Akoo Jeans Model, Dawn Montgomery, speaks to Genmaspeaks about Controversy

Everyone knows I love Twitter. One of my favorite folks on the social media site is Dawn Montgomery, a fashion model and writer. Dawn and I have known each other for over a year and have talked often about working together to do a charity fashion show for a few of my favorite non-profits here in Nashville.

I was drawn to Dawn because of her Twitter name, @MississippiDawn. My Twitter followers and Tennessee Tribune readers know I am from Mississippi and often share stories about my hometown. Dawn and I have endless Tweet streams catching up on all things in the Magnolia State. Born and raised in Hattiesburg, Miss., Dawn is attending college in Atlanta. Dawn is fast becoming one of hottest urban models in the U.S. Dawn not only models and writes but she also is a community activists, patron of the arts, and raising a young son. She is the first to arrive and last to leave, I am told by many. The community that she loves dearly, loves her back and it shows by the number of friends who thank her daily for endless deeds done out of the kindness of her heart.

Last week, Dawn sent me links to an ad campaign with Akoo Jeans, a clothing line by rapper T.I. I opened the links, saw Dawn’s face and thought, “She has landed another big job.” A few minutes later, Dawn sent me several more links with the same picture and asked, “Have you read this?” This was the Dawn that I love, always seeking advice and critique no matter how big the contract. It took me a few minutes to realize Dawn’s photo Akoo Jeans shoot was being blogged about around the country. Dawn’s Akoo billboard ad was asked to be removed by the Newark, New Jersey community and the Mayor Cory Booker for obscenity. Isn’t New Jersey the home of the Jersey Shores Reality TV Show that is watched and hate by millions? Newark’s Mayor Cory Booker was cutting a shine over a billboard because it was not a good image of the community. Within 24 hours, Dawn’s face was all over cable news. Wow, someone I knew was in the middle of mayhem and mess. On Twitter @mississippiDawn and Akoo were trending topics.

I called Dawn to find out what were her A, B, and C plans. Dawn who is media smart hired a publicist who had her responding to the crisis within a day. She was interviewed by Essence to address the controversy, the sexual content of the ad and the media bias towards urban vs. mainstream models. Being from Mississippi, Dawn and I conversed the way two Divas from the country do...straight to the point. I asked Dawn without any tack as soon as she said hello, “Are you neckit?” (You say it like it is spelled). She responded in true Diva dramatics, “You know me better than that!”

With that cleared up and out of the way, here’s Dawn’s exclusive interview with www.Genmaspeaks.com and The Tennessee Tribune.

Dawn, since I know you personally and most of our readers don’t, we are going to discuss the controversy first.

GSH: What was the mayhem and mess about?
Montgomery: The Akoo Billboard Ad featured me pulling downwards on a gentleman's pants. Newark, NJ's Mayor and citizens were upset at the sexually suggestive pose, and viewers felt as if this was not a great representation of African-Americans.

GSH: Were you surprised at the response from the community?
Montgomery: Yes, I was surprised at the response from the community. In the mainstream modeling industry, there are clothing ads (Calvin Klein, Abercombie & Fitch, Victoria's Secret) that market sexually suggestive ads and are rarely talked about or addressed in the media.

GSH: How long have you been modeling and was this the first time you faced this type of controversy?
Montgomery: This was the first time I faced controversy in my modeling career, and I have been modeling for 6 years. I do not like negativity, so I am turning this into something positive. In this Industry I have to make choices daily. I always think of my FAMILY when making decisions, and my morals & values guide my decision-making.

GSH: Would you do it again?
Montgomery: Would I do it again? Yes. I am a model and my job is to give the client what they ask for. The representatives from Akoo Clothing line & the photographer that shot the Ad Campaign discussed with me what they were looking for and showed me their vision images. I was allowed to do what made me feel comfortable in comparison to the vision images, and I did just that. I will be more mindful of my surroundings, because for some of my family members the gentleman's hand on my head struck a nerve with them. My family understood my decision and they support me. As long as I am able to have their support and show my family the images then I can continue to do my job.

Dawn, you imitated a toned down version of a Calvin Klein ad. You decided how you wanted to interpret the Calvin Klein Ad and through this controversy helped Akoo Jeans become a household name in a matter of days. Their marketing worked and you have become one of the most recognized faces in America. Now, that we addressed the madness, let’s talk about the Dawn Montgomery who is fierce about her love of family and helping others in your community.

