We open with an interview with author, Doris I. Mangrum, whose A Soiled Identity: From Triumph to Tragedy and Back Again, tells the story of Darnell Cookson, former Marine and former felon as he rejoins society. However, this is not a typical rehabilitation story. Told in the protagonist's voice as if we were seated in his home one evening getting to know one another, we meet Darnell just as he arrives home from prison to new wife, new child and many relationships he has to restore, like that between he and his two older daughters by a prior marriage, and his kid brother who is making a bit too much money fast. Darnell tries to hold his head up when applications are rejected and interviews have no follow-up calls, but it is hard. Darnell's reentry is a community venture; each chapter ends with what Mangrum calls, "Choice Moments" where her audience gets to imagine a "what if?" In "Live Your Life," the reader is invited to learn from Darnell's experiences while we also gear up to participate in an "Idea Infusion," which per chapter is a way to make the returning veteran or prisoner feel welcome and supported, whether that is throwing a "just because" party for children whose parents aren't home (349) or developing a visitation and writing program for veterans in a VA hospital (171).

Doris I. Mangrum is a nationally recognized motivational speaker, separation and reunification author, award-winning filmmaker, editorial columnist, family advocate, and television talk show host and producer. She is an authority on matters concerning the pangs of long separation and the reunification process. Her career spans over three decades with twenty-five of those years dedicated to families affected by incarceration, deployment, study abroad or any reason causing prolonged periods apart from loved ones.

Her radio and television broadcasting career includes:
2008 – 2009 – Pivotal Parenting Point with Doris Mangrum – KDYA Gospel 1190 AM – host and producer

2009 – 2013 - Let’s Saidiana – KDYA Gospel 1190 AM – host and producer

2013- present – Stop the Madness: Practical Ways to Influence the Incarceration Crisis – Berkeley Education Television – Comcast Channel 28 airing Wed., Aug. 6, 1 p.m. (PST)

Musicians Damu Sudii Alii and Paul Tillman Smith join us to talk about the music, of course, but also a wonderful music series in two Oakland resturants. The jam sessions are free and open to professional musicians to sit in on and play.

The Village of Peace (SFJFF 2014) tells the story of the Hebrew Israelites, African Americans who moved from America to establish a home in Israel.Directors and producers join us this morning to close the show: Ben Schuder, Director/Producerand his brotherSam Schuder, Producer.

Ben Schuder, Director/Producer– Born in Oakland, CA. Attended a high school program that inspired a passion for filmmaking. During the summer of 2005, Ben participated in a documentary workshop in Morelia, Mexico, where he helped teach students the art of documentary filmmaking. The experience motivated him to enroll in a film school in Los Angeles, where he graduated with honors. Since graduating, Ben has been working in the industry and gaining valuable experience while deepening his portfolio. In 2013, Ben co-edited the feature-length narrative film LICKS (2013), which premiered at SXSW Film Festival and won Best Picture at Chelsea Film Festival. The Village of Peace is Ben’s directorial debut.

Sam Schuder, Producer– A proud Oakland native, Sam grew up with a passion to create. In his teenage years, he made numerous short films, mostly improv comedies. In 2007, driven by his love for film, he moved to Los Angeles to develop his skills within the industry. He got a job in television production and gained valuable work experience. Sam's vision is to create content that inspires, empowers, and promotes positive social change. When he visited The Village of Peace for the first time, he realized that implementing his work experience to share the powerful story of the African-Hebrew Israelites would be a natural marriage.

Music this show: Ben Vereen: "Defying Gravity;""With a Song in My Heart"

This weekend there are multiple events honoring the legacy if Mary Yuri Kochiyama who made her transition in May 2014. There will be teach-ins August 1-3, 2014. We were going to play an interview with directors of a marvelous film about Yuri and Angela Davis, When Mountains Take Wing (first aired June 2010:  http://wandasabir.blogspot.com/2010/06/mountains-that-take-wingangela-davis.html   The film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSSOINf1CTs.


Bios con't.                       
When your father hands you a set of drumsticks at the age of four, chances are you’ll wind up a drummer. Paul Tillman Smith’s father, George Smith (Kansas City Smitty) played drums during the big band era with many well-known bands including Count Basie, Trummer Young and the Harlem Aces. He was also a mentor to singer Pearl Bailey‘s husband drummer Louie Bellson. At age fifteen at the urging of his mother Della, Paul began playing the piano. It was soon after that he began to write simple three chord songs like the ones he would hear on the radio. This love has lasted a lifetime. Paul has published over a hundred songs to date including the Pharaoh Sanders and Phyllis Hyman jazz pop classic  “As You Are”, the Norman Connors and Jean Carne  hit  “Stella” featuring guitarist Lee Ritenour, and the tender love ballad  “ Heavenly”, recorded by pianist Webster Lewis featuring vocalist DJ Rogers, saxophonist Benny Maupin. “Heavenly” also featured  strings by Herbie Hancock and  was performed by the Boston Pop Symphony for nationally syndicated TV.  Paul’s album “Sharing” from his middle seventies Buddha Records recording group Vitamin E., featured the Sly Stone & Frank Zappa vocalist Lady Bianca and saxophonist Jules Broussard’s vocalist David Gardener. The “Sharing” album was produced by Norman Connors  and the single from that album with a special guest appearance by vocal legend Freddie Hughes and composed by Paul, became a number one hit in over twelve cities across the nation. In the ninety’s, the Vitamin E. CD was reissued in Japan as a double CD which also featured vocalist Melba Moore’s biggest selling CD “This is It”. Paul’s CD “Crying for Love” was voted record of the year by Blues and Soul magazines in England in 2001. The CD featured never released demos recorded at Fantasy Studio’s by his early eighty’s Bang CBS recording group “Bridge”. The CD was released by the U.K. record label “First Experience Records” and featured fourteen original songs by Paul with co-arrangements by Ronnie Laws keyboardist Michael “Spiderman” Robinson. Also featured were former Motown recording artists Derrick Hughes and Debra Von Lewis. The European critic’s called the Bridge CD a brilliant rare American discovery. Paul song “Higher Power” recently won  a  national contest sponsored by Tyler Perry, Lions Gate Film’s, BET, and Pastor Marvin Winan’s, for the best  inspirational song and video  of the year as sung by American Idol finalist Donnie Williams. Paul is also the first to record Sheila E., Rosie Gaines and Bonnie Boyer of Prince fame.
Paul considers his biggest contribution to the Bay Area music scene as being the co-founder along with South Berkeley Merchants R.D. Bonds and Sam Dykes  of the Berkeley Juneteenth Festival, the longest running African American Arts and Music festival in Northern California history. Upwards of twenty thousand people attend annually. He was also the first to promote free music concerts in Berkeley’s Provo Park and Oakland’s Mosswood Park in the seventies and eighties when he was a music and concert supervisor for “ACNAP”, the Alameda County Neighborhood Arts Program. Paul’s band “Bridge” is the only band in Bay Area  history to be on the county pay roll other than the Oakland Symphony.  Paul has been the stage manager for the Richmond Juneteenth, the Oakland Port Festival. the Laurel District World Music Festival, and the Vallejo 4^th of July Festival. He also put the music program together for the city of Emeryville’s Appreciation Day Festival and helped put the city of Berkeley’s  Artspark Festival and  100^thAnniversary Arts and Music Celebration music program together and managed both stages.
Paul also is no stranger to theater and film. He has been musical director for Melvin Van Peeple’s “Ain’t Supposed To Die A Natural Death” directed by Ted Lange of “Love Boat” and Band Director for “America More Or Less”, the Bi-Centennial Play of San Francisco, featuring works by playwrighters Imamu Amiri Baraka (Leroi Jones), Frank Chin and American Indian playwright Leslie Silko. While a senior in the Rhetoric Department at U.C. Berkeley, Paul made the Oakland Tribune’s front-page headlines for songs he and the late Lonnie Hewitt (Cal Tjader’s pianist) wrote for the Off Broadway play  “Dunbar” based on the writings of poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar. “Dunbar” later won Paul the prestigious New York Audelco Theater Award, the highest honor in African American theater putting Paul in an elite club, which includes Denzel Washington and Felicia Rashaad. Paul’s composition “ A Hymn” (Gently Lord and Slow) from  “Dunbar” was performed with full orchestra  in a  salute to Harry Belafonte at the Black Film Makers Hall of Fame Awards the following  year. Paul wrote music for two one act plays by Cal Berkeley Professor and Author Cecil Brown and award

Antoine Hunter is an African American Deaf and Hard of Hearing Choreographer, Dancer, Dance instructor, model, actor and poet. Hunter was born deaf and was raised Oakland, California and began dancing with Dawn James at Skyline High School.

He has studied West African Dance with Master C.K. and Betty Ladzekpo, and studied at the Paul Taylor Summer Intensives in 2003 and 2004 as full scholarship.

He is a lover to dance. You may had seen him in commercial or music video. Had performed and taught all over USA and all over the world such as, Rome, London, Cuba, Africa and so on.
He also has performed with Savage Jazz Dance Company, as dance artist/performer/jazz instructor; he has also performed with Nuba Dance Theater, Sins Invalid, Sonic Dance Theater of Epiphany Productions, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Alayo Dance Company, Cat Willis, Push Dance Company and Robert Moses’ Kin Dance Company, Sign Dance Collective AKA. Signdance Theatre International, Dance Captain for an Expedia.com commercial, choreographer for Amerikana The Musical, and many more.
Mr. Hunter has attended the California Institute of the Arts and is studying toward a B.A at St. Mary’s College of California L.E.A.P. He later becomes Founder/Director of Urban Jazz Dance Company 2007. A faculty member at East Bay Center of the Performing Arts, Dance-A-Vision, Youth In Arts, Shawl and Anderson Dance Center, Ross Dance Company, just to name a few.  http://urbanjazzdance.com/site/artist-statement/


Antoine Hunter, Artistic Director and Founder, Urban Jazz Dance, joins us to talk about DEAF LOUDER: The 2nd Bay Area Deaf Dance Festival this weekend, Friday, August 8 and Saturday, August 9 at 8pm; Sunday, August 10 at 4 pm at Dance Mission Theatre in San Francisco. DEAF LOUDER proudly presents a festival that celebrates deaf culture. There will be dance, poetry, song and rap by deaf and hearing performers. Starring Def Motion from London, Michelle Banks, Fred Beam, Joey Antonio, Rosa Lee, and Antoine Hunter. Other performers include James L. Taylor the 3rd, CODA Brothas, Sister Master, Half N Half, Deaf ASL singer Tonique Hunter and poet Joy Elan Sledge.Tickets: $25  For a discount use the code: “DeafLouder” (for an $18.00 ticket at Brown Paper Tickets); $12 for children 10 and under). For groups of 5 or more contact Ms. Stella Adelman 415-826-4441 dancemissiontheater@yahoo.com

There will be a special workshop Saturday with Michelle Banks at EBCPA in Richmond and Sunday from 12-2 there will be dance workshops at Dance Mission and a conversation witht the artists. Visit http://www.antoinehunter.blogspot.com/ Antoine Hunter is an African American Deaf and Hard of Hearing Choreographer, Dancer, Dance instructor, model, actor and poet. He has performed and taught all over USA and all over the world such as, Rome, London, Cuba, Africa. He also has performed with Savage Jazz Dance Company, as dance artist/performer/jazz instructor. He is a faculty member at EBCPA, Dance-A-Vision, Youth In Arts, Shawl and Anderson Dance Center, Ross Dance Company, just to name a few.

