in Durham for 27 years. Her mother was a farm worker who became a librarian. Lynch attended a mostly white elementary school, and when she once scored well on an achievement test, school officials made her retake the test because they assumed she had cheated on it. She did as well the second time.

Lynch graduated from Durham High School in 1977 and went to Harvard, where she earned a B.A. in English and American Literature in 1981. She remained in Cambridge to attend Harvard Law, receiving her J.D. in 1984. Lynch began her legal career in private practice as a litigation associate for a firm in New York.

In 1990, Lynch joined the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, which is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the New York boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island and in Nassau County (Long Island). One of her most noteworthy cases was the prosecution of the Green Dragons, a Chinese gang that was convicted of racketeering and murder. Lynch was named chief of the Long Island office in 1993 and served there until 1998, when she was named chief assistant U.S. attorney.

Her most prominent case while there came when she helped prosecute New York City policeman Justin Volpe,

Loretta Lynch CONTINUES ON PAGE 13


Loretta Lynch CONTINUES

Loretta Lynch CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

cord-delay a “travesty” while others blame what they’ve called a destruc-tive confluence of race, gender and political gamesmanship by Senate Republicans.

Sen. Durbin: Loretta Lynch being forced to ‘back of the bus’ by GOP On Wednesday March 18, Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illi-nois, blasted Republicans for their treatment of Lynch, likening their handling of her confirmation to Jim Crow segregation. “The fact is there is not substantive reason to stop this nomination,” Durbin said. “Loretta Lynch, the first African-American woman nominated to be attorney general is asked to sit in the back of the bus when it comes to the Senate calendar. That is unfair. It’s un-just. It is beneath the decorum and dignity of the United States Sen-ate.”

“This wom-an deserves fairness,” Durbin con-tinued. “To think that we would jeopardize her opportu-nity to serve this nation and to make history is fundamentally unfair.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the week of March 9th he would call a vote on Lynch’s confirmation the week of March 16th. But since then, the Kentucky Republican reversed course and in-stead said the vote wouldn’t happen until a human trafficking bill is put to bed, which is unlikely given a controversial abortion amendment that was added.

Lynch’s nomination has dragged out for months – the longest delay for a would-be attorney general in mod-ern history – and the administration and her supporters have grown

increasingly frustrated. The longer it takes for Lynch to be confirmed, the longer Attorney General Eric Holder will remain in office. Hold-er has been a beacon of discontent and dismay for many Republicans, and the notion that they’d delay his

departure has become a bit of a punchline.

During a speech at the Cen-ter for American Progress recently, Holder joked that

he’s getting a bit of un-likely love from Republicans who’re keeping around. “There is no place I would rather be in my closing days as Attorney General than with all of you. Or, at least, these should be my closing days,” Holder said. “Giv-en the Senate’s delays in scheduling Loretta Lynch’s nomination for a vote, it’s almost as if the Republi-cans in Congress have discovered a new fondness for me. Where was all this affection the last six years?”

Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Democrat from North Carolina and chairman of the Congressional Black Cau-cus, called the stall “a travesty.” “The politics that Republicans have played with her nomination are deplorable and opposition to

her nomination is nothing more than a political ploy to once again use any means necessary to show their disdain for President Obama,” Butterfield said during a conference call with black leaders on and off the Hill on March 17th. “We need to wake up America, and see this for what it is.” “I think race certainly can be considered a major factor in the delay,” Butterfield told reporters on the call.

Publicly for now the White House is sidestepping such accusations, fo-cusing instead on the historic nature of the delay. During a contentious NewsOne Now panel, TVOne host Roland Martin went hard after the Democratic leader. “I’m not gon-na let Dick Durbin off the hook,” he said. By invoking race, Martin explained, Durbin is “aiding the opposition out because they can now focus on you and your comment versus why she’s actually being held up.”

While calling out racially-motivat-ed tactics is often useful, Martin added, this was not an appropriate instance. “We gotta be able to call out a Democrat who does it,” he told his panelists.

A White House official told MSN-BC that the nomination has lan-guished for 130 days even after Lynch answered more than 600 written questions submitted by senators following her confirmation

who had been among those involved in the 1997 assault and forcible sodomization of Haitian immigrant Abner Louima. Midway through his trial in 1999, Volpe pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Later that year, President Bill Clinton appointed Lynch to be U.S. attorney for the Eastern District. She served only two years before being replaced by a George W. Bush appointee in 2001.

Lynch then returned to the private sector, joining the New York firm of Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) as a partner. She focused on commercial litigation, white-collar criminal defense and corporate compliance. In 2003, Lynch was appointed a Federal Reserve director with jurisdiction over the Second Federal Reserve District. She also served in 2005 as an investigator for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and conducted a special investigation into allegations of witness tampering and false testimony at the tribunal.

In 2010, Lynch was again appointed to serve as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. She led the prosecution for embezzlement of former New York state senate majority leader Pedro Espada Jr. Her office filed charges in 2013 on a $45 million cyberattack on ATMs, made arrests this year in the 1978 Lufthansa heist at Kennedy Airport, dramatized in the movie Goodfellas, and is now prosecuting Rep. Michael Grimm (R-New York) for tax fraud. Despite the indictment, Grimm was easily re-elected to Congress in the 2014 general election.

In 2007 Lynch married Stephen Hargrove, and she has two stepchildren. One of her brothers, Leonzo, followed their father into the ministry, the other, Lorenzo Jr. who died in 2009, served as a Navy Seal.

(Source: www.allgov.com)

“Loretta Lynch, the first African-American woman nominated to be attorney general, is asked to sit in the back of the bus when

it comes to the Senate calendar. That is unfair. It’s unjust. It is

beneath the decorum and dignity of the United States Senate.”

Sen. Dick Durbin (D–Illinois)


hearing. “There is absolutely no reason to delay consideration of her nomination,” the official said.

Reporters asked White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on Wednes-day March 18th if the administration believes that race has been a factor in Lynch’s confirmation battle and if the racially loaded language used by Sen. Dick Durbin earlier in the day was appropriate. Earnest said that he hadn’t seen the entirety of Durban’s statements, but said he maintains what he’d said earlier in the week about the White House’s position on Lynch. “What I have said about this certainly applies to the views of everybody in the administration, which is that the delay of her confir-mation is unconscionable,” Earnest said during the daily press briefing.

When asked directly by a reporter if the White House believed that race is playing a factor, Earnest steered clear. “The White House believes that there is no question about her qualifications for this job and she

should be confirmed immediately,” he said.