GSH: What makes you passionate about making a difference with your life?
Montgomery: My upbringing makes me passionate about making a difference. I was raised around strong women that no matter what they lacked in their lives, they continued to help others. It is hard to help someone else when you know that you may not have what you want in life, but that drives me to do more.

GSH: When did you decided that THIS (your activism) is IT (needed now)?
Montgomery: Currently I am still trying to figure out what this is. I have always had a passion for making my voice heard in my community by volunteering and spreading the word about needed change. I currently use my Modeling & Writing Careers as ways of communicating how I feel about what is going on in my community today.

GSH: What woman has made a significance difference in your life?
Montgomery: My late grandmother, Dr. Rev. Gertie Smiley, made a huge difference in my life. When she was battling Breast Cancer she showed me how to be strong until the very end of your life. My grandmother always told me that every decision I made will affect someone close to me & I have to make good decisions daily. She was a community activist and she always spoke up when she needed to be heard. All of the women in my family are just like her, but she was so charismatic.

GSH: Could you share more about your family…anything you want me to know?
Montgomery: My grandmother's battle with Breast Cancer and death changed my life. My son was born a year later, and then 2 months after his birth Hurricane Katrina hit Mississippi. I am a single mother, and God has blessed me with an amazing support system of family members and friends. I have a mental illness, Bipolar/Manic Disorder, and I deal with this daily.

GSH: If you could change one thing today, what would that be?
Montgomery: I would not change anything. My days are difficult, but through the grace of God I make it through each day.


GSH: What advice do you give to other young women about following their dreams?
Montgomery: The advice I would give to other young women about following their dreams: RESEARCH! There is someone out there that has the career you want and you can learn a lot from researching how they got there. You will not travel in the same lane that they are in, but God created a lane just for you. I did not come into this industry naive. I learned how to put my portfolio together and set goals consistently for my career. Know the path you want to take, and understand that sometimes you have to walk that path alone. Learn what works best for you and master that. My late grandmother, mother, and aunt have all taught me these things that truly work for me today.

GSH: What are your future goals?
Montgomery: Next endeavors are; Graduating from Oglethorpe either in the Fall of 2010 or Spring of 2011, Getting my son started on the right path with his education as he enters Kindergarten (I am excited!), and I really want to have the opportunity of hosting a Sports Talk show either on radio or television. I am a huge College Football fan, and I love all sports.

Photo Credits:
Allen Cooley
Marion Designs
Mays Photography
20/20 Photography
Dawn Montgomery Agent
http://www.hdtheagency.com
PR www.twitter.com/ellabeepr
Dawn was recently photographed for Savoy Magazine for the current issue and interviewed by me for www.tsuradio.com

Desiree Rogers Quits, Resigns, Fired, Stepped Down, Asked To Go, Left the White House Last Week

Desiree Rogers, White House social secretary quit, resigned, fired, stepped down, asked to go, left last week. Ms. Rogers came to the White House from Chicago like many members of Team Obama. Much has been said about Ms. Rogers being a fashionista and the gate crasher debacle but very few examine how she became a lightning rod for the Obama’s opposition.

Born and raised in New Orleans by a working class family, many in the media do not acknowledge that not only was she beautiful but smart. Ms. Rogers attended Wellesley College where she earned a degree in political science and received an MBA from Harvard Business School. She joined AT&T as a customer service manager in Chicago after graduating from college in the early eighties. During the eighties, an MBA from Harvard positioned Ms. Rogers as a top income earner. Ms. Rogers was young, beautiful AND smart at a Fortune 500 company that was considered a powerhouse.

From 1991-1997, she worked as the director of the Illinois Lottery; not a party planner as been stated but the director. She and her team implemented a marketing plan that took the once downward spiraling Illinois Lottery and introduced a catchy slogan, “Somebody’s gonna Lotto … It might as well be you”. The slogan, along with a 1-800 number and credit card payment options, had everyone praising Ms. Roger’s genius marketing mind. In 1995, the lottery increased revenue sales by seven percent. When asked about her success at the time, “We’re running a business inside state government,” she said. “We can make things happen.” (Borden, Jeff, “Forty under 40: Desiree Rogers,” Crain’s Chicago Business, Sept. 25, 1995)

With success, came opportunities for advancement. Ms. Rogers entered the gentlemen’s club of regulated utilities. In 1997, she stepped into the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Peoples Energy Corp., which served millions in the Chicago area. In 2004, Ms. Rogers became President of Operations for Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. When Ms. Rogers became President of Peoples, she was in a field that has few minorities and even fewer women at the helm even today. Ms. Rogers was leading operations of a Fortune 500 utility company. Under her leadership at Peoples, she led several high profile investigations while also trying to raise rates. The investigations into safety of pipe corrosion and employees of the People Gas falsifying records were conducted by federal, state, and internal investigators. Ms. Rogers had barely been in her role as President when the investigations started in 2006.