For all Deaf Louder Festival details visit http://antoinehunter.blogspot.com/





We open with Lacey Schwart, dir. Little White Lies, featured in the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 34, with screenings: Aug. 7 (PARK 7 p.m.), Aug. 8 (RAF 3 p.m.). Visit www.thelittlewhiteliethefilm.comsfjff.org and 415-621-0523.

Music: Kim Nalley's "Trouble in Mind" and "I Wish I Knew How It Felt to Be Free."

Link to show:http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/08/06/wandas-picks-radio-antoine-hunter-deaf-louder-dance-fest

When one thinks about Steppin Fetchit, what probably comes to mind is the worse in the blaksplotation genre in that it proceeds the naming of the phenomena. The actor wasn’t Samboor Superfly, the first a figment of Hollywood’s imagining, but then Step certainly wasn’t representative of true black genius either or was he?

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!

Our first guest is: Melinda Holm, director, Middle Passage Pilgrimage, West Coast Premiere, 8/30, 7-9:30 p.m. at the East Bay Meditation Center, 287 17th Street @ Harrison (3 blocks from 19th Street BART). http://www.eastbaymeditation.org

8:30 AM Theodore Lush, Katrina survivor, Maafa Commemoration founder in Montgomery, Alabama

9:00 AM Cast members: Katherine Renee Turner, Eddie Ray Jackson and Roscoe Orman, from Marin Theatre Company's production of Will Power's Fetch Clay, Make Man, a play about a young Muhammad Ali and Stepin Fetchit, based on a true story (through Sept. 7) www.marintheatre.org

9:30 AM William Rhodes, just back from South Africa, where he took quilt pieces from children at the Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School, here in Bayview Hunter's Point to children in South Africa. http://www.hatchfund.org/project/the_nelson_mandela_international_quilt

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/08/29/wandas-picks-radio-show

Motown the Musical is a wonderful story of a man’s ability to take a dream and with the support of first his family and secondly his community, in this case, artists in Detroit, Michigan, see the vision through to its fruition. Berry Gordy Jr. wanted to be Sugar Ray Robinson, the Brown Bomber, when he listened to the fight on the radio with family –the fight in the ring, the unofficial end of white supremacy.

I spent a week in Harlem the week of the Centennial Celebration of the Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association-African Communities League (UNIA-ACL), an organization which looked at Africans separated through the institutions of slavery and colonialism, both global systems of exploitation of people, goods and environments. As we marched through the Harlem streets on a warm Sunday, August 17, Garvey’s birthday (1887), from the people’s response we could see how the objectives of Garvey’s UNIA-ACL were still applicable to date.

Sovereignty, Africa for Africans, Buy Black, Race First we chanted . . .  as Harlemites find it harder and harder to stay in a community established by their forbearers. An empty lot was where the former headquarters of the UNIA stood at 125 Street (MLK Jr. Blvd) and Malcolm X (Lennox Ave.), across the street from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.  I was staying with friends in Harlem, so every time I walked to this junction, I thought about the two great men whom politics seemingly divided, yet wanted the same rights for their communities. Further up on 135th Street, stood Adam Clayton Powell, the congressman—the sculpture showed him in motion—bills flying from his fingertips as he legislated for human rights for his community. In the evening when I walked home, I’d stop to listen to brothers playing African drums while large crowds of people danced. I was in the country of New York; humid like Senegal and Gambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe . . . the marketplace looked like home. I could get fresh fruit from vendors along the sidewalks, shea butter and incense, even clothing, while the hairstylists had everything except the fancy painted signs with their styles displayed. If it weren’t for the corporate chain stores I would have thought the plane landed not at LaGuardia but LéopoldSédarSenghor International (smile).

I’d walk by people who spoke with Diaspora languages I couldn’t decipher—a variety of English I’d never heard before. I felt both at home and foreign, yet my blackness made me welcome as people smiled at me and I smiled back. I didn’t even feel abandoned when people I knew didn’t get back to me until it was time for me to leave. New Yorkers seem to be like that, too busy to slow down for an out of town friend, unless they are retired (smile). I was good though, in great company with new friends of friends. It was like traveling abroad . . . the world just grows larger as it embraces you tightly. I got caught in a rainstorm at Garvey Park where there was a concert. I shared a huge umbrella with a sister standing near me and then with a little girl and her mother. We played open and close musical umbrellas as the outdoor arena raised and lowered their cloth canopies.  I don’t remember the name of the musicians who performed but they were great and I walked home happy. The next day I went to the Apollo theatre—it was Harlem week and the evening was phenomenal as we watched these really talented black boys perform. The winner was a saxophone player. The adult winners were a gospel singer and two poets. The host and deejay were really good as well as the Apollo band.

Harlem in the summertime is a place filled with free music festivals and art, the landscape marred by reminders of structural racism and institutional violence in the form of police brutality. Garvey’s organization was formed when a violent incident occurred in Missouri 100 years ago; the irony of coincidence that the police shooting of an innocent black boy occurred at this time there as well. In New York, in July a policeman choked a black man to death. He kept crying, “I can’t breathe.”  To further condemn themselves, the police then refused to let paramedics into the crime scene to help the dying man. It was worse than a hit and run.

Many people thought the UNIA was dust, a thing of the past, yet such is so far from the truth. The current President-General Senghor Jawara Baye said many times over the four day Centennial Celebration, August 14-17, that even when unacknowledged, a black person doing work to uplift black people is a part of the UNIA-ACL fellowship— they are a part of a larger canvas even if they don’t carry a paint brush. The work today is one of collaboration and recognition that the red, black and green path is fed by many tributaries.

From the Harlem Walk-Thru led by the President General—those gathered walking through the ‘hood passing out leaflets to the evening’s reception and the weekend schedule of activities, to the Black Cross event at Mt. Olive Baptist church honoring women who have exhibited leadership the range from journalism to public policy and children’s programming, Nayaba Arinde, editor, New York Amsterdam News; Queen Mother Dr. Doris Blakely, Ambassador of Goodwill to African and Community Mayor of Harlem; Colia Liddell Lafayette Clark, Civil Rights, Human Rights Advocate, Green Party Candidate for US Senate, NY; Betty Davis, Educator and Co-founder of the New Abolitionist Movement and the Lynne Stewart Defense Organization; Betty Dopson, Warrior Queen and founder of the Committee to Eliminate media Offensive to African People; Johanna Fernández, lead attorney for Mumia Abu Jamal, Assist. Professor of History at Baruch College; and Déqui Kiono-Sadiki, poet, educator, chair, Malcolm X Commemoration Committee, member of NY Chapter of Jericho Movement for Amnesty & Recognition of US held PP/POWs, radio host, Where We Live (99.5 FM); Mama Margaret Lamb, the oldest member of the UNIA-ACL in the New York area. Her 91^st birthday was August 18. Leola Maddox, co-director of the Freedom retreat for boys and girls, the first of its kind for the United African Movement; Viola Plummer, one of the founding members of the December 12^th movement and others (smile).

The four days were certainly a highlight of my life up to now. So much of what I recalled as a child growing to young womanhood in the Nation of Islam was reinforced at the Centennial. The UNIA-ACL was the backstory I’d heard about, yet hadn’t experienced.

That first afternoon, the famous attorney the Hon. Alton H. Maddox, Jr., founder and director of the Freedom Party, spoke about his life and work. His wife had been honored that morning (smile). The next day, Friday workshops were held in Harlem and Brooklyn. I headed for Brooklyn and attended the workshops for youth at Medgar Evers College.  Youngsters in grade school through high school listened attentively as panelists spoke about Music, Message and Movement, how as consumers, they should listen carefully to the messages less they participate in their own mental destruction. The brilliant entrepreneur Heru Ofori Atta moderated this second panel, which concluded with a performance by the hip hop duo Precise Science. The afternoon concluded and I headed back to the subway station to Harlem for the evening concert at the Oberia Dempsey Center where Sax Preacher from Chicago performed marvelously—we couldn’t stay in our seats (smile). Precise Knowledge also performed along with a really fine poet from Barbados, Adrian Green. Brother Tyhimba performed first—also from Chicago. The UNIA Chapter there seemed really cohesive and fun (smile).  Heru has a black iTunes called http://movementunes.com/ where we can support black artists.  He also surprised Dr. Marimba Ani (the following day) when he told her he was going to send her a $6,000.00 check per month for six months to do with it whatever she desired. It is about supporting the work. The Centennial was full of moments like this.

Back to Friday night, though, the concert, hosted by President General Senghor was a fun conclusion to a really full day. Saturday afternoon the free public program was at the Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X Memorial Hall, also in Harlem, but in a place I couldn’t walk to. It was really far from where I’d grown familiar with, so I didn’t have time to return to change clothes for the Red, Black and Green Banquet that evening. I guess I was what one would call California casual (smile).