Still, the optics of a Republican blockade of Lynch’s path to become the first black woman to lead the Justice Department don’t bode well for a party struggling with diversity issues and with the recruitment of minorities. Some say the animus first directed at Obama, America’s

first black president and then Hold-er, the country’s first black attorney general has now been directed at Lynch. Sen. McConnell threatens Lynch confirmationA growing list of supporters is lining up behind Democrats and black leaders calling for immediate action on Lynch’s confirmation.

Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-coun-sel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the implications of Lynch facing the lon-gest delay in confirmation in modern his-tory, are clear. “All across the country wom-

en are watching, African-African

American women are watching, and the civil rights community is watch-ing,” she said.

Hilary Clinton, the former secre-tary of state and all but certain 2016 presidential contender, lashed out at Senate Republicans, saying in a series of Tweets that the by working against Lynch, the GOP is “working

against women.” “Congressional trifecta against women today: 1) Blocking great nominee, 1st African American woman AG, for longer than any AG in 30 years…2) Playing politics with trafficking victims….3) Threatening women’s health & rights,” her tweets read.

Meanwhile, a Department of Justice official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the Lynch matter, said the challeng-es Holder has faced from the start of his tenure continue to trail him up to his last days in office. But, he said, Holder has shown no sign of slowing down or head-hanging. “If there’s any further delay as far as a confir-mation for Ms. Lynch, he is pre-pared to stay as long as necessary,” the Justice Department official told msnbc. “Attorney General Holder is still taking meetings, still mak-ing speeches. It’s business as usual until they come closer to confirming her.” The official said the biggest downside in the whole confirmation debacle is that “a very qualified des-ignate is ready to get to work.”

“The irony is this is someone who said in her opening statements at her confirmation that she wants to work with Congress, so it’s odd that Congress doesn’t want to work with her.” The official said that a group of Hill Democrats are currently drafting a letter to McConnell which

will likely speak to the unprece-dented lack of respect his delay is revealing. If a vote isn’t held by next week, it’s likely it could be held off until after the two-week Eas-ter Recess from March 28 to April 12. “That means it will be nearly a month after [McConnell] said he was going o vote on her and that she’s out in the wind,” the official said. “While they are on vacation with their families, [Holder} some-body who has served 6 years as AG will not have that same comfort or courtesy and it’s completely unfor-tunate.”

So far only four GOP senators have confirmed that they’ll support Lynch’s nomination. As it stands, if every other Republican senator votes against Lynch and all the remaining Democrats vote for her, that leaves a tie. Vice President Joe Biden would then cast the tie-break-ing vote.Still, additional GOP votes for Lynch are still being sought. Sourc-es say Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk might be swayed.

Other Senate Republicans consider-ing voting for Lynch may have also gotten some cover from an unlikely supporter of her nomination, Rudy Giuliani. The former New York City mayor this week sent a letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, urging fellow Republicans to back Lynch.

“How we treat nominees like Ms. Lynch has important Constitutional implications,” Giuliani said in the letter, first published by Politico. “The scope and the breadth of the advice and consent function of the U.S. Senate has been much debated. My interpretation has always been that a president should be given the deference to choose his Cabinet unless the nominee is unqualified to do the job, has a history of unethical behavior or is so ideologically rigid as to be incapable of making ratio-nal choices in the public interest.”

“None of these disqualifiers apply here,” Giuliani said.

Loretta Lynch CONTINUES


FEATURES

By Sherri Holmes

A growing number of black actors are finally starting to receive recognition on New York’s Great White Way. In

2013, five African Americans won Tony Awards: Best Actor & Actress in a Play, Best Actor & Actress in a Musical as well as the producer of the winner for Best Play. In 2014, Audra McDonald made history by winning her sixth Tony award. In her acceptance speech, McDonald thanked the “strong and brave and courageous” African-American women who came before her. “I am standing on Lena Horne’s shoulders,” she said. In 2014, there were also several African Americans cast in non-traditional roles including Norm Lewis who had the title role in The Phantom of the Opera and Kiki Palmer who wore the glass slippers in the musical Cinderella.

In the Triangle, we have someone who knows what it is like to perform under those Broadway lights. Clare Bathé who lives in Durham, appeared in several Broadway shows including Big River and Jelly’s Last Jam. Each year thousands of hopefuls travel to NYC with dreams that few are actually able to achieve. Bathé said, “I went to NYC with some talent and a truckload of guts.” Despite having no formal training, Bathé was able to achieve success as a result of her charismatic personality, dancing ability and powerful singing voice.

Life as a Broadway performer was not without its challenges. Bathé said, “We handle more rejection in a year than most people handle in several lifetimes. It has little to do with are you good enough as much as it has to do with are you right enough for this piece. And then sometimes people just don’t like you. And you don’t get the job. You don’t even know why.”

Bathé was able to handle the constant rejection as well as stay focused because of her faith. “You can grow and get pompous. My faith and love of Christ saved me and kept me grounded.” Whenever she got depressed, she restored herself through scriptures, prayer and gospel music.

Early in her career, Bathé became the dance captain and vocal captain for the show Lena Horne: The Lady & Her Music. In addition to appearing on Broadway, Bathé spent several years touring with Horne. Bathé found her time with Lena Horne to be educational as well as exhilarating.

When Bathé first auditioned for Lena Horne’s show, she did not meet the height requirements. So she wore platform shoes which she hid with long pants. Despite the very high heels,

BROADWAY SPOTLIGHT ON THE TRIANGLE’S CLARE BATHÉBathé danced beautifully and received Horne’s approval. Bathé remembers that she would sometimes go and sit at Lena Horne’s feet and listen to her talk for hours. Bathé’s time with Horne had a significant impact on her life. Today Bathé is working on a cabaret piece called Lena and Me.

Bathé is proud of the progress that African Americans have made on Broadway. Still, she appreciates that today’s success doesn’t mean that tomorrow’s is guaranteed. For several years African Americans were recognized with Academy Awards for their achievements and yet despite several highly acclaimed performances, this year all of the nominees are white.

Bathé believes that to maintain our level of success, it is important for African Americans to continue to strive for excellence on Broadway. “My hope is that we don’t fall backwards. We can’t rest on our laurels. We must continue to put out good stuff.” It certainly doesn’t help when producers focus more on ticket sales than talent. Despite having little talent in singing, dancing or acting, NeNe Leakes was offered roles in three Broadway shows because of her television notoriety. Bathé feels that audiences shouldn’t accept mediocrity

and must demand great performances.

Looking back upon her Broadway career, Bathé is proud of the fact that despite her lack of training she was able to achieve and accomplish so much. She had great talent, a willingness to sacrifice, and the courage to fight. Her life has been filled with happiness and joy. And what’s it like to perform under those Broadway lights? “We live for that moment. For people like us, it just does it for us.”

To learn more about Clare Bathé or to purchase her most recent recording, visit her website at www.clarebathe.com.