At that time, many in the Chicago business inner circles considered the investigations her biggest challenge and possibly the end of an impressive career. Ms. Rogers (known as a marketing and branding phenomenon) operational skills were being tested at Peoples Gas. She acknowledged the challenges and welcomed the critique. Ms. Rogers was balancing customer safety, strained corporate and regulatory relationships and a needed rate increase at once.

Despite the controversies, she successfully obtained the rate hikes, hired quality control employees, implemented a check and balance system with new training and auditing procedures. In 2008, she was asked to join Allstate Insurance to create a social media networking site to discuss financial products and retirement issues that would put her marketing and branding expertise to work for insurance giant.

During Ms. Rogers rise to the top, she was very involved in social and philanthropy endeavors. She used her professional networks and contacts to raised millions of dollars for many non-profits in the Chicago Area. She also used her network of influential business owners and civic leaders to raise money for political candidates. One of those candidates was President Obama. Ms. Rogers’s relationship with the Obamas spanned many years. She donated over $14,000 to various Obama campaigns and helped raised over $500,000 through her network of relationships, friends, and contacts in his run for the White House. Her ability to raise funds from wealthy donors, called bundling, is why she was valuable as an ally. She was once married to Princeton economics trailblazer, John Rogers with Ariel Investments, one of the largest money management funds in the country. The media’s focus on her personal relationship with the Obamas dilutes the economic and political power Ms. Rogers harnessed over many years of perseverance.

When the Obamas went to Washington, Ms. Rogers was tapped to oversee the Obamas' social calendar. Her business style and flair that made her successful in the corporate world coupled with her understanding of working with politicians was needed in the White House that was going to be known not only as the resident of the President but the “peoples house”. This was a departure from previous administrations that had older Washington insiders that ran the White House. Ms. Rogers’s dedication to the Obamas political success, her knowledge of philanthropy and the Obamas' commitment to the community, and her business savvy were considered assets. The White House was transformed behind the scene in many ways. The public was actually seeing magazine spreads featuring many who were part of the white house staff, especially if they were people of color. From chefs to staff and interns, the once secret life of who works at the White House was now public knowledge. The White House was embracing diversity by showing the public with numerous interviews, specials, and photo shoots. Pop culture was being integrated into the museum like atmosphere of the White House.

Ms. Rogers was one staff member who was featured prominently and as much as the First Lady, Mrs. Obama. Snarkly named the co-First Lady, this may have been Ms. Rogers undoing. Her trips to the fashion shows and photos of her planning events at the White House had become the norm at the new open White House. Ms. Rogers was often a contradiction of the First Lady. While Ms. Obama was often seen in J Crew ordered online, favored unknown young designers, and kept her clothing choices under wraps until the day of an event, Ms. Rogers did not hide her relationship with famous designers and became the toast of Seventh Avenue. As the First Lady was shaping her agenda and getting her young girls and family settled into a new school and environment, Ms. Rogers was being photographed for Vogue Magazine cover and WSJ. The fashion industry was salivating over Ms. Rogers who was not afraid to show her love of designer threads that loved her back equally. But in DC’s dark blue pant suit society, Ms. Rogers was ruffling feathers. Many felt that Ms. Rogers’ social agenda for the First Couple was more about her and that did not sit well with many inside and outside the White House circles.

By the time the Bravo wannabes gate crashing incident occurred at the White House State Dinner, the writing on the wall for Ms. Rogers was read out loud…she needs to go. With a summon to congressional hearings on the gate crashers that Ms. Rogers refused to attend by evoking executive privilege, it was noted Ms. Rogers’s greatest mistake was attending the dinner as a guest and not working the event was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Security for the President is the job of the Secret Service but the securing the names of the guests was Ms. Rogers’s job. Critics quickly began comparing Ms. Rogers to other social secretaries that many never knew by name or sight. The analysis of Ms. Rogers took her from fashion reviews’ best dressed to the political pundits’ talking points. She became the latest casualty for the administration.