I just felt chills as I thought about El Hajj Malik’s presence in the building and his demise confirmed across the street at the hospital. Photos of his life and walk were all around the banquet room and when one walked into the entry his bronze stature greeted you at the top of the first landing. Interactive screens were also in the main hall. As one climbed the winding stair case, El Hajj Malik followed you up, almost as if he was host and you the guest. It seemed such a fitting place to have the first convention since 1920. New York had the largest number of members, Cuba was second. Dr. Marimba Ani gave the keynote address. It was about the notion of race, first. At a time when people are colorblind and ignoring difference, it is rather jarring to think about race as a way to identify oneself. Garvey said that “the Black man was universally oppressed on racial grounds, and any program of emancipation would have to be built around the question of race first. The race became a ‘political entity’ which would have to be redeemed. . . . He said ‘it is not humanity’ that was lynched, burned, jim-crowed and segregated, but Black people. The primacy of race [not racial superiority which] characterized the UNIA from its beginnings in Jamaica.’ . . . The world has made being black a crime, and I have felt it in common with men who suffer like me, and instead of making it a crime I hope to make it a virtue.”

I hadn’t known the UNIA-ACL had a constitution and a pledge and a song. Of course I knew the flag, why the UNIA is a government, that’s why it has officers and presidents. I was impressed, more than I was already impressed (smile). I hadn’t known the Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey was a poet either— the important of culture to a people was paramount to UNIA founder. When the officials came in stopping before the lovely altar where a sister poured libations, I was so happy to be in this number when the saints marched in (smile). I felt like I feel when I think of the black saints in households in Senegal and Gambia, black saints like Cheikh Amadou Bamba and others. In other traditions they are called orisha, whose function is similar. It is just wonderful seeing black people unapologetically black.

Perhaps one of the more memorial moments, if one can single out one such moment, was when Marcus Garvey showed up at the dinner. Brother Ronn Bobb-Semple is Garvey incarnate. When he walked into the room, we were like “Wow!” “Oh my goodness!” It was the same the following day at the parade—Garvey was with us in the flesh thanks to Brother Bobb-Semple (smile). See for yourself: www.ronbobb-semple.comThe President General wife, First Lady of UNIA Kathy English Holt performed a really wonderful soliloquy honoring the work of Nannie Helen Burroughs, a well-loved educator and founder of the first black women’s boarding school. Visit http://kathyenglishholt.com/It was also really nice watching the couple honor each other and have fun dancing. I am sorry I missed Ms. English Holt’s son, bassist Corcoran Holt perform Sunday evening. He’d just come off the road with Kenny Garrett (http://corcoranholt.com/).

Sunday morning I got up early, jumped into my clothes, the dress I hadn’t been able to wear the night before, ate some oatmeal and after getting directions, walked over to Marcus Garvey Park for the Sister Circle. I walked around, but couldn’t find anyone—ran into another sister I’d seen the day before and both of us walked around without any luck. I then got a phone call from a sister friend who was in the park with the sisters. Eventually we found them. This was about 10 a.m. We went for a walk to find coffee with non-dairy milk. I ended up buying lunch just in case I couldn’t find anything later. It was a smart move (smile). I also bought a black ballerina from a toy store on my walk back.

A bus from Philly pulled in when we got back and Pam Africa and her husband, with others joined what ended up a powerful contingent. The parade was to start at 1, but it started at 3 p.m., so we returned about 5 p.m. It was worth the wait, but I’d planned to take some items back to Trader Joes and get dinner for my flight back to the Bay, so I wasn’t able to go to the evening performances at the National Black Theatre, which I had been to in February when there was a Black Panther Film Festival featuring Robert King as special guest. It was just so cool to have landmarks to remember (smile).

As we walked down Malcolm X or Lennox Avenue to 134 Street (135 was blocked with a street festival)—it was Harlem Week, people honked their horns in solidarity as they were handed back copies of the Garvey’s Voice. People carried posters and the red black and green flag flew in the air. The line stretched blocks long. We were pretty marvelous to perceive. At a time when black people in Harlem are hardly able to make ends meet, the parade said, Black is not just back, it is here to stay!

Crystal L. Bass is an American author, playwright, freelance writer, and motivational speaker. Bass has used her platform to uncover and illuminate issues that are important to young women, to ultimately empower and strengthen them. Her hit stage play titled, "Ain't No Love Like A Mother's Love," opens in Baltimore City Nov. 15. Visit http://www.crystallbass.com/

Kehinde Koyejo, Artistic Director, InterACT Works, is curator of the 10-minute one-act play series “Don’t Call Me Crazy: A Glimpse into the World of Mental Illness: An Afternoon of Short Plays and Dialogue at the Joyce Gordon Gallery, 3 p.m. 406 14th Street in Oakland, Sun., Sept. 7, then in a reprise “Through the Eyes of Buddha at SGI-USA, Oakland Buddhist Center, 3834 Opal Street in Oakland, Sept. 14, at 1 p.m. Kehinde (“Next Step”) is joined by participating playwrights: Nathan Yungerberg (“Golden Gate”) and Kineithea Carter (“Depression Daughter”). http://www.interactworks.org/upcoming-interactions.htm
Visit


Poets Genny Lim and Steve Dickison join us to talk about “Struggle for a New World: Fred Ho Memorial Tribute,” Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014, 2:00-4:30 p.m. at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 2 p.m., 388-9th Street, upstairs Rm. 290, (510) 637-0455. Admission is free. This remarkable landmark gathering of Fred Ho's artistic collaborators, ranging from composers, musicians, poets, singers, storytellers and activists, have come together to pay homage to this great baritone saxophone-composer, cultural activist, teacher, author, pioneer and legend. To listen to Fred Ho http://www.mp3olimp.net/fred-ho/

We close with a conversation with San Francisco native, Barry “Shabaka” Henley, about the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre production of the World Premiere of his Mingus Remixed, directed by Delroy Lindo Sept. 5-6 in San Francisco, www.lhtsf.org and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barry-Shabaka-Henley/151494042107 

Music: Gina Breedlove and Donald Duck Bailey. 

Link to show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/09/05/wandas-picks-radio-show-fred-ho-tribute-shabakas-mingus-remixed

We continue the SF Fringe Festivalon the Air with a rebroadcast of the special interview with Campo Maldito playwright and director Bennett Fisher & Jesca Prudencio; continuing with Blues for Charles's playwright Harry R. Hall; and closing with the creative playwright duo: Linda Ayres-Frederick and Nancy Cooper Frank'sAssorted Domestic Emergencies (smile).

Visit www.sffringe.org or 415-673-3847. All plays are at the Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy Street, in San Francisco Sept. 5-20, 2014.

To listen to the show (click the link in the title) or: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/09/10/wandas-picks-radio-showthe-sf-fringe-special-cont 


Blues for Charles
Sept. 7, 9 p.m., 9/13 5:30 p.m., 9/16 7 p.m., 9/17, 7 p.m.

Charles Sullivan (center left, with Fats Corlett sitting beside him) in the Booker T. Washington Hotel at Fillmore and Ellis.

Charles Sullivan also owned the Post Street Liquor Co., which was runby his brother-in-law George Hall (center, with Sullivan’s key to the city).

1. Idris Ackamoor is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, tap dancer, actor, director and producer, joins us to talk about the Healing through Music Tour featuring: the Healing Force Orchestra, Oakland Freedom Jazz Society, East Bay Center for the Arts Youth Band under the director of Howard Wiley, Idris Akamoor and the Pyramids and the Idris Ackamoor/David Molina Duet (Oct. 11-Nov. 10). There will also be a performance artists retirement workshop with Rebeka Black Visit culturalodyssey.org

He is the founder and Executive/Co-Artistic Director of Cultural Odyssey. Idris curates and produces the Cultural Odyssey Performance Festival, and also records and tours with his acclaimed jazz ensemble. Featured Music: The Pyramids'sMemory Ritual 1 and Otherworldly

2. Joanna Haigood and Chelsea O Riley join us to talk about the San Francisco Aerial Dance Festival Oct. 5-12, 2014 at Zaccho Dance Studio. Visit http://www.zaccho.org/

Joanna Haigood’s creative work uses natural, architectural and cultural environments as points of departure for movement exploration and narrative.  Her work has been commissioned by many arts institutions, including Dancing in the Streets, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Walker Arts Center, the Exploratorium Museum, the National Black Arts Festival, and Festival d'Avignon. She has also been honored with the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Cal/Alpert Award in Dance, the US Artist Fellowship, and a New York Bessie Award. Most recently, Haigood was a recipient of the esteemed Doris Duke Performing Artist Award.

Joanna has taught at the National École des Arts du Cirque in France, the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in England, Spelman College, and the Institute for Diversity in the Arts at Stanford University. Joanna is the Co-Founder and Director of Zaccho Dance Theatre, Zaccho Youth Company, Youth Performing Arts Program, and Center for Dance and Aerial Arts, all proudly housed at ZACCHO Studio in San Francisco's Bayview Hunters Point district.

Chelsea O Riley founded Chelsea O Productions in 2009. Her works have been supported by the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council, Conseil des Arts et lettres de Quebec, Adesam, and the City of Vancouver public art program. Chelsea combines aerial acrobatics, with dance and theatre to create poetic shows about the human experience. Currently based in SF, Chelsea O Productions has produced work in Canada, the USA, Iceland and the UK and was most recently featured in NYC for SummerStage Festival. Visit http://chelseao.com/

Chelsea is also CDAA’’s program manager at Zaccho.

Joanna writes: "We are very excited about our upcoming festival and hope that you will be able to attend. Zaccho will be joined by some of the great aerial dance companies and emerging aerial dance artists from around the Bay Area.  Each night is a different program - the line up is on the "Purchase here" link below. We are also hosting several aerial dance workshops lead by a team of fantastic artists.

"I will be showing new work, including the opening section from "1964- The Ballad of Freedom," with music by Marcus Shelby. The piece, commissioned by Equal Justice Society, is a collaboration with Marcus, actor Steven Anthony Jones and a 9 brilliant dancers.  It premiered last week at YBCA and is inspired by the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Seating is limited so if you can join us, buy your ticket(s) early."

3. Donald E. Lacy Jr. joins us to talk about Color Struck 2014-2015: Conversations N Color Tour written and performed by Donald E. Lacy Jr. Friday-Sat., Oct. 3-4, 8 p.m. at Laney College Theatre, 900 Fallon. For tickets visit or call 510 One Love or colorstruck.net Proceeds benefit LoveLife Foundations Art and Media Training Academy Foundations Art and Media Training Academy.
http://www.lovelifefoundation.com/
Mr. Lacy is a writer, director, actor, comedian, and radio talk show host.  As a comedian he was inducted into the Bay Area Blues society Hall of Fame in 2013. A San Francisco State University alumnus, Donald holds two B. A. Degrees, one in Theater Arts, (with a film minor), the other in African American Studies. 