Democratic Senator Catherine Pugh from District 40 in Baltimore City. She has served as minority leader and deputy majority leader of the Senate, and has chaired the trans-portation and health subcommittees. U.S. Transportation Secretary An-thony Foxx has been invited to serve as keynote speaker for the Friday evening banquet. Also to be com-memorated during the Summit are Jeanne Lucas and Ralph Campbell,

pioneers in the fight for social and political justice in North Carolina.

Courtney Crowder, executive director for the Alliance says that

this 10th Anniversary marks a mile-stone in the life of the organization.

Madam C.J Walker

RALEIGH--The Alliance of North Carolina Black Elected Officials (ANCBEO) will hold its 10th An-nual NC Black Summit on April 23-24, 2015 at the Raleigh Marri-ott Crabtree Valley, 4500 Marriott Drive, Raleigh, NC 27612. This year’s theme, “Investing In the Next Generation”, provides a platform for attendees to engage in thoughtful conversations regarding leadership, infrastructure and economic devel-opment opportunities to enhance local communities.

The 10th Annual Summit also will mark a decade of social and politi-cal advocacy by the Alliance. The Summit has grown to become one of the most important gatherings in the state to discuss issues of importance to the African-American communi-ty. Nearly 300 of the state’s leading black elected officials, advocates and community members gather to discuss the many issues facing our communities such as economic de-velopment, voting rights, education, healthcare and public safety. These discussions are meant to aid the

development of proactive solutions that participants implement in their communities to encourage construc-

tive policy dialogue and foster positive change.

The Sum-mit will feature a stellar lineup of speakers, includ-ing Anita Earls, a civil rights attorney with over 25 years of experience. Earls has played a pivotal role in the fight for vot-

ing rights in North Carolina. Also appearing during the Summit is

2015 NC BLACK SUMMIT MARKS 10 YEARS OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ADVOCACY“We plan to take a moment to look back on our accomplishment, and renew our commitment to making meaningful changes in the social and political life of North Carolina,” he says. His words are echoed by Alliance Chairman Richard Hooker, who says, “This Summit has helped elected officials and advocates all over the state focus on common issues and work toward common solutions. We have only just begun. We expect to continue to have a significant impact on the landscape of social and political policy making in our state. We are committed to ensuring that all North Carolinians have a voice in our state’s future development.”

For more information, or to register for the Summit, go to www.ncbeoal-liance.org. You may also find us on Facebook and Twitter. For organi-zations that wish to sponsor the 10th anniversary Summit go to our web-site, or may contact Brad Thompson at (919) 740-0110.


NEWS BRIEFS

Have you sent a text message in the heat of the moment while you were upset, but wished you could take it back? An app currently on the market can make it a reality. Spel-man graduate Maci Peterson,

created On Second Thought (OST), an app that allows users to recall text messages before it is delivered to the recipient’s phone.

The app also gives users the option to place a “curfew” on their messages. This feature holds all messages until the user chooses a time for it to be sent out. What inspired Maci to come up with this idea? The entrepreneur explained she experienced firsthand having an embarrassing message sent out before she was able to spell check it.

Maci revealed she was about to go on her date with a “really strong Christian when she texted: ‘Are you in DC or MD’ Autocorrect took hold, and cor-rected MD to “me,” so that it read ‘in me.’ That’s not what I wanted to say, especially not before our first date,”

Peterson joked. “He replied ‘I’m at my grandmother’s, I’ll see you in D.C.’

How embarrassing! Mistakes happen, and On Second Thought is here to help you fix them. Take control over your communication with the first messaging app that lets you recall text messages BEFORE they get to the recipient’s phone.

How does it work? Send your messages through the On Second Thought app. If you see a mistake before it’s delivered, swipe left or right to OST (recall) it, and the recipient will never know you tried to send them a message.

Know you’re going to be out for the night, and might have a few too many drinks? Set the Curfew, and your mes-sages will be embargoed until the next morning. When the curfew expires, you can decide which messages you actually want to send.

Whether it was an accidental click or auto-correct made you look like a jerk, it happens and On Second Thought has you covered when it does. The app which is only available for Android users (it is coming soon iPhone users!), it boasts over 4,000 users and won the Startup Oasis competition at SXSW Interactive. For more information about the app, visit www.onsecondthought.com

DURHAM, NC - On Saturday, Febru-ary 07, 2015, eight beautiful debutantes graced the stage of Charles E. Jordan High School Auditorium in anticipation of the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta (DST) Sorority, Inc. Jabberwock Scholarship Gala. The 2015 theme of this annual event was “Pearls of Promise; Dreamers & Achievers”.

The moment many awaited came with the crowning of Miss Jabberwock 2015, Mya Sales. The Jabberwock Court consisted of 1st Runner-up: MonClaire Jarman, 2nd Runner-up: Deja Wilkins. Other superlative awards presented were Mr. Personality – Lawrence Wil-liams and Miss Congeniality – Victoria Daniels.

Jabberwock Debutantes:

Aniyah Canady, a Hillside High School junior, is the daughter of Mark Canady and Rene Cofer-Whitehead. She was escorted by Jimaune Williams and her DST mentors were Betty Reed and Nesbuia McManusVictoria Daniels, a W. G. Enloe High School senior, is the daughter of Keith and Tonya Daniels. She was escorted by Nyles Fleming and her DST mentors were Harriett Davis and Theodosia Shields.MonClaire Jarman, a Hillside High School junior, is the daughter of An-thony and Nichole Jarman. She was escorted by Jamari Warren and her DST mentors were Ruth Wynne and Micara Lewis.

SPELMAN GRADUATE CREATES APP ALLOWING USERS TO TAKE BACK TEXT

MESSAGES ALREADY SENT

DURHAM ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC. PRESENTS MISS JABBERWOCK 2015

Mya Sales, a City of Medicine Academy senior, is the daughter of Junyas Sales. She was escorted by Kameron Parker and her DST men-tors were Remell Clemmons and Bernadette Watts.Olivia Steed, a Hillside High School senior, is the daughter of Orestes Steed and Sharon Heckstall. She was escorted by Deshawn Heck-stall and her DST mentors were Paulette Scott and Vickie Pierce.

Deja Wilkins, a N. B. Broughton High School senior, is the daughter of the late Hamlet Wilkins and Anissa Wilkins. She was escorted by Lawrence Williams and her DST mentor was Lettie Goode.Aerial Woody, a Wakefield High School senior, is the daughter of Sterling and Tameka Woody. She was escort-ed by Jordan Massenburg and her DST mentors were Lauren Davis and Kathy Fails.Ariana Young, a Hillside High School senior, is the daughter of Robert and Felicia Young. She was escorted by Kei-juane Mack and her DST mentors were Mary Young and Claretha Woody.