Security for a President who has received an unprecedented number of death threats in his first year of office while at the same time Secret Service openly admitting it is underfunded in protecting him and his family, set many nerves on edge when a couple was able to have photos made with the President and posted on their Facebook pages. This added to the cries that Ms. Rogers’s sophisticated style may be best suited at the Kennedy Center and not the White House where national security should be first and foremost. Having survived federal, state, and internal investigations in the private sector, Ms. Rogers’s critics in the beltway were threading their needles ready to sew up Ms. Rogers’s short stint in the White House.

Ms. Rogers came to work at the White House for the Obamas who she had known personally for many years. Her skills and talent was what they needed the most. Ms. Roger’s ability to run business inside the government thinking was crucial to helping them put their stamp on the White House. The media embraced her marketing and organization skills with style and grace. But often times our strengths can also be our weakness. The same media often criticized her for not being hidden out of sight. Ms. Rogers who led a Fortune 500 company through a major crisis could not be on the frontline at the White House that was trying to change its culture internally. Every major city has its own traditions, culture, and whispered do's and don'ts. Washington, DC is known for eating folks for lunch, even those from Chicago with gracious intentions. What is becoming very obvious is change in DC is coming more slowly than many had ever hoped or imagined. At the same time, the White House that was supposed to have a different culture on the inside is beginning to eat its own for lunch as well.

(Having a family member who worked in the White House, it was something we cherished with pride but we rarely spoke about to the public. We have many photos of him with the President, but rarely was he photographed for the sake of being photographed. A different time…different President. )

Photo Credits:
Vouge Magazine
Chicago Tribune

Soruces:
Crain Business Reprt
www.OpenSecrets.org
Wall Street Journal
www.Whorunsgov.org
www.maplight.org
Chicago Sun Times

GLORIA STEINEM KEYNOTES WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AT MTSU

Feminist Writer, Publisher, Activist to Address Women’s Progress, Challenges
(MURFREESBORO) – Writer and lecturer Gloria Steinem, whose pivotal role in the women’s rights movement has resulted in great strides toward equality, will deliver the keynote address of MTSU’s National Women’s History Month celebration at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 2, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. This event is free and open to the public and will be followed with a reception and book signing.

Steinem, a co-founder of Ms. magazine in 1972, raised the public profile of feminism with her writing, lectures and public appearances. She helped to found the Women’s Action Alliance, a national organization dedicated to nonsexist, multiracial children’s education, and the National Women’s Political Caucus, a group that strives to increase the numbers of pro-equality women in elected and appointed offices at all levels of government.

“Gloria Steinem is an icon!,” says Terri Johnson, chair of MTSU’s Women’s History Month Committee and director of the June Anderson Women’s Center. “Her place in the women’s movement is one that will always be respected and honored. She opened doors when so many were closed for women. She stood up, spoke out and fought for the cause! She fought behind the scenes and on a public platform, using her voice and pen to raise consciousness to a new level for women.”

Among Steinem’s other accomplishments is her tenure as the founding president of the Ms. Foundation for Women, which funds grass roots projects, and as co-founder of “Take Our Daughters to Work Day,” which has become an institution in the United States and numerous countries.

Steinem’s work also has been essential to the progress of the pro-choice movement. She co-founded and served as president of Voters for Choice, a political action committee that merged with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund for the 2004 elections. In addition, Steinem co-founded Choice USA, a national group that supports young pro-choice leaders and comprehensive sex education in schools.

“I admire her individuality, intelligence, bravery and her ability to place women in the forefront of society,” Johnson says. “Gloria Steinem asks the tough questions about women's important value as individuals in society.”
As an author, Steinem is the recipient of the Penney-Missouri Journalism Award; the Front Page and Clarion awards; National Magazine awards; an Emmy Citation for excellence in television writing; the Women’s Sports Journalism Award; the Lifetime.