His T.V./Film acting credits include: Cherry with James Franco, which was released in 2012, Denny on the NBC show Trauma in 2010, "Jack", directed by Francis Ford Coppola, "Blood In, Blood Out", directed by Taylor Hackford, "L.A. Heat", "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper" on ABC, "Wolf" on CBS. Stage Credits include: a 45 city tour with The Miles Davis Experience through Thanksgiving 2011, “Gem of the Ocean” as Solly 2 Kings, Whining Boy in the “Piano Lesson”, Multiple characters in “Peoples Temple” about Jonestown, Gambol in “Nobody Move” at Intersection,  “Hairy Ape", "Good Person of Szechwan" at Berkeley Repertory Theater,  and as Carlyle in "Streamers". 

In 2006, he appeared in “The Shelter” at the Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles, under the direction of Valery Belyakovich of the Moscow Art Theater. He also appeared in Naomi Izukas adaptation of “Hamlet” as “C”, directed by Jonathan Moscone.  Other credits include: “Jitney”, by August Wilson at the Lorraine Hansberry Theater, as Bennie in “Hotel Angulo”, at the Intersection for the Arts, “Soul of A Whore” by Denis Johnson, and “Fists Of Roses” by Phillip Kan Gotanda. Directorial credits include: "Montage of a Dream Deferred"; "Boseman & Lena"; “Streamers"; "The Dutchman"; "Homebase"& "The Loudest Scream You'll Never Hear".    As a playwright, Mr. Lacy has produced several of his plays including: "The Loudest Scream You'll Never Hear", a drama based on the Atlanta child murders; "Homebase", a tragic comedy about crack-cocaine addiction,  and his National touring One Man Show “Color Struck”, now in its 6th year. He also premiered "LoEshe" at the 1998 Afro Solo Festival, about the life and untimely death of his 16-year-old daughter.  In 2011 Donald presented his second One Man Show “Sexphobias” at the National Black Theater Festival. In 2013 he presented his new One man show; How Did The World Get Here?

He wrote for Jamie Foxx’s pilot “These Nuts” for which he was also the acting coach.   Donald has written 3 feature films: “What Goes on When the Mike Goes Off”, “LoveLife”, and “Romeo and Juliet Gettin’ Busy”.  As a filmmaker he has received a Bay Area Cable Excellence Award and a Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Award for his Public Service Announcement “Precious Gift.”  Donald wrote and directed a short film in 2011 called Recycle Woman which was shown at the DeYoung Museum in 2012 and selected for the 2013 Oakland International Film Festival.

 Mr. Lacy traveled on a 75-city tour with the Harlem Globetrotters as "The Voice”.  Donald Lacy as a comedian has been seen on BET's "Comic View and HBO's "Def Comedy Jam".   He has 2 comedy CD’s “Uncensored” & “Free Speech Costs Plenty”.  Mr. Lacy spent his Thanksgiving holiday in 2001 entertaining the troops abroad on a Far East tour that included; Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Singapore, & Diego Garcia. He returned on the same tour in 2004.  As a headliner, he has appeared in clubs from Chicago, to Kaiserslautern Germany.  In 2007 his one-man show, “Color Struck” was a runaway hit at the National Black Theater Festival in Winston- Salem North Carolina.  “Color Struck”, by invitation from Congresswoman Barbara Lee, was also performed at the 2007 Congressional Black Caucus in September.  In 2008 “Color Struck” returned to the Congressional Black Caucus for a encore performance. 

Since 1979, Donald  is a weekly announcer Saturdays 7 AM-12 noon on KPOO 89.5 F.M. , and fill-in host on KPFA 94.1 F.M.  In 2007 he was honored by the American Red Cross, and in 2008 the Titan Award For Acting from Theatre Bay Area. He received a broadcasting award in 2010 from Artists By Design, and in 2012 received a broadcasting award from BayView Newspaper.

Link to show:http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/10/03/wandas-picks-radio-show

Today we rebroadcast Friday, March 28, 2014: We celebrate with Founder and Artistic Director of Cultural Odyssey 35th Year Celebration Apr. 3-5, 2014, Idris Ackamoor & Rhodessa Jones.

Mr. Ackamoor is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, tap dancer, actor, director and producer. He is the founder and Executive/Co-Artistic Director of Cultural Odyssey. Idris curates and produces the Cultural Odyssey Performance Festival, and also records and tours with his acclaimed jazz ensemble http://www.culturaloydssey

Ms. Rhodessa Jones is an actress, dancer, singer, writer, and teacher, Ms. Jones is Co-artistic Director of Cultural Odyssey and Founder/Director of the Medea Project: Theater for Incarcerated Women. Rhodessa tours her performances and speaks to "Theater for the 21st Century: art which precipitates community transformation.

Lyrika Holmes joins us as featured artist at the 35th Anniversary gala. Ms. Holmes is an International performing artist "Lyrika Holmes" is an African-American recording artist, singer, harpist, songwriter and teacher. Lyrika was born and raised by her parents in St. Louis, MO. Lyrika started playing the piano at the age of 5. In junior high her parents encouraged her to step out of the box, and play something different, this is when she made the switch to harp. Since that day, Lyrika has been showing us just how hot the harp can be.

We close with Joanna Haigood, Artistic Director and co-founder of Zaccho Performance Dance Company about Dying While Black and Brown, a performance and panel discussion Friday-Saturday, April 4-5, 2014. Friday evening at 8 (the panel follows) and Saturday at 2 p.m. (performance) at Zaccho Studios, 1777 Yosemite Ave #330, in San Francisco's Bayview Hunter's Point.

Visit www.zaccho.org We are also joined by dancers Antoine Hunter and Travis Santell Rowland.

Link to show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/10/01/wandas-picks-radio-cultural-odyssey-35-rebroadcast

William Rhodes and Crystal Azul Barajas Barr join us to talk about SOMArts Cultural Center Presents, Visions at Twight: Dia de los Muertos 2014, Oct. 10-Nov. 8  www.somarts.org/visionsattwilight

1. William Rhodes is a sculptural furniture designer who studied at the Baltimore School for the Arts. He then earned a BA in Furniture Building and Design from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and a Master's of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Rhodes' work is in the collections of various galleries and museums.  In addition, they are featured in several major publications. Visit http://williamrhodesart.com/

William Rhodes and Michael Ross lead student artists from two SF public schools who are participating in the Dare to Dream arts program offered by the Bayview Opera House. The students are creating a superhero-themed altar, “The Guardians of San Francisco,” featuring a cohort of newly minted heroes that protect important cultural elements identified by each young artist.  The life size figures will be created from cardboard and will be decorated with paint, fabric, photographs and found objects. They (the Superheroes) will be suspended from the ceiling to appear as if they are flying.

Rhodes believes the spirit and characteristics of materials lend themselves to a particular piece of art. Recycled materials are an important component of his work. Rhodes has been featured in multiple shows, including "Stop Asking," curated by internationally known fiber performance artist Joyce Scott. This show represented the work of 25 innovative nationally recognized artists.  Having exhibited his designs nationally, Rhodes has established himself as a "creative, against-the-grain" sculptor.

William is joined in the studio by artist and Oakland teacher Crystal Azul Barajas Barr. Her interest in the cyclical nature of all things has informed her creative practices, including her use and reuse of found, discarded, and biological materials. After a lengthy adventure learning ancestral survival skills, she earned a BA in Studio Art from Humboldt State University, with an emphasis on sculpture.

Crystal considers herself a pocha.  Pocho (pocha feminine) is a term used by native-born Mexicans to describe Chicanos and those who have left Mexico. Typically, pochos speak English and lack fluency in Spanish. Among some pochos, the term has been embraced to express pride in having both a Mexican and an American heritage asserting their place in the diverse American culture.  This is Crystal's first year participating in Day of Dead at SOMArts. 

Crystal attended last year’s Day of the Dead at SOMArts.  She has hosted a Day of the Dead ritual in her own home for the past 5 years. There are some photos of Crystal's art attached here. To view images of her sculpture, visit: http://www.humboldt.edu/first/exhibitions/2011/elastic-alumni/barr.html.

Ras Kofi Kwayana joins us to talk about PermaKulture, natural living and the rhythms of life. He will be performing at Life is Living on Sat. Oct. 11, at Lil' Bobby Hutton Park in West Oakland  and on Friday at the Black Panther Party Commemoration event 

2."Ras Kofi Kwayana is an educator, veteran journalist and Manager of the Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture. As a radio host and producer of 19 years, his life work is the re introduction of the principles and practices of Agriculture into the mainstream pop culture. Raised in Guyana and schooled in the U.S, his experience in these societies has informed his perspective on the political, spiritual and physical implications of food justice, and the social landscape has inspired his approach to helping establish this human necessity. As a man of faith, he finds joy in speaking, entertaining and in other ways communicating with global audiences, as a means of extending an invitation to fellowship with the Creator by observing and harmonizing with His creation, known as "Mother Nature." He currently resides in Atlanta, Ga with his wife and children."

Visit:https://www.facebook.com/pages/RAS-KOFI-THE-FARMER/180868560446

Music:Wolf HawkJaguar's Exu Exit; Ras Kofi's Oneness (Tawhiwd) feat.: Bilal Samadhi.

We open the show with an interview with an interview with Amikaeyla Gaston (7/26/14).

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/10/08/wandas-picks-radio-show-perma-kulture

This summer Elder Freeman, his wife Carmelita, grandson and good friend, Sheba Makeda Haven, and I got together for a late lunch at Shashamane in Oakland. Elder was getting ready to travel to visit family and friends in New York, Detroit, Los Angeles and hopefully get to Cuba.

It was wonderful watching Elder and Sheba reflect on Black Panther history, some of it off the records (even now). Laughing and smiling the old friends stood on Elder's porch in West Oakland chatting, as Sheba pulled out some of her handcrafted gifts for Elder and his grandson and Carmelita (whom we met later at the restaurant).

I think Elder put his kufi on right away, (one was too small) and when we got to the restaurant, his grandson looked really grand in his (smile). Carmelita liked her gift and we all liked the meal, which Elder (a true gentleman) paid for.

The owner of the restaurant came by to chat with us a bit. It was my first time at the restaurant since my trip to Addis Ababa last summer. So we had an opportunity to catch up a bit. Later when the meal came. I think Elder had chicken maybe lamb (smile) --all was quiet. It was that good, even the little one, who'd said he wasn't hungry enjoyed his shared meal with his grandparents.