The Jabberwock was initially presented in 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts. Jab-berwock, a word copyrighted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., derives from Lewis Carroll’s tale Alice in Wonder-land nonsense poem “Jabberwocky,” in which it was customary for creatures from throughout the kingdom to gather annually to present a gala event.

The Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has held this annual scholarship program since 1962, awarding scholarships to Durham residents. The Jabberwock Gala is a formal event resulting from the culmi-nation of social activities, community service, educational workshops, and scholarship fundraising opportunities. The scholarships awarded to the 2015 Jabberwock debutantes were in excess of $40,000.00.


To read the original “Durham Police Busted” article, visit www.spectacularmag.com

RALEIGH-DURHAM, NC - Who’s Who Publishing Company announces Farad Ali, President and Chief Execu-tive Officer of North Carolina Institute for Minority Economic Development (NCIMED), as the introduction writer for the second edition of Who’s Who In Black Raleigh-Durham.

Farad Ali is the President and Chief Ex-ecutive Officer of NCIMED. He brings to this work 25 years experience in banking, small business development, community economic development and public service. He has been responsi-ble for developing and implementing strategies that improved the utilization of historically underutilized businesses. His leadership resulted in continuous improvement around strategy, pro-cess, architecture, resources, systems and empowerment and more than $1 billion of economic opportunity and business financing generated.

“Mr. Ali has joined our team to write the introduction of our second edi-tion of Who’s Who In Black Ra-leigh-Durham as we celebrate diversity and inclusion champions” says Carter D. Womack, Chief Operating Officer, Who’s Who Publishing.

“It is with great honor that I author the introduction for the 2015 Edi-tion of Who’s Who in Black Raleigh Durham. This popular publication highlights our vibrant community, our incredible diversity and success-es in both business and community.

Diversity adds to the tapestry of our community quilt and provides oppor-tunity to sharpen our perspective of the local, national and global world. As the Triangle community celebrates our diversity, we must continue to build more bridges to greater opportunities of success” says Ali. Ali serves on a couple of national boards, the National Minority Supplier Development Council and the Air-port Minority Advisory Council; and volunteers on regional boards, Durham Chamber of Commerce, Duke Regional Hospital, Raleigh Durham Airport Au-thority, Triangle United Way, Southern Coalition for Southern Justice, Triangle YMCA and the Triangle Community Foundation. Previously was elected to serve as Durham City Councilman from 2007-2011.

“I am excited about this year’s 2015 edition. I feel that in 2014, we laid the groundwork and only scratched the surface of the individuals and accom-plishments of the African American talent here in Raleigh-Durham. I am looking forward to continuing to showcase the area which is rich with history and achievements of many diverse individuals, with this edition being dedicated to those who cham-pion and support the diversity within our community,” says James McDuffie, Associate Publisher, Who’s Who In Black Raleigh-Durham.

Ali holds an undergraduate business degree with a concentration in finance from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a MBA degree from Campbell University. He received post-graduate training for emerging business markets from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University.

A subsidiary of Real Times Media, Who’s Who Publishing Company was founded in 1989. The publication highlights the achievements of African Americans while providing a valuable resource and networking guide for the entire community. Real Times Media is dedicated to sustaining its presence as the leading source of African-Amer-ican related news, entertainment and lifestyle information.

For information on how to be featured in Who’s Who In Black Raleigh-Durham, visit www.whoswhopublishing.com

FARAD ALI IS THE INTRODUCTION WRITER FOR SECOND EDITION WHO’S

WHO IN BLACK RALEIGH-DURHAMDURHAM, NC - The American Dance Festival (ADF) will dedicate its 82nd season to distinguished teacher, choreographer, and ambassador for dance, Dr. Charles "Chuck" Davis. The ceremony honoring Dr. Davis will be held Thursday, June 11th at 7:00 pm prior to the season opening performance of Shen Wei Dance Arts at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Dr. Davis is the founder of the African American Dance Ensemble and the New York-based DanceAfrica. A native North Carolinian, he has traveled extensively to Africa to study with leading artists. In 1980 his growing reputation as one of the foremost and accomplished teachers and choreographers in the traditional techniques of African dance compelled ADF to recruit him for the position of Artist-in-Residence and to head its outreach program in North Carolina. Dr. Davis has also been an ADF faculty member and traveled to Indonesia as part of ADF's International Linkages Program. He is a recipient of the AARP Certificate of Excellence, the North Carolina Dance Alliance Award, the 1990 North Carolina Artist Award, and the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine. He has served on the board of the North Carolina

Arts Council, and in 1992 he received the North Carolina Award in Fine Arts, the state's highest honor. He

received honorary doctorates from Medgar Evers College and Williams College. Dr. Davis received a Dance Magazine Award in 2004, the 2005 Community Dance Educator of the Year Award, the 2006 Balasaraswati Joy Ann Dewey Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching, a New York Dance and Performance Bessie Award for outstanding service

to the field of dance in 2014, and is cited as one of "America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures" by the Dance Heritage Coalition. Performances during ADF's 82nd season will be presented from June 11-July 25, 2015. Founded in 1934 in Bennington, Vermont, ADF remains an international magnet for choreographers, dancers, teachers, students, critics, musicians, and scholars to learn and create in a supportive environment. ADF's wide range of programs includes performances, artist services, educational programs and classes, community outreach, national and international projects, archives, humanities projects, publications, and media projects. ADF has been presenting the best in modern dance for 82 years.

AMERICAN DANCE FESTIVAL 2015 SEASON DEDICATED TO

DR. CHARLES "CHUCK" DAVIS


CHICAGO, IL (www.blacktime-travel.com) - First, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said that he thought President Barack Obama didn’t love America. He made the comments while speaking to a crowd of con-servatives at a private dinner, saying, “I do not believe - and I know this is a horrible thing to say - but I do not believe that the President loves America. He doesn’t love you. And he doesn’t love me. He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country.”

Almost immediately, there was a strong reaction - both in support of and against the comments. One of the most outspoken people against Giuliani’s thoughts on the President so far has been Minister Louis Farrakhan, who didn’t hold back when letting Giuliani know what he thought of his remarks.

During a speech at the Nation of Islam’s annual Saviours’ Day on Feb. 22 at the Christ Universal Temple in Chicago, IL, Farrakhan said, “Giuliani says Obama does not love America. And instead of apologizing, they say he doubled down, he tripled down, he said, ‘I’m not taking this back. He didn’t grow up like we grew up.’”

Next, he aimed a racially-charged personal attack at Giuliani and questioned his upbringing.