Achievement in Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists; the Society of Writers Award from the United Nations; and the University of Missouri School of Journalism Award for Distinguished Service in Journalism.
Her books include Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem; Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions; Moving Beyond Words; and Marilyn: Norma Jean, all bestsellers. Steinem also was an editor of The Reader’s Companion to U.S. Women’s History.
As an activist, her honors include the first Doctorate of Human Justice awarded by Simmons College; the Bill of Rights Award from the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California; the National Gay Rights Advocates Award; the Liberty Award of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund; the Ceres Medal from the United Nations; and numerous honorary degrees. In 1993, Steinem was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y.
A 1956 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Smith College, Steinem is collaborating with her alma mater’s Sophia Smith Collection on a project to document the grass roots origins of the U.S. women’s movement. In addition, she is working on Road to the Heart: America As if Everyone Mattered, a chronicle of her more than 30 years as a feminist organizer.
The National Women’s History Month Committee, the June Anderson Women’s Center, the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence, the Distinguished Lecture Fund, the Esther Seeman Fund, the Black History Month Committee, the Virginia Peck Trust Fund, Women in Action, the Women’s Studies Program, and the School of Journalism are sponsors of Steinem’s appearance.
Steinem’s keynote address is part of the MTSU Women’s History Month theme of “History, Change and the Future.” For more information on Steinem’s appearance or any other Women’s History Month activities, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu, or go to the Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/jawc/nwhm.shtml.

Step Up, Its a Charity Affair with Brenda Lee

Tavis Smiley Sets Himself on Fire and Burns HIS Agenda

Filled with barely disguised negativity, Tavis Smiley broadcasted on Tuesday morning that he was calling a “choir rehearsal for Black Leaders” on the Tom Joyner Morning Show. When Tom Joyner first announced last week that special commentary from Tavis Smiley would replace Jeff Johnson, my immediate thought was, “This is going to be a hot mess whatever it is”. Tom tried to build excitement about the Tavis Smiley’s upcoming commentary, by counting down to the segment. Tow Joyner was excited.But I am sure Tom Joyner had no idea that Tavis would use his show to set off a firestorm in the Black community. Tavis Smiley did not disappoint; he came with mess and mayhem.

When Tavis Smiley came on the air he barely acknowledged the morning crew and said “Let’s jump right into this”. And that he did. He opened with quotes from one of our country’s greatest leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I choose to identify with the underprivileged. I choose to identify with the poor. I choose to give my life for the hungry. I choose to give my life for those who have been left out of the sunlight of opportunity. This is the way I’m going. If it means suffering a little bit, I’m going that way. If it means dying for them, I’m going that way. Because I heard a voice saying, ‘Do something for others.’”

The words of the greatest American we’ve ever produced, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., talking about the choice he made not just, Tom, to identify with, but to give his life for the least among us; the politically, socially, economically disenfranchised in America.

Last year, in researching Tavis Smiley’s relationship with Wells Fargo, I know all too well when he starts out with a quote from Dr. King, it is usually a setup for a manifesto about Tavis Smiley and what he believes is righteous indignation. Once again, he did not reflect the heart of Dr. King or actions Dr. King would have taken. Instead, Tavis Smiley should be paying royalties to the King Foundation for the constant misuse of Dr. King’s image and words.

In 2009, I wrote in several posts how Tavis Smiley loves to sprinkle biblical scriptures/references in his oratorical presentations. He sounds spiritual and gives you the impression that he is a shepherd of the flock who wants to give gentle loving nudging to his “sheeple”. On Tuesday, he kept his tilted, tainted halo on as he stated the following words:

“Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? No, there’s a cross for everyone and there’s a cross for me.”

Some of us, who call ourselves Black leaders are making the wrong choice. I’m afraid this morning, Tom, that in so doing, we are misleading, misguiding, Black folk. It’s time for a course correction, not now, but right now. Because leadership without followership is a sinkin’ ship.

The above quotes were Tavis’s opening statements. He only got better or worse depending on if you were laughing or crying. In all the years that I have heard real leaders speak, I have never heard the word “followership”. I have attended events around the globe and spoken at hundreds of conferences, seminars, on panels, and in sessions and I don’t recall anyone using a rarely used word to fool the gullible by trying to sound like an intelligent leader. A leader leads; he does not have to try to sound like a leader if he is a leader.

Tavis Smiley told 12 million listeners he was having an event to call out leaders who do not understand the importance of the “Black Agenda”. My parents must have missed that one when I was born. Not one doctor or nurse put that in my diaper bag when they sent me home; raise your child with a Black Agenda. What is the Black Agenda? Jobs for the unemployed? Homes for the homeless? Education? That is part of getting America back on the road to recovery. That is everyone’s agenda. Geez, when are folks are going to stop being idiots with mics and get people back to work.