The two, grandson and grandpa went across to the street to the drugstore and came back with a toy, clearly pleasing the youngster who was skipping as Elder held his hand firmly as they crossed the busy intersection of 51st and Telegraph.

Everyone posed for photos in front of the restaurant and I took photos of Carmelita and grandson as they walked back to her car and then we turned and walked back to mine.

Sheba and I dropped Elder off, who was unclear about when he was going to New York, the first stop in the trip.  He and I spoke again before he left, when he returned from New York and LA and while I was in New York and he was in Oakland getting ready to travel. I was sorry our travel to the East Coast didn't overlap. I was looking forward to Garveyite tour with Elder Freeman.

When I learned of his crossing over or ascension, I was sorry but not surprised. He'd taken his life into his own hands. Instead of suffering through a treatment protocol which made him so sick he couldn't eat, he opted to take medicine to help him manage the constant pain and make a farewell tour.

He had it all planned and traveled more in his final months than many travel in a lifetime (smile).

I was on the subway on my way to Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn when he and I spoke last. I was calling to see if he was back in New York.  We had a nice talk. Elder sounded strong and happy. We were to speak again and just this week I was thinking that I needed to check in with him again.

As I lay in bed early Wednesday morning willing myself to get up and see the Red Moon, I looked over my shoulder and next to my bed was a lion-- sitting looking at me calmly. I blinked and he was still there--no words passed between us. There was a string of dental floss our mouths connecting us across the room, then all of a sudden the thread broke.

When I looked later, the string was on the night table where the lion had sat.

Hum. Elder stopped by to say goodbye? His locks made him look like a lion, so I don't think it was farfetched to imagine it was he.  The time was about the time he was pronounced dead, according to Carmelita. The hospital called her and said it was 4:58 a.m. October 8.

I had Elder on my radio show more than once with his friend, Sheba and alone. He participated in a Tribute to Geronimo ji jaga and to Marcus Garvey. I broadcast the tribute to Geronimo this morning on the show:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2011/07/14/wandas-picks-special-broadcast-tribute-to-geronimo-ji-jaga

(Elder is in the last part of the two hour tribute. He and Kiilu close the show.)

Description:



Today we will celebrate the life of Geronimo ji jaga, decorated US veteran, Black Panther, father, husband, sibling, friend, humanitarian, former Political Prisoner and POW, and founder of Kuji Foundation. Guests include: Kathleen Neal Cleaver, JD, former Communications Secretary, BPP, writer, professor, activist; Emory Douglas, author, artist, former Minister of Culture BPP; Robert King, author, prison abolitionist, Angola 3; Mujah Shakir, Ph.D., Detroit native & former member of the Nation of Islam, is a founding member of the International Campaign to Free Geronimo ji Jaga (Pratt) in 1987 and served as its Chair for 8 yrs. She is also a founding member of the national Jericho 98 Campaign to Free U.S. Political Prisoners and the local bay area Jericho Amnesty Campaign; Tiyesha Meroe, activist, memberof Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality and State Repression. She worked with the ICFGjj for 7 yrs. She will co-host the memorial and tribute to Geronimo with Emory Douglas at East Side Arts Alliance in Oakland, beginning at 6 PM July 15, 2011. Elder Ronald Freeman, Detroit, native, moved in LA in 1961. He was Field Secretary for Southern CA BPP chapter in charge of political and military activities, member, All of Us or None.Black Panther veteran, Kiilu Nyasha has been in the liberation struggle for over 40 years.  An internationalist, she is a supporter of political prisoners, a death penalty and prison abolitionist & revolutionary journalist. Billy X Jennings& Dr. Gail ShawItsAboutTimeBPP.com. Special greetings from Tanzania, in order of broadcast: Joju ji jaga Cleaver, Brother Pete O'Neal, Mama Charlotte O'Neal.

Blood Moon

On October 8, between 1:17 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. view the eclipse of the moon. Called the blood moon because of its red hue, it should be pretty spectacular and weather permitting, you can see it all from Oakland: http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/oakland  There will be a partial solar eclipse October 23 also visible from Oakland.

Maafa Commemoration 2014

This is just a reminder that Sunday, October 12, 2014 marks our 19th Annual Maafa Commemoration. This is a time when we gather to remember our African ancestors, especially those who endured the transatlantic slave trade or the Middle Passage, the Black Holocaust. It is a time for Pan Africans to gather and celebrate life and recommit ourselves to the work of liberation: spiritual, psychological, economic and political.

We have our 501 (c) 3 now, so if anyone wants to make an endowment or give us property like a building or car or van, you can write it off (smile). The ritual is as always here in the Bay at Ocean Beach, Fulton at the Great Highway. It starts before sunrise, about 5:30 or so. Wear white, dress warmly (so if your warm clothes are not white—wear them (smile), bring your kids, instruments, breakfast items to share, flowers for the ancestors (white and red for the Ritual of Forgiveness), blankets to sit on or chairs. We can always use more chairs and tables for the food. If you’d like to carpool, especially if you can pick up people who are traveling from as far away as Vallejo, Sacramento, maybe Los Angeles, Oakland, Hayward, Alameda. . . let us know. We can use donations to pay Urban Shield (security) and to rent the port-a-potty.  A few people are carrying all the costs. If you’d like to help, especially with 2015, drop me a line: maafasfbayarea.com@gmail.com We still need a rehearsal space for the Ritual. Visit http://maafasfbayarea.com or call (641) 715-3900 ext. 36800# 



Health and Wellness

The "Be Still Retreat,” a place for black people specifically to learn about self-care and stress reduction, is Saturday, October 4, 2014, 10-4 (at 9 a.m. there is a mindfulness walk).  Sponsored by Black Women's Media Project, its in a new location: Mills College in the Graduate School of Business (GSB) building. 5000 MacArthur Blvd. Oakland. 94613. To attend call 510-834-5990. It is a free event.

Day of Prayer for Mental Health

Alameda County Mental Health Awareness Annual Day of Prayer is Tuesday, October 7, 8-9 a.m. at 1221 Oak Street. There will be representation by diverse faiths, Observance of Japanese Crane, a Proclamation by the Board of Supervisors, and Refreshments. The goal will be to lift up those in need of mental wellness support, prayer and love, especially African American males.

The Spirituality Factor Conference

The following week is the Spirituality Factor Conference: Weaving Spirituality & Behavior Health Using Evidence on October 9th and 10th in Oakland at Allen Temple Family Life Center, 8501 International Blvd. Go to www.mhspirit.org to learn more and get registered to attend.

The title of my presentation is: Where Is Home for the Pan African as Exemplified through the Baseball Metaphor Jackie Robinson and Home Plate

Theatre

Color Struck 2014-2015: Conversations N Color Tour,
written and performed by Donal Lacy Jr. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 3-4 at Laney College

Join Donald Lacy Jr. for an evening of thought-provoking conversation about race relations in America. Audiences will find themselves both laughing and then pinching themselves once the tears stop rolling down their cheeks--That really wasn't funny, was it? Will be the operative thought that night as the interrogation looks at deep wounds and scars in the American psyche --wounds which are not just contagious, they are deadly.
For tickets call 510 One Love or online at colorstruck.net Portions of the ticket proceeds benefit LoveLife Foundation's Art & Media Training Academy.

Traveling while Black?
After a rockin' debut in in March of 2013, Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe's “Traveling While Black” returns to the Brava Studio, 2781 24th Street, San Francisco, for a full run, Oct. 3-26.  With direction and design by Jose Maria Francos, TWB is part travelogue, part history lesson, part stand-up comedy and based on a lifetime of travel as a touring artist. Based on treks through Europe, the Americas and Africa, “TWB” is part travelogue and part history lesson and seeks to exploit the tensions between tourism and colonialism as it interrogates boundaries and reveals cultural connects and disconnects. Inspired by Langston Hughes’s “I Wonder As I Wander,” “TWB” examines the post-slavery condition of Black travel, both fanciful and forced. TWB is part of a trilogy of plays by Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe. The first production of the trilogy, “Adventures Of A Black Girl In Search of Academic Clarity and Inclusion” has been published in the anthology, solo/black/woman by Northwestern University Press.  For information visit brava.org or call (415) 641-7657.


Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe (Actor/Writer) is an award-winning director, actor and writer and has performed at many regional and independent theaters and for more than a decade was a lead artist for Rhodessa Jones’ The Medea Project; Theatre for Incarcerated Women. Edris’ original solo performances have been seen at Northwestern University, the University of Illinois and the University of Florida in Gainesville; and in San Francisco at AfroSolo Festival, Intersection for the Arts and other small independent venues, including her own former Sugar Shack Performance Gallery and Cultural Center in the Lower Haight. Internationally, Edris has performed in Ibadan, Nigeria and Berlin, Germany and presented scholarship on performance in Mexico, the UK and the Netherlands.

Film

The 37th Mill Valley Film Festival is October 2-12 http://www.mvff.com / Films of African Diaspora Interest include: Timbuktu, dir. Abderrahmane Sissako (“Bamako”). This new film takes place during the Jihadist take over in 2012. Recounting events influenced by a public stoning of an unmarried couple. Selected to compete for the Palm d ’Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes it won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the Francois Chalais Prize. Screens Sunday, October 5 at 1:45PM at Smith Rafael Film Center; Monday, October 6 at 3PM at Sequoia.