“How did you grow up, Giuliani? A privileged cracker? Or I should say, a privi-leged devil?!” Farrakhan asked. “You grew up on the sweat and the blood of Black men and women who made America before your fathers got here! All of you Eu-ropeans, you recent immigrants that have found a home in America, and you are so happy. But you’re walking on our blood. Our blood soaks the soil of America!”

Farrakhan’s comments have started a counter-claim of racism towards White Americans by the conservative press and members of the public alike.

AFTER OBAMA INSULTS, FARRAKHAN CALLS RUDY GIULIANI A “PRIVILEGED CRACKER”

DURHAM, NC - Eve Cornelious will serve as an Honorary Co-chair for the 2015 Evening of Hope, the Annual Bridges Pointe Fundraiser. This event is scheduled for March 28, 2015 at the Seasons at Tandoor Event Center in Durham. The fundraiser supports

JAZZ VOCALIST EVE CORNELIOUS SPEAKS OUT FOR SICKLE CELL DISEASE

services and education activities for pa-tients as well as community programs.

Eve wants to see more attention given to sickle cell disease. She shares her personal reason for support and she joins Bridges to promote awareness of sickle cell disease and trait. This is the work of Bridges Pointe, an organization which is an advocate for persons with the disease and trait. They also seek to educate the Greater Durham commu-nity about sickle cell.

Sickle cell disease and trait affects thousands in our community and it remains a life threatening illness that has no cure. It also remains under the radar for the majority of the commu-nity. Many of those at risk of all races don't know it until it's too late. Bridges and Eve Cornelious urge the communi-ty to get informed and get involved.

For details visit [email protected], or call 919-680-3059.

CHAPEL HILL, NC - The Chapel Hill-Carr-boro Branch of the NAACP is hosting their Freedom Fund Banquet at the William and Ida Friday Center on Friday, April 10, 2015. The event will begin at 6 pm. Rev.Curtis E. Gatewood, Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HK on J) Coalition Coordinator for the North Carolina NAACP will serve as the Master of Ceremony.

Professor Theodore Shaw, Director of the Center for Civil Rights at UNC Chapel Hill, will be the keynote speaker at this most critical time when the Center is advocating for the rights of the most disenfranchised in our

state. Professor Shaw is the Julius L. Chambers Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Civil Rights at the University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill. Over a span of twenty-six years, he served as the fifth Director-Counsel and President of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educa-tional Fund, Inc.

The Freedom Fund Banquet is our primary annual fund raising event which en-ables the Branch to provide scholarships to deserving students from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School System and to sustain its legal defense fund. Tickets are $50.00 and only $500.00 to sponsor a table for you, your family and/or your organization. You can also promote your business or organization by placing an ad in the souvenir booklet.

For more information, visit www.chapelhillcarrboronaacp.wordpress.com.

CHAPEL HILL CARRBORO FREEDOM FUND BANQUET


BrieflyTOUR OF ‘CONFRONTING CHANGE’ EXHIBIT AT CAROLINA THEATRE

RESCHEDULED FOR MARCH 23DURHAM, NC — The Carolina Theatre has rescheduled a date for a visitor tour of the venue’s Civil Rights exhibit: “Confronting Change.” The permanent exhibit, which is located on the third floor of the Downtown Durham venue, serves as a historical marker in tribute to the individuals who helped desegregate the theatre in 1963. The tour, which was slated for Febru-ary but postponed because of winter weather conditions, will be hosted by several members of the theatre’s Civil Rights Committee who helped develop the exhibit in 2013.

The new date for the “Confronting Change” exhibit tour is as follows, (with committee members attending):

Monday, March 23 from 3-5 pm — Vivian McCoy, Claudine Daye Lewis, Vera Whisenton and Carl Whisenton Guests who arrive at the venue at the time listed above will be greeted by a theatre staff member, asked to sign in and led to the exhibit where commit-tee members will provide information on the display. As always, guests who are unable to view the exhibit during the designated time are welcome to do so by appoint-ment during the Box Office hours of 11 am - 6 pm from Monday through Friday. Interested parties may contact Carolina Theatre Guest Relations Representative Rebeka Todd at (919) 226-8879 to arrange an appointment.


TWO TWINS: ONE WHITE, ONE BLACK, BOTH JAMAICAN

One is a red head with straight tresses, the other has curls out of this world with a slight tan. These two young ladies are actually twin sisters. With such oppos-ing looks it can be really hard to believe that they would even be related to one another, let alone sisters. The girls were born radically different in color thanks to the

quirk of their mixed-race percentage.

Lucy and Maria Alymer’s mother Donna is half Jamaican and their father, Vince is white. The two together managed to produce one white child and one black child that were actually twins.

These two young ladies were born in January of

1997. Their mother was astonished when she’d first laid eyes on her two twin baby girls. Nothing on the scans could possibly prepare her for such a discovery. Lucy, who currently lives with her family in Gloucester says, “It was such a shock for her because things like skin color don’t show up on scans before birth.”

Donna, 47, and Vince, 53, split up after the twins were born. The 18-year-old twins have three older siblings, George, 23, Chynna, 22, and Jordan, 21. Lucy stated, “Our brothers and sister have skin which is in between Maria and me. We are at opposite ends of the spectrum and they are all somewhere in between… But my grandmother has a very fair English rose complexion, just like me.”

The twins’ looks are different but so are their career goals and choices. Lucy currently studies art and design at Gloucester College and Maria studies law at Cheltenham College. Maria is known as the outgoing twin while Lucy is described as the shy one. “Maria loves telling people at college that she has a white twin and I’m very proud of having a black twin.”

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE

SEASON FINALE

GOD SPOKE MY NAME: MAYA ANGELOU

By Asabi Howard with Samm-Art WilliamsApril 10th, 11th, 17th and 18th, 2015 @ 8:00pm

April 12th and 19th, 2015 @ 3:00pmUniversity Theatre, Farrison-Newton Communications Building

Admission: $11Inspired by the life of Dr. Maya Angelou,

this passionate drama illustrates a spiritual storyof the hope, determination, and triumphant of a

World Celebrated Phenomenal Woman.

SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE Enlightening, Empowering, Entertaining

www.spectacularmag.com


Montel Williams gained most of his fame as a daytime talk show host, who brought stories of cheating spouses and long lost loved ones to millions of living rooms across America, but for those who were not around to get to know him as a talk show host, many now him as the celebrity face of Mon-eyMutual. MoneyMutual is a payday loan lead-generator that Williams has endorsed for quite some time. How-ever, Williams has announced he will no longer be doing advertising for the company in New York after Money-Mutual has been forced to pay a $2.1 million penalty for marketing illegal, high-interest online loans to New Yorkers.