The Aftermath of the Inauguration of the Public Toilet at Kilometer 375, dir. Omar el Zohairy. This short film from Egypt follows the aftermath of a single sneeze which takes on Kafkaesque proportions for a government official. Screens as part of 5@5 Round and Round on Monday, October 6 at 1:30PM at Sequoia; Wednesday, October 8 at 9:15PM at Smith Rafael Film Center;

Black and White, dir. Mike Binder. After the deaths of his wife and daughter, an attorney (Kevin Costner) becomes entangled in a custody battle with his biracial granddaughter’s paternal grandmother (Octavia Spencer). This hopeful ! lm explores a volatile discussion in American life and aims straight for the heart. Screens Wednesday, October 8 at 7:30PM at Smith Rafael Film Center;

Finding The Gold Within, dir. Karina Epperlein. Bay Area filmmaker Karina Epperlein follows six African American college freshmen, alumni of the unique Ohio mentoring program Alchemy, Inc., and well-equipped with self-confidence and critical-thinking skills, as they leave home for the first time. Cast: Kwame Scruggs, Jerry Kwame Williams, Darius Simpson, Brandyn Costa, Stacee Starr, Shawntrail Smith. Screens Friday, October 3 at 8PM at Lark theater; Saturday, October 4 at 8PM at Smith Rafael Film Center;

F R E E, dirs. Suzanne LaFetra and David Collier. A feature length documentary following five teens through a year in an Oakland dance program. Their journey in the Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company reveals how collaborative art can be a foundation for personal discovery, turning the courage, determination, and stamina demanded of their lives into a contagious joy. Screens Saturday, October 11 at 7:30PM at 142 Throckmorton; Sunday, October 12 at 2:30PM at Smith Rafael Film Center;

Gardeners of Eden, dir. Austin Peck. Even in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park, elephants aren’t safe from poachers. The surging price of ivory has given rise to organized gangs that hunt and kill these majestic creatures for their tusks, usually leaving orphans in their wake. Continuously on the lookout and always ready to come to the rescue, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has a well-established protocol for transporting and caring for the traumatized baby elephants and, just as crucially, a remarkable record of successfully reintroducing them to the wild. Screens Saturday, October 4 at 2PM at Sequoia; Sunday, October 5 at 4:45PM at Smith Rafael Film Center; Tuesday, October 7 at 11:45AM at Smith Rafael Film Center;

How I Got Over, dir. Nicole Boxer’s documentary follows a group of women all residents of Washington, DC, recovery community N Street Village as they prepare to turn their harrowing life stories into a theater piece that will be performed at the Kennedy Center. Screens Sunday, October 5 at 7:45PM at Sequoia; Thursday, October 9 at 2:45PM at Smith Rafael Film Center; Saturday, October 11 at 8:30PM at Smith Rafael Film Center;

Imperial Dreams, dir. Malik Vitthal. In the electrifying debut, Imperial Dreams (winner of The Best of Next award at Sundance), aspiring novelist Bambi returns to his Watts neighborhood after two years in prison to extricate himself and his young son from their criminally compromised family. Screens Saturday, October 4 at 5:30PM at Lark theater; Sunday, October 5 at 2PM at Smith Rafael Film Center; Wednesday, October 8 11:30AM Smith Rafael Film Center; Sooleils, dir. Oliver Delahaye. Part road trip through time, part heroine’s journey through memory,

Soleils is a beautifully rendered meditation on the wisdom of Africa, as a young woman is initiated into the roots and legacy of her heritage. Screens Saturday, October 11 at 5PM at Sequoia; Sunday, October 12 at 5:15PM at Smith Rafael Film Center.

Art
Visions at Twilight: Día de los Muertos 2014 group exhibition, Saturday, October 11–Saturday, November 8, 2014. Opening Event is Friday, October 10, 6–9pm, $12–15 sliding scale admission. Exhibition unveiling features live music by Rupa, interactive installations and Día de los Muertos inspired artist market. Gallery Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 12–7pm, Saturday 11am–5pm, Sunday, 11am–3pm. Cost: Free admission during gallery hours

Information: https:///www.somarts.org/visionsattwilight  To listen to an interview with artist Candi Farlice about her piece this year which looks at the politics of the black male body: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/09/26/wandas-picks-radio-show-dia-de-los-muertos

Art con’t.

“Candi Farlice: Musings from an Artist's Life” currently at the San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin, San Francisco, African American Center (3rd Floor) through Oct. 16. Visit http://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=1017575901

Theatre

African American Shakespeare Company presents: The Tempest

The time is 2020, the place is a trash island in the middle of the ocean, Prospero, the former CEO of SYCORAX, a multi-product industrial conglomerate based in Milan, charged with polluting the environment lands here when his ships capsizes. Directed by Nancy Carlin and starring Michael Gene Sullivan as Prospero, The Tempest inaugurates the 20th Anniversary Season (2014/15) of the award-winning African American Shakespeare Company. The last time we saw The Tempest was in 2001, a full 13 years ago.

With his daughter Miranda in tow, along with the single inhabitant of the island, Caliban, and an application/personal assistant called Ariel, he builds from reclaimed circuitry and other detritus, Prospero begins his campaign of holographic manifestations and manipulation of weather patterns to help settle the score.

The staging of the play also touches on topical environmental themes. "We set this production set on an island of garbage in the middle of the ocean," says Callender, "because there is such a place, several of them actually, these massive structures floating in our oceans. What if they are creating their own life forms? Could a Caliban be a result? We were interested in stretching our imaginations and the imaginations of our audiences, young and old."

The play runs October 18-November 9, Saturday at 8pm; Sunday Matinee at 3 p.m. at the Buriel Clay Theatre, African-American Art & Culture Complex, 762 Fulton Street, San Francisco. Tickets are $15-$34.00: http://www.african-americanshakes.org/productions/the-tempest/
To listen to an interview with Mr. Callender, the director Nancy Carlin, and actress Ponder Goddard who portrays Ariel, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/09/26/wandas-picks-radio-show-dia-de-los-muertos  (final guests).


Michael Gene Sullivan’s play, “Recipe” opens at Central Works Oct. 16–Nov 23

Michael Gene Sullivan serves up the laughs in this delicious take on a circle of sweet old grandmotherly bakers, who just happens to be dedicated to the armed overthrow of the United States government.  But baking pies and cakes isn’t enough to satisfy these four intrepid refugees from the sixties, and their burning desire to “Up the Revolution!”  It’s one thing to say “The government is probably listening to my calls,” but what do you do when you find out it’s true? If it seems that the government that you call “a fascist, surveillance state” has specifically targeted you, is specifically watching YOU (it’s not paranoia if they really are after you!), then what?  How do you live your life knowing that all your fears may, actually, be true?

Performances are at the historic Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley,  Thursday, Friday and Saturday 8 pm, and Sunday at 5 pm (with Post-show talk-backs on Oct. 19 and Nov. 9). Ticket prices: $28 online at centralworks.org, $28–$15 sliding scale at the door. Pay-what-you-can: Previews and every Thursday, at the door as available. For reservations and information:  510.558.1381 or centralworks.org
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Art

THE MORRIE MOVEMENT:  The Influence of “Wee Pals” Cartoonist Morrie Turner
November 8, 2014 – January 29, 2015

“The Morrie Movement: The Influence of ‘Wee Pals’ Cartoonist Morrie Turner” will follow Candi Farlice’s solo show this month at the African American Center of the San Francisco Main Library’s from November 8, 2014 to January 29, 2015 at 100 Larkin Street in San Francisco.  The exhibit opening/panel discussion will take place on November 16, 2014, from 1-3 pm in the Koret Auditorium.  The exhibit is created and curated by Kheven LaGrone.


The Egungun

Many trees have fallen in the forest this year, more recently Elder Herman Ferguson (Dec. 31, 1920-Sept. 25, 2014), whose comrade and age-mate, Yuri Kochiyama passed a bit before, followed by the much younger, yet fierce revolutionary composer, musician, designer and host of the Scientific Soul Sessions, Fred Ho (Aug. 10, 1957-Apr. 12, 2014).

Both Iya Yuri and Brother Ferguson were 93. Baba Ferguson’s memoir “An Unlikely Warrior Herman Ferguson: Evolution of a Black Nationalist Revolutionary” written with his wife Iyaluua Ferguson, a woman with over a half century of activism in the struggle for human rights and the liberation of Black people under her own belt, gives context to the marvelous history Baba Ferguson has lived beginning with his early years in the then rural southern town, Fayetteville, North Carolina, reared by a mother and father who valued education and more importantly taught their children to stand tall for their rights.

In between Mrs. Ferguson’s narration we have the voice of Elder Ferguson speaking about seeing Malcolm X the first time. Brother Malcolm was walking to a dais where he was to speak. Ferguson had heard him before, but never seen him live. The two men he says, nodded to each other. Later Ferguson would head the education wing of the Organization of Afro-American Unity, this after much community organizing and work as Assistant Principal at PS 40 in Jamaica Queens, New York. The educator speaks about a leadership training the OAAU hosted which graduated ten students in its first class, Yuri Kochiyama one of those who received a certificate signed by Brother Malcolm who was killed before the OAAU could host its next session. In the book, which is a quick yet satisfying read, we learn of the formation of the Republic of New Africa, what it means to stand trial when not only are your peers absent from the stand, so are your people. Truly prisoners of war, Unlikely Warrior speaks to this inconsistency.

Brother Herman says of this time when he decides after 19 years to return to New York from Guyana, “[he and his co-defendant, Arthur Harris] had been convicted in Queens of a 1967 plot to assassinate then NAACP head Roy Wilkins and Urban League Chairman Whitney Young, among other things. [They] were also accused in court on the morning after Senator Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down in Los Angeles of having a hit list that included his name! [Ferguson asks rhetorically], What can I say? It was a no-win situation before an all white, all male jury. Lynch law was in full effect” (230).

After a retiring from his work as “architect of the Guyanese education system, founder of the country’s youth training service (the Guyana National Service, equivalent to the U.S. Job Corps), Lt. Colonel in the Guyana Defense Force (GDF),” he says, “There was no one to sit around with and talk about old times. There was no life for [him]” (234-235).  At 68, he was in good shape, a fact the FBI agents who arrested him once his plane landed in New York, commented. At his arraigning the day after his arrival and arrest, the courtroom was filled with comrades fists raised, among them Yuri Kochiyama, two of his sons and others.

Brother Herman also says of his return that “when you believe in something, you stand and fight for it.” This is something Brother Malcolm told him when Ferguson asked him why he returned and kept returning when he knew it wasn’t safe.

“I had no illusions,” the activist, founder of Black Brotherhood Improvement Association (BBIA), an organization ideologically linked to Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X’s work of black liberation, stated on his return. He knew “what was going to happen to me and what I would be able to accomplish if I came back. I was not going to be the Black knight on the black horse returning to save the day. But I would run no longer (236).

Herman Ferguson says he was fighting for economic justice and human rights. This was the call when he organized the Jamaica Rifle and Pistol Club Inc. so that the BBIA could protect itself from police violence. This was the motivation earlier when he successfully organized the Rochdale community around a development project that did not offer jobs to residents nor plan to allow any of them to live there either.

I could just imagine seeing the shock on the faces of construction foremen arriving at work September 5, 1963 to the sight of four men and a woman chained to cranes dangling precariously high above ground.  If the workers started the machines the protestors could have fallen to their death (112-113).  If the FBI didn’t know the Assistant Principal’s name, they certainly knew if now (smile).

The men were arrested and when they went to court, Judge Bernard Dubin called them “’patriots’ for their bold action and dismissed the charges” (112). The ancestors guided Brother Ferguson’s feet and he listened. There were so many times he writes, where had he been present, let’s say in Attica, when the police shot all the leaders point blank, he would have been in that number. Even the way comrades escorted him back to this country, allowing media to put a hidden microphone on him so that they could monitor what happened to him if they were separated, all contributed to his safety. 

The last time I saw Brother Herman was at the annual Dinner Tribute to the families of Political Prisoners in Harlem, the same day Brother Baraka was laid to rest in Newark.  The salute to the wonderful couple was quite moving. Lynn Stewart was there with her husband. It was her first public appearance after her release. Pam Africa and her husband were also in attendance as were Russell Maroon Shoat’s daughters and son. Robert H. King was there and so many others, like the couple’s great granddaughter who spoke about her Great Grandmother and being raised in the Black Liberation Movement and what that meant and how normal it was to know what she knew about nationhood and the state’s injunction against her people, and her right to self-defense.

Among his other legacies, Baba Ferguson formed the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee; was the Administrator of the New Afrika Liberation Front; founding member along with Safiyah Bukari and Jalil Muntaqim of the National Jericho Movement, publisher of “NATION TIME,” and served as Co-chair of the Queens chapter of National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (NCOBRA). He is the father of four, step-father of two, grandfather of ten, and great-grandfather of fourteen. great-great grandfather of two. Ashay.

Mr. Herman B. Ferguson’s Memorial Service is 1:30 p.m., Saturday, October 4, 2014 at the Funeral Home, 1515 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh, NC. Moments of visitation with the family, 1-1:30, prior to the Service: http://www.stevenlyonsfuneralhome.com/new_view.php?id=5343526


Brother Syed Malik Al Khatib

I’m thankin’
I’m thankin’ each droplet of uninterrupted water
Washing, cleansing purifying me
Each ray of sun choosing me as the one
Beating upon my pores
Healin’ all my sores
I’m thanking revelations conversations
With you on my side
Blessin’ this holy ride
Fillin’ illusions optical conclusions
Leavin’ me alone with you again
I’m thankin’ the sin
The scrapes and the falls
Allowin’ me to hear your calls
Givin’ me your holy name
Usin’ me the same way you usin’ creation
Humblin’ elevation
Dancing to the rhythm of your song
My life, our life, his life— a prayer in your palm

--by Koren Clark

When I learned of Brother Syed Al Khatib's transition I was surprised. There is never time to prepare for such, especially when one is not close to the recently departed. So I hadn't known of his illness over the past year(s), otherwise I would have certainly visited him. Alas, another ancestor whom I get to know more intimately once I have opportunity to read an obituary—I think about the conversations we could have had, that we will now have from alternative dimensions. As African people, he is not gone and nothing is lost (smile). His family and friends who remain will serve as conduits to a wonderful man whose work in black psychology, theology and philosophy is unparalleled. When one thinks about the scholarship that institutionalized black psychology as a discipline, perhaps Dr. Al Khatib's name does not ring a bell, but it should. He is the father of the discipline, his theoretical children--Dr. Wade Nobles one of the more popular or visible, yet Baba Wade certainly had company as the young black scholars met then Dr. Cedric Clark at Stanford University where his work looked at corporate media and its construction of black image(s).

Dr. Al Khatib’s journey was long, but perhaps not long enough for daughter Koren and his three grandchildren, ex-wives, brothers, sister and friends, yet, as a scholar his work is well documented, all that needs to happen is to perhaps pull the essays together into a Syed Al Khatib Reader. Perhaps a graduate student at his alma mater, Michigan State University or where his work touched so many lives— Stanford University, San Francisco State University, Princeton, etc., will take his voluminous work on as a graduate thesis? We'd all be more than grateful. After he left Stanford, he spent the same number of years at San Francisco State, and the same again at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Dr. Khatib challenged Dr. William Shockley, Stanford University, Noble Prize winning physicist, on his theory of black genetic inferiority and the money he offered often poor black people to voluntarily sterilize themselves. Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, MD (in Ebony Magazine July 1974) says that Shockley admitted he had no medical background to base any of these claims. He also stated that environment had nothing to do with cognitive development, which we know is false.

Dr. Al Khatib’s scholarship also looked at the notion of the “exceptional” black in popular TV roles. These black attorneys and teachers, property owners and police detectives, did not mirror the reality on American streets. It just confused black America who sought this fiction in reality yet kept running into nooses and auction blocks where opportunity said slavery and discrimination were over?!

After driving around for quite a bit I found parking and headed over to Juma Prayer and the Janaaza Funeral service for Dr. Al Khatib, Friday, Sept. 12. I'd never been to this particular masjid before. Built from the ground up, the Oakland Islamic Center (just down from Summit Medical Center) was enclosed in glass –lots of windows, so I could see the brothers inside. As I walked thought the parking lot, I was able to see the entrance for the women, and where they sat, which was up a steep flight of stairs.  The very full room reminded me of a similar tight-space in Dar es Salaam last summer.

I removed my shoes, walked up the stairs, checked out the scene and then retreated to the cooler space at the entrance until I hear the Iqamah or call to prayer and went back upstairs to participate. The khutbah or sermon was in Arabic, which I do not understand, so I was surprised when the funeral prayer was preceded by a few instructions in English. The first part of the prayer is a series of Allahu Akbar (God is Great) followed by Al Fatihah (The Opening chapter of the Qur'an) recited silently. In between the silent utterances one is to pray for the deceased person’s soul and ask that his sins be forgiven and that his ascension is swift.  The body, which we could not see upstairs, was downstairs in a closed cardboard box. After the short prayer, when I came downstairs and put my shoes on and went outside I saw Dr. Al Khatib's body carried in a box on the shoulders of about six men and put into a hearse. The family was outside by then. I knew his daughter Koren Fatimah Clark, and met visiting elder brother, Peyton Clark and younger brother, David Clark, grandchildren and former-wife and friends, Wade and Vera Nobles and members of their family (whom I also knew) were there as well.

I took photos of the group and asked if I could hitch a ride to the cemetery for the burial. I rode with Dr. Syed’s former wife Carolyn Martin Shaw, her friend, Nubra Elaine Floyd with her life partner at the wheel. Dr. Carolyn’s granddaughter Amasha Lyons-Clark kindly took the middle seat in the back between Nubra and me. I'd been given a short obits to read at the masjid and told that Sunday at the Nobles’s home there would be even more shared about Brother Khatib's scholarship and life.

The drive to Livermore to 5 Pillars Farm Cemetery where Brother Khatib's remains were laid to rest was without incident. We arrived after the prayer, but before his remains were covered. I'd been worried. The family took turns shoveling dirt into the grave. . . the physicality of this gesture one of both closure and embodiment. There is something about death that feels final to the human being. I don't know how other living beings experience this, but for this woman, when I see the hole opened up, filled then closed, there seems to be something irretrievable about this moment that feels like a loss, a missed opportunity, finality . . . even when I know intellectually that the person's spirit or true essence is not in the hole. The carcass or the garment is and I know I will miss seeing the person walking about in such finery.

Heaven or the idea of a here-after is distant and more philosophical than real at that point, so the idea that such a moment could be rushed by people who do not understand "the African way," is sacrilegious. Grief cannot be rushed and the internment is important to those left behind perhaps more than to those who have moved on. In African villages among the Dagara people in Burkina Faso where traditional healer and scholar Malidoma Patrice Somé (Ph.D.) hails, there are wailing choirs (smile) whose job is to stir the heart, while other villagers’ jobs are to take care of the family who might want to go with the departed love one. Granted, the deceased is present physically, seated in a chair dressed in his or her best clothes. Gifts are given to the family by close friends and relatives. The ceremony sounds so wonderful. It is said that if there is no ceremony, the deceased does not ascend. If there is no noise, no tears, no signs of grief . . . the deceased paces the earth, haunts the family and village, so to properly mourn is an important skillset modern society has lost. 

Though not present physically, the ritual at the Nobles’s compound in Oakland was the true funeral or home going celebration of Dr. Syed Malik al Khatib. On more than one occasion people attested to his presence, whether that was his daughter Koren's testimony regarding what she wore and what of her father's work she brought to share or Baba Wade's recollection of his first time in Africa with his wife Vera, Dr. Cedric and Carolyn and his encounter with an elephant.

Present were colleagues who'd known him for a long time and those who knew of his work, like the Dean of Ethnic Studies from SFSU, who arrived at Stanford just after Dr. Al Khatib left. His treating physician was there, as was his nurse, grandchildren, former wife, daughter, siblings and extended community. When I arrived I heard a conch shell call from behind the house; however, when I got to the back, the assembly was moving indoors.

There was poetry and great lifting of spirits as loved ones shared sacred moments with the beloved Dr. Al Khatib, called brother or dad or grandfather or comrade or even Dr. Cedric X.

I'd know Dr. Cedric as a youth when he was director of Muhammad University of Islam No. 26 in San Francisco on Fillmore and Geary. Having graduated at 15 from the same institution, I was a young student teacher when he came on board. What I remember of Brother Khatib (Dr. Cedric is what we called him then), is how impressed I was to meet a black man with a doctorate. He had swag and brought to the school other smart lettered black men, who talked to us, encouraged us and pushed us to excel.

He didn't wear suits, yet his authority was present in his poise and carriage. Well maybe he did, I just remember his white shirts and the rolled sleeves. I can still see his smiling face and sparkling eyes. He was really happy and always greeted me with a smile. I remember when Dr. Na’im Akbar was getting a tour of the school and I was introduced.  Brother Sunni Ali Shabazz was the Assistant Director then and I remember the talk swirling around me about attending UC Berkeley, where Brother Sunni went.

Then he was gone.

I never forgot Dr. Cedric and don't know why his tenure as director of MUI was the brief whirlwind it was, yet when I saw him years later and learned he'd retired from Stanford, that he was that close all this time, I wished that we'd stayed in touch. It would have been nice to talk to him about higher education. It has been tough being the only one again and again.

He made being intelligent cool, not just for me, a young woman who didn't know any black people with undergraduate degrees, let alone doctorate degrees, but for all of us on Fillmore and Geary. Youth from families that were living just above the poverty line.  I knew Dr. Cedric would not lie to me, so if he believed in me, I should believe in me too. I knew that I could achieve the same level of acumen I admired in him and his peers. I always felt capable in his eyes. I always felt I could do whatever I set my mind on, even if I had to work a bit harder than my peers. And I have, Al Hamdulilah (praise God).