An announcement of the fine was made by the New York State Depart-ment of Financial Services. Payday lending is a practice of issuing short-term loans, usually with extremely high interest rates. The practice is illegal in New York State. State law also de-mands that unlicensed payday lenders

are forbidden from charging an interest rate that exceeds 16 percent a year, and licensed lend-ers are forbidden from charges more than 25 percent in annual interest rates.

MoneyMutual acknowledged that they advertised loans in New York whose annual

percentage rate (APR) were between 261% and 1,304%. The company was also guilty of selling the information of some 800,000 New Yorkers to payday loan companies. In addition to these violations, the New York Department of Financial Services criticized the company for using Montel Williams as an endorser for the company.

New York Superintendent of Finan-cial Services Benjamin Lawsky stated, “Using Mr. Williams’s reputation as a trusted celebrity endorser, Money-Mutual marketed loans to struggling consumers with sky-high interest rates – sometimes in excess of 1,300 percent – that trapped New Yorkers in destructive cycles of debt.” The DFS investigation found that some consum-ers in New York were assured that the payday loan companies their informa-tion was being sold to were legitimate simply because Williams had endorsed MoneyMutual, indicating they were a legitimate company.

MONTEL WILLIAMS CRITICIZED FOR BACKING PREDATORY PAYDAY LOAN COMPANY


UNC WBB: Louisville held on to beat No. 15 North Carolina 77-75 in overtime in an Atlantic Coast Conference quarterfinal. Freshman Jamie Cherry sent the game into overtime with a 40-foot heave at the regulation buzzer but missed

a long 3 at the final horn. Jessica Washington scored 16 points and hit three 3-pointers while Stephanie Mavunga added 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Tar Heels. With seven points in the quarterfinal game, Allisha Gray became the 35th Carolina player to surpass the 1,000-point mark and the first sophomore to do so since former National Player of the Year and assistant coach Ivory Latta in 2005.

The University of North Carolina women’s basketball team earned an at-large spot in the 2015 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. Carolina, with an overall record of 24-8, is the No. 4-seed in the Greensboro Region and will play No. 13-seed Liberty (26-6) on Saturday, March 21 at Carmichael Arena in a first round game. The game will tip at 11 am. The winner of the Carolina-Liberty game plays the winner of the first round game between No. 5 seed Ohio State and No. 12 seed James Madison.

NCSU WBB: The NC State women’s basketball team (16-14) dropped a heartbreaking decision to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first round of the 2015 ACC Tournament March 4, falling by a final score of 57-56. A Miah Spencer three-point play gave State a 56-55 lead with 15 seconds remaining, but a corner jumper from Hannah Young with 0.5 seconds on the clock resulted in the Virginia Tech victory. NC State finishes its season with a 16-14 mark overall. For its fourth straight postseason appearance and second in two years under head

coach Wes Moore, the NC State women’s basketball team has been selected to compete in the 2015 Women’s National Invitational Tournament. In the first round (March 18-20), NC State will play at East Tennessee State (RPI 109) on Thursday, March 19.

TRIANGLE SPORTS ROUND-UPACC TOURNAMENTBoth of the Duke Men’s and Women’s basketball teams saw an exit via Notre Dame in the semifinal round of their ACC tournament runs.

DUKE WBB: The women were led by Elizabeth Williams who notched 16 rebounds in the first game against Wake Forest along with five assists and six blocks. She only managed to get 11 points but that was largely because of teammate Kendall Cooper scoring a career-high 21 points, shooting 9-12 from the field. Williams led the Lady Blue Devils against the Irish with 15 points despite a rough first half. Duke had been beat in the battle of rebounds in both games of the tournament, which was weird being one of the top rebounding teams in the country.

I asked Ka’Lia Johnson how they will get back to their identity of being a rebounding team. She stated that “I just think we have to be in position and just go get the ball.” She then mentioned the last sequence of plays which resulted in free throws. Notre Dame missed the free throw but would manage to fight for the rebound to keep possession alive and kill clock to end the game. “…At the end of the last three minutes those two free throw box outs really hurt us. We got to really, really put bodies on people and go get the ball. One person has to box out and they just grab it.”

Expect Coach Joanne P. McCallie and her Blue Devils to come back focused as they host the first round and second round starting Friday, March 20.

Sports CONTINUES ON PAGE 26

SPORTS

BALLIN’ OUTBy Lawrence “King Law” Davis


Ashley Williams has been named to the Atlantic Coast Conference’s All-Academic Team for the 2014-15 season. The Cary native is walk-on player who has embraced the challenge of shouldering additional responsibility this season due to NC State’s multiple injuries, Williams has appeared in 27 of NC State’s 30 games. The sophomore guard averages 13.8 minutes, 3.9 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. An Industrial Engineering major, Williams leads the team with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.7 and is the Wolfpack’s most accurate three-point shooter (.371) with a minimum of 10 attempts.

DUKE MBB: Coach Krzyzewski had his team extremely focused going in to a rematch versus NC State in the ACC Tournament. Duke had avenged a loss against Notre Dame by beating them by 30+ in a rematch. The Blue Devils found the same can of whoop a$$ as NC State never led and eventually would push the lead to 30 in the second half. Six players scored in double digits and Marshall Plumlee had a career-high 12 points, going 6-6 from the field.

NC State was red hot coming into this game. Cat Barber put up 34 points in the previous game against Pittsburgh. He was harassed by Quinn Cook for the majority of the night and was scoreless. He left late in the game after running into a tough screen from Amile Jefferson in the half court and being hit in the head. Duke faced a tough Notre Dame team in the semifinals. Jahlil Okafor battled tooth and nail for each of his 28 points throughout the night. Duke will play the winner of the North Florida/Robert Morris play-in game Friday, March 20 in Charlotte.

RECAP: Bonzie Colson came up huge for the Fighting Irish. He had 17 points and contributed to controlling the paint for the majority of the night. Head Coach Mike Brey, former Duke Player, has really provided this team with a spark. This was their first time ever making it to a conference tournament final. They made it to the semifinals the past four seasons in the Big East Conference yet came up short each time. Notre Dame would then move on to beat UNC using a 26-3 second half run to comeback. Jerian Grant led Notre Dame with 24 points on the night. Marcus Paige matched Grant, putting up 24 of his own. He had a rough first half but scored 22 of his 24 in the second half. The Tar Heels knocked off #1 seeded Virginia to make it to the final. Despite the little hiccup that was Notre Dame, the Heels are looking as a big threat to make it deep in the big dance.

Do not be surprised to see some Carolina Blue in the Elite Eight. First things first, Roy Williams and his boys start their tourney journey as a #4 seed playing Harvard in Jacksonville Thursday, March 19.