Dr. Cedric was a true role model, subtle yet highly effective. He told me a maybe a couple years ago that he was proud of me and what I had achieved. He was so tickled about an article I wrote about a statewide black mental health initiative (published in the SFBV) that he sent me an email (smile).

What else could one ask for— praise from one's role model? That he noticed was beyond phenomenal. I valued his opinion, a rock star, he not only gave me an autograph, he called my name (smile). Dr. Cedric or Syed Al Khatib (translated means: “Mister Teacher/Clerk/Scribe.” What a name!) Dr. C knew my trajectory . . . 40 years ago to now, may Allah bless this great man with immediate access to the highest levels of Jannah or paradise.
Professor in Psychology and Communications, Executive Editor at Ebonic Editing, his academic work at Michigan State University, where he graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in Communications and Media Studies (Linkedin), he certainly has earned the preferential treatment.

After the salutes people shared in a repast and read Dr. Khatib's scrapbook which included clips of news articles and record of debates, scholastic achievement and other publications. We then gathered on the patio next to the pool as the sun retreated on the horizon to participate in a Kikongo ceremony, where we put wishes and requests on tiny sheets of paper for the newly inducted ancestor and burned them in a roaring fire on the patio.
The Egun or ancestors need to be kept busy I’ve heard on more than one occasion; they've nothing but time (smile).

Dr. Cedric has a good head start. Ashay! (And so it is.)

Mildred Ruiz-Sapp

Steven Sapp

We speak to UNIVERSES co-founders, Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp about the Berkeley Rep premiere of Party People Oct. 17-Nov. 23. 

Steven Sapp: BARD College, BA ’89 - Theater. Playwright/Actor.Playwriting/Acting credits include: PARTY PEOPLE (Directed/Developed by Liesl Tommy); AMERIVILLE (Directed/Developed by Chay Yew); The Denver Project (Director Dee Covington); One Shot in Lotus Position (Director Bonnie Metzger); BLUE SUITE (Directed/Developed by Chay Yew); SLANGUAGE (Directed/Developed by Jo Bonney); Director- RHYTHMICITY (Director/Actor); THE RIDE (Playwright/Actor/Director) Acting only credits include: The Comedy of Errors (Directed by Kent Gash). Directing credits include: THE ARCHITECTURE OF LOSS (Assistant Director to Chay Yew); Will Powers’ THE SEVEN (Director-The Univ. of Iowa); Alfred Jarry's UBU:Enchained (Director-Teatre Polski, Poland).

Mildred Ruiz-Sapp: Playwright/Actor/Vocalist. BARD College, BA ’92 (Literature/Language). Publications: UNIVERSES-THE BIG BANG (2015 release- TCG Books); SLANGUAGE in The Fire This Time (TCG Books); BLUE SUITE in The Goodman Theatre's Festival Latino - Six Plays (Northwestern University Press); PARTY PEOPLE in The Manifesto Anthology (Rain City Projects- Fall 2014); Featured on the covers of American Theater Magazine 2004 and The Source Magazine 2000. Member: AEA. 

Awards/Affiliations: 2008 Ambassador of Culture: U.S. State Dept. and Jazz at Lincoln Center - Rhythm Road Tour; 2008 TCG Peter Zeisler Award; 2006 Career Advancement Fellowship from the Ford foundation through Pregones Theater; 2002-2004 and 1999-2001 TCG National Theater Artist Residency Program Award; BRIO Awards (Bronx Recognizes its own-Singing); Co-Founder of The Point CDC; Board Member (National Performance Network - NPN); Former Board Member (Network of Ensemble Theaters-NET); New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect. http://www.universesonstage.com/page37/page5/index.html

Ericka Huggins

We'll close with an archived interview with Ericka Huggins (smile). We spoke on the theatrical release of The Black Power Mixtape. http://www.erickahuggins.com/Home.html 

Shows Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/10/29/wandas-picks-radio-show-universes-party-people

"Not One More" Installation at SOMarts

Curators, LULU MATUTE and FALLON YOUNGjoin us to speak about Not One More, an altar in the Visions at Twight: Dia de los Muertos 2014 at SOMarts through Nov. 8 in San Francisco. Not One More is dedicated to victims of police brutality and state sanctioned violence. After moving to the Bay Area from Chicago, Lulu began advocating for education equity in California Community Colleges to improve college completion and transfer rates amongst students of color. As a member of the Alive and Free program in San Francisco, Lulu works to combat the disease of violence by addressing anger, fear and pain on the individual level as well as in communities. She joined the #BlackLivesMatters ride to Ferguson and #FergusonOctober to protest for justice with the people of Ferguson. Fallon Young coordinates outreach efforts and serves as the social media voice of SOMArts Cultural Center in her role as Director of Communications & Community Engagement. Visit http://www.somarts.org/ or call 415-863-1414.

MICHAEL SMITH, founder/president of the American Indian Film Institute (AIFI), joins us to talk about the 39th Annual AIFF Nov. 1-9, in San Francisco. Visit http://aifisf.com/2014-american-indian-film-festival/

KAREN JO KOONAN who has been active in the National Lawyers Guild since early 1969,
 serving on local and national executive boards and was national president, the first non-lawyer to hold that position in the Guild's 75-year history, joins us to talk about a recent trip to Palestine (May '14), hosted by 
Addameer, a West Bank organization dealing with the huge issue of political prisoners being held by Israeli authorities.

Sahar Francis, General Director of Ramallah-based Addameer Prisoner-Support and Human Rights Association is speaking Mon., Nov. 3, 5:30-8 p.m. at UC Hastings School of Law, 100 McAllister in San Francisco. Visit www.nlgsf.org to RSVP.

http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=14

Link to show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/10/31/wandas-picks-radio-show-american-indian-film-fest

Tracy Porter, University of San Francisco Trustee, joins us to talk aboutthe University of San Francisco (USF) will welcome 60-80 (7th and 12th Graders) under-resourced middle and high school students to campus from Mt. Diablo Unified School District in Concord on Saturday, Nov. 8. He is CEO of Premiere Solutions, a firm connecting businesses with transportation services. He assisted with the launch of the auto brokerage firm Elite Auto Network. Porter worked with the Johnson & Johnson company’s management, marketing, and sales teams for 14 years. He is a veteran of the National Football League, playing for the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Colts, and Indianapolis Colts.

He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Louisiana State University and is a graduate of The Wharton Executive Development Program.  This is the 5th annual event of its kind, bringing in prominent African American professionals to speak with students about how they achieved professional success and encourage higher education. Among the speakers slated for Nov. 8: Charles H. Smith, former president and CEO of AT&T West (45,000 employees), Tracy Porter, CEO of Premiere Solutions, and Dr. Clarence B. Jones, attorney and speechwriter for Martin Luther King Jr.

Having the event on a university campus is a way of encouraging the young men and inspiring them to set their sights on college. USF President Fr. Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., will be on hand in the morning to officially welcome the young men to campus.

Following the keynote address by Dr. Jones, CARES students will have the opportunity to attend workshops led by USF professors and Epsilon Beta Boulé members, offering practical tools for academic success and career advice for a variety of professions including teaching, health sciences, marketing, business, and technology.

Victor Fields sings the music of Lou Rawls

The Lou Rawls Project infuses elements of jazz, soul, and R&B to present a fresh and contemporary approach to the tribute collection. Recorded in Minneapolis, London, Nashville and the Bay Area, the project features a collection of timeless standards such as “The Girl From Ipanema,” “Natural Man,” and “(I'd Rather Drink) Muddy Water” alongside signature staples like, “You’ll Never Find A Love Like Mine,” “See You When I Get There” and the lead single “Lady Love”.  The Lou Rawls Project features producing chores by Fields’ long-time musical collaborator, producer/musician Chris Camozzi, and a coterie of legendary Bay Area artists that include: Nelson Braxton, Brian Collier, Skyler Jett, Vince Lars and others. “My purpose is to celebrate the timeless talent of Lou Rawls and the rich musical legacy that he left behind,” says Fields.

Muisi-kongo Malonga, choreographer and dancer joins us once again to speak about the remounting of her Kimpa Vita! Nov. 14-16, at CounterPulse in San Francisco.Kimpa Vita! is a music, dance and theater narrative told through the dual lens of Kongolese and African American cultural arts traditions, exploring the controversial life of Kongolese prophet and martyr, Mama Kimpa Vita. At the heart of Kimpa Vita! are movement and poetry set to a musical score that layers the wailing cadence of African American spirituals with the textured harmonies of traditional Kongolese song and percussion.

Plot for Peace

We close with an extended conversation with Spanish director, Carlos Agulló, who speaks about Indelible Media's PLOT FOR PEACE, opening on November 7, 2014, at Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinemas in San Francisco which he will attend for Q&A after the 7:20pm and 9:55pm shows.

The untold story behind History, a well-kept secret behind the world-wide icon : Nelson Mandela’s release was a Plot for Peace. PLOT FOR PEACE is a character-driven historical thriller documentary feature about the demise of apartheid. It tells the story of Jean-Yves Ollivier, alias “Monsieur Jacques”, whose behind-the-scenes bargaining was instrumental in bringing about regional peace and the end of racial discrimination in South Africa.  For the first time, heads of state, generals, diplomats, master spies and anti-apartheid fighters reveal how Africa’s front line states helped end apartheid. The improbable key to Mandela’s prison cell was a mysterious French businessman, dubbed “Monsieur Jacques” in classified correspondence. His trade secret was trust.

Perhaps though more, director Carlos Agulló writes in his notes is Ollivier's example that one person can make a difference, and that relationships are developed over time and that trust is not something that happens from afar, it is interpersonal and up close.

Carlos is part of the lively core of Spanish auteur cinema increasingly being recognized outside its borders. He worked as an assistant editor on The Sea Inside by Alejandro Amenábar, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and later as film editor for other award winning Spanish directors such as Mateo Gil (Back to Moira), Oskar Santos (For the Good of Others), Jorge Blanco (Planet 51) and Jorge Sánchez Cabezudo (Crematorium). He has also directed several of his own award-winning short films. The South African documentary PLOT FOR PEACE is his first feature.

Here is a link to the show which ends in an hour long interview with the director:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/11/07/wandas-picks-radio-show