MEAC TOURNAMENT

RECAP: Reginald Johnson and Brian Darden each scored 20 points and Deron Powers added 16 to lead Hampton University to an 82-61 win over Delaware State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship at the Norfolk Scope. The MEAC champion Hampton University men’s basketball team opened the NCAA Tournament in the “First Four” on March 17 at the University of Dayton’s Flyer Arena, taking on Manhattan College. The Pirates have now rolled off five-straight wins with a 74-64 victory over Manhattan. They have earned a No. 16 seed in the Midwest Region, where they will face overall No. 1 seed Kentucky on Thursday March 19 in Louisville, Ky. Powered by a strong second half and four players in double figures, No. 2 seed Savannah State ended Maryland Eastern Shore’s historic run with a 65-47 win in the championship game Saturday afternoon at Norfolk Scope Arena, winning its first MEAC title. The Lady Tigers (21-10) will travel to Columbia, South Carolina to take on No. 1 South Carolina in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 20 at 5 pm in Colonial Life Arena. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

Sports CONTINUES

Sports CONTINUES ON PAGE 27


NCCU MBB: NCCU was upset in the MEAC Tournament by Delaware State. This snapped their 35-game win streak

versus conference opponents. The loss sent their chances of having back-to-back MEAC Tournament championships and appearances to the NCAA tournament floating away like a three year old’s balloon. Levelle Moton and his boys got a chance to be on the big stage however as the NIT offered them a bid to play Miami in the first round. The Eagle accepted the challenge and soared down to Miami.

The Hurricanes led the entire game. Nimrod Hilliard kept the Eagles in the game in the first half, scoring 17 of his total 19 points in the first half. Jordan Parks picked up the load in the second half, dropping 23 of the game high 25 points he had on

the night. NCCU was down by 13 with 5:30 remaining in the second half. The Eagles used a 17-6 run to cut the deficit to two points, 69-67. Free throws would be the saving grace for Miami as they were harassed by a run and jump press put on by the Maroon and Gray in the last seconds but a few questionable fouls quickly turned into nails in the coffin. Miami would come out on top 75-71. The Eagles finished this season going undefeated in conference play for the first time in school history.

NCCU WBB : North Carolina Central University jumped out to an early lead, but Maryland Eastern Shore took advantage of 28 Lady Eagles’ turnovers to capture a 67-47 win over NCCU in the first round of the MEAC Women’s

Basketball Tournament inside the Norfolk (Va.) Scope Arena. Sophomore Morgan Jones led NCCU in scoring with 12 points, all coming off of 3-pointers. Khyra Conerly had 10 points and Racquel Davis scored seven points and grabbed 10 rebounds, both playing their last game in the maroon and gray. The Lady Eagles finish their season with an

overall record of 7-22, while going 5-11 in conference play.

CONGRATULATIONS! North Carolina Central University senior guard Anthony McDonald has become just the second Eagle in NCCU men’s basketball history to make 100 three-point field goals in a season. School record is 109 by Landon Clement in 2010-11 season.____________________________________________________________

IT’S TOURNAMENT TIME! The Big Dance is here and as a magazine located in basketball country, WHY WOULD WE NOT HAVE BASKETBALL!? The better question would be: Why would you not follow Spectacular Magazine Sports on Twitter?

Follow us on twitter @SpecMagSports for updates, pictures, our filled out brackets, prize giveaways, need-to-know info and more. #SpecMagSports

Lawrence “King Law” Davis III

King LawLawrence “King Law” Davis is a Business Administration major and Asst. Varsity

Lacrosse Coach at Sanderson High School in Raleigh. He can be reached at [email protected]

Sports CONTINUES


By Del Mattioli

What is the basic need for human beings? Why should children believe in themselves? What happens when there is no one to talk to or depend on? Think of never being hugged? Are children feeling abandoned? What makes children feel valued? Has anyone heard of “baby dumping”? Do hurt people hurt other people

and abandon their offspring? One in 3 Black men can expect to end up in prison during their lifetime-why? (Bureau of Justice Statistics)

Abandonment occurs when someone or a human being is discarded. This action may occur because of cultural and social factors such as a poverty, mental illness or unplanned pregnancy. “ Baby dumping” refers to parents (generally mothers) abandoning their newborn! Chronic loss without physical and psychological protection creates internal fear throughout adulthood. Repeated abandonment creates a feeling of worthlessness -- toxic shame.

Organized supervision, nutrition, clothing, housing, heat, shelter and tokens of LOVE provided by caretakers must be available on a continued basis. Children should be allowed to make mistakes, be forgiven and learn from them—not permanently ridiculed. Still, the wounds are struck deep in their young hearts and minds. The causes of emotional injury need to be understood and accepted so they can heal and make the best of their lives. Adjusting to continued abandonment causes children to hide themselves with masks of pretense. Sometimes parents marry feeling empty inside and expect the partner to fill the emptiness. We have generations of emotionally abandoned hurting adults as a result of our nation turning away from God — we have more single moms and the divorce rates steadily climbs. Single moms cannot do it all on their own.

Emotional stability for abandoned children begins with Stopping everything to Listen attentively and Respond ONLY when requested. The healing process starts by giving the needed support and encouragement and avoid criticism and negligence. Paying focused attention to their conversations and value what is being said. Build on their conversations. Ask children about their friends, family, teachers and activities. Ask about their church attendance. The opportunity to be heard may be the needed opportunity to “get into their heads” and allow their thoughts and needs to be taken seriously. The comfort of healing from abandonment could slowly ease the pain and the experience with a relaxed conversation could make that difference for that child. Feeling cared for makes a positive difference.

Everyone has felt abandoned at some point, however it is how it is dealt with it that manifests progress. Continuing to spend more time supporting victims and our communities that have had a positive influence. Introducing their methods to bring better coping and resilience skills helps the community. Prevention and early caring may ease the pain!

Del MattioliDel Mattioli MBA, LUTCF, CLUTCH, CSA—Financial Services Professional/LifeBridgesmMassMutual’s FREE LIFE INSURANCE /FOR ELIGIBLE PARENTS 919 401 9988 www.massmutual.com/lifebridge, [email protected] Telephone 919 201 2404 email [email protected]

“Abandonment and Healing”

THIS IS YOUR LIFE

LIFESTYLES

When you are shopping for toilet paper, how much do you think about the brand that you are buying? Do you go with what you have always gone with because you like the brand or do you just get the cheapest that you can find? Doctors warn patients about going with the cheaper choice as they could be opening themselves up to cuts and infections. Who knew that something so simple could cause such an issue?

Many workplaces and businesses choose to go with the cheapest toilet paper that they can find in order to cut costs on seemingly non-essential products. However this cheap toilet paper could be as-saulting your very sensitive skin and you may not realize it. The pulp that the toilet paper is made out of is rough and abrasive. When you are wiping this across some of the most delicate skin on your body you may be getting microcuts on your skin. If the paper is really rough you will notice these cuts as you could be sore down there after using the bathroom or it may sting the next time that you go. While these cuts are so tiny that you cannot see them and are a mild discomfort for just a short period of time they can still be harmful. Any cuts on your body can open you up to an infection but especially cuts in a moist place where bacteria thrives.

Gynecologists recommend that if you have rough toilet paper don’t wipe, dab instead. They say that this will help to minimize the irritation that you may end up feeling. You can also use a bottle with a squirt top on it and fill it with water to make sure that you wash away any traces of toilet paper that is left behind. Some pieces that are left on your skin can cause some irritation as well that you will no-tice later in the day. When shopping for your bathroom tissue go with the softest that you can within your budget. If that is an issue you can always use unscented baby wipes as well.

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR TOILET PAPER COULD BE DOING THIS TO YOU?


Mark is young and playful and he wanted to take his level six hair color to a level ten. Pravana’s ChromaSilk Gold Family ranges from levels 3 to level 10. To achieve a level 10 starting from level 6 you need to

use a level higher than 10. To achieve Mark’s desired level and tone we increase the volume of peroxide to 40. (PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME).

Grace is experienced and still excited about life. Her natural curly strands are without pigment

(grey). Pravana’s ChromaSilk Gold Family can successfully handle the challenge of gray

coverage. Level 8 was used as her base color to contribute a beautiful light gold hue. Pravana’s

level 10 neutral along with Pravana’s 000 lightening booster accented the golden hue with

an intense pastel blonde highlights.

Whitney wants a vibrant noticeable hue

yet she wants it to be subtle. Highlights made this wish come true. Whitney is a level 4 and she wants to be lightened to a level 8, so we use a level 10 with 40 volume peroxide to obtain her desired golden copper blonde level 8.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

By Samantha HuntleySpring is here, now is the time modern, trend-savvy individuals actually commit to enhancing their outer image. At ZIEN SALON we love this time of year because nothing says bye-bye to the cold, icy feel of winter better than the look of a beautiful, natural, golden blonde hair color. Pravana’s ChromaSilk Gold Family provides golden tone without any yellow brassy effects. Pravana’s Gold Family also provides excellent long-lasting gray coverage.

Hair coloring is a scientific art that involves the mixing of dyes and pigments to change the color of hair to a different color. There are laws and formulas regarding hair coloring that regulate the mixing

of dyes in pigments to ensure a harmonious outcome. The professional colorist at ZIEN Salon know the formula to ensure that the desired color level and tone of our guests is achieved.

PRAVANA CHROMASILK THE GOLD FAMILY

Samantha HuntleyVisit ZIEN SALON and let the professionals get you ready for spring with the prefect color formula. Mention

this article and receive 15% off of any color service. ZIEN SALON is located at 323 West Main Street in Durham, NC.

Phone #: 919-667-1752


ENTERTAINMENT

DURHAM, N.C. – The Art of Cool Festival (AOCFEST), a locally run, three-day music festival, has announced its national artist lineup, featuring headliners Roy Ayers and Anthony Hamilton.

In early December, the AOCFEST team unveiled a “teaser” list of talented artists from around the globe who will join together for the organization’s second annual jazz and soul music festival April 24 - 26, 2015 in Durham. AOCFEST has also launched all VIP packages, regular two-day tickets, and one-day tickets at pop-up events and online, in addition to vendor, sponsor and volunteer applications. Main stage passes to see only the Roy Ayers or Anthony Hamilton performances will go on sale April 1st.

This year’s national lineup includes Anthony Hamilton, who will be performing his entire album “Coming From Where I’m From” at the Durham Athletic Park, in addition to Roy Ayers, Snarky Puppy, Robert Glasper, Kenny Garrett, Jesse Boykins III, BadBadNotGood and more. Local artists will be unveiled closer to the festival date.

This year’s festival will also include

the first Innovate Your Cool event, a series of lightning talks, roundtable discussions, and opportunities to learn and network. Admission to Innovate Your Cool is free for students and festival attendees, and $10 to the

public. The series will be held Saturday at the American Underground.

With a successful inaugural in 2014, AOCFEST is Durham’s first world-class jazz and soul music festival.

The three-day event combines two outdoor stages, five indoor music venues and more than 30 world-class performances. The event will focus on traditional jazz, soul, fusion and international jazz this year and presents artists that rarely appear in Durham or perform in the same lineup together. Last year, the event hosted more than 3,500 music lovers and approximately 40 bands. AOCFEST’s economic impact for Durham was approximately $600,000 in direct and indirect spending in April 2014.

Spectacular Magazine is proud to be a sponsor of AOCFEST 2015. The festival is still accepting corporate sponsors who want to be a part of this world-class event. For more information, visit www.aocfestival.org.

ABOUT THE ART OF COOL FESTIVAL:The Art of Cool Festival is a three-day music festival with two outdoor stages, five indoor venues and more than 30 world-

class performances presented by Art of Cool.

More information about the festival can be found at www.aocfestival.org.

ART OF COOL FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2015 NATIONAL LINEUP

Three-Day World-Class Jazz And Soul Festival Announces National Lineup, With Musical Greats Anthony Hamilton and Roy Ayers as featured headliners.


DID U KNOW?...

April 20 isn’t just an unofficial holiday for weed smokers this year. It will also mark the return of “Friday” to theaters for one night only. BuzzFeed News is reporting that a director’s cut of the cult classic that gave us “puff puff give” and “bye Felicia”… …will play in theaters on April 20 in honor of the film’s 20th anniversary.

“For the theaters, for New Line [Cinema], for the fans to want to pay homage to the movie in this way is cool,” said star Ice Cube. “It lets you know how much people appreciate it

and how much fun it is … and it lets you know that Friday is now a part of the American fabric.”

The one-night-only rerelease will also include “Friday Straight Up,” a 24-min-ute featurette with behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the movie and interviews with the cast.

On April 14, the “Friday” soundtrack, which was the No. 1 album in the U.S. for two weeks in 1995 and eventually went double platinum, will also get the anniversary treatment and have a vinyl

reissue. The soundtrack, which featured several clas-sic R&B tracks as well as contemporary hip-hop, and generated a hit of its own with Dr. Dre’s “Keep Their Heads Ringin’,” is another aspect of Friday that makes Ice Cube proud.

“I remember picking these songs and thinking, No one’s used ‘Mary Jane’ by Rick James in a movie? This is going to be perfect,” he said. “You usually don’t get the Isley Brothers and a fresh Dr. Dre song. It was a really special labor of love.”

‘FRIDAY’ RETURNING TO THEATERS ONE NIGHT ONLY FOR 20TH ANNIVERSARY


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