Are things harder on some than on others? Yes, I totally agree with that. But as I said last week when meet and greets are called to make demands and commands, often times it is photo ops and not about helping the community. Black folks do not need another conference to state what is wrong with black folks. What is needed is community mind folks (of all races) working with like minded folks (of all races) to bring job opportunities, raising testing scores in schools to help get more kids in college, dealing with credit issues that obstruct better insurance rates and home ownership…the list is endless. But I can go into the Hispanic community and they are saying the exact same thing.

The good thing about Tavis Smiley’s latest media-defacto, it engulfed him in flames and burned HIS agenda. People have rejected his antics and took to the blogs and radio to speak up. Rev. Sharpton who Tavis has palled around with in the past called into the Tom Joyner Morning Show right after Tavis’s rambling diatribe where he announced the time, date, and panelists scheduled to attend the meeting. Sharpton was not aware of the meeting and heard the invite via the radio. Tavis Smiley had not called many of scheduled “leaders” personally to come to this meeting. I was sitting at my desk heaving from laughing so hard. Tavis Smiley is so full of himself; he really thought people would show up because he was on the radio announcing the resurrection of his Negro Super Bowl. It only got uglier by the minute; the parting shot by Sharpton was Tavis Smiley did not have this urgency to call out President Clinton and black leaders before while Tavis was dancing on stage with the Clintons. LAWD…you just can’t make this stuff up!

Well now… this is not over and I am sure others are going to have a few more words to say as well. Here’s one of similar posts over at www.jackandjillpolitics.com:

Whenever anyone disagrees with you; if they’re men, you try to shame them. If they’re women, you try to have them fired off their jobs. You sure as hell don’t give them a platform from which to preach the truth, which you don’t like, because most of it is about you hawking another damned book, and saying it’s to help Black People.

Stop acting like a community leader that you play on TV, and be the self-promoting marketeer you really are. Your attempt to pass yourself off as a “Black Leader” has worn off and just like the Emperor, you don’t have any clothes on.
The CPL

It must really hard trying to sell books in this economy while posing as a community activist. Y’all this has been the longest black history month in years. See you in March.

The Congressional Black Caucus Parties and Priorities in the Spotlight

The Congressional Black Caucus (C.B.C) spending budgets on lavish parties have long been a dirty little secret that many have known but rarely talk about until now. The New York Times has pulled back the curtains to allow those who have questioned the C.B.C’s politics and fundraising power, a glimpse into C.B.C’s finances and the cozy relationships with corporations.

According to the New York Times article, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation raised $53 million from 2004-2008. The donations poured in from over 700 corporations and unions. The goal of the C.B.C Foundation is to help disadvantage African American students and policy research. But most of the money has been spent on shindigs and celebrations. The timing of this article could not have come at a more inconvenient time for the C.B.C members. The C.B.C has held several ‘sessions’ behind podiums of late to address the high unemployment rate in the African American community. I call their sessions, meet and greets. Nothing like seeing C.B.C’s members gather together to meet and greet the press with no solutions or ideas about the ills of the communities they were elected to lead. With demands and commands, they want the President to create more jobs in the African American community. When they make demands, none of the C.B.C members address the high school dropout rates in their districts, the high incarceration rate of black men and the number of homes that were bought with little investment of money or no credit.

Very few C.B.C members speak truthfully while posing for photos; when you do not have an education, have a criminal background and no credit...the jobs are few and far between. The truth is hard to accept sometimes. When we examine the number of corporations that are on the C.B.C boards (they have several), we find some of the largest corporations in America. The C.B.C board members read like the Who’s Who of corporate America; Boeing, Dell, Citigroup, Verizon, Heineken, Anheusuer- Busch, Amgen and Glaxo Smith Kline. If a corporation lacks diversity in its company makeup and is known to peddle projects that are harmful to the black community, they are perfect candidates for the C.B.C boards that bring in money like armored trucks. The C.B.C members appear to have deeper relationships with many of these corporations than they did with the previous Bush Administration who barely held a meeting with them and rarely acknowledged their existent during his presidency. Yet, they’ve had several meet and greets to make demands of the Obama Administration in the last year. Holding a meeting in the middle of a blizzard last week to discuss jobs in the African American community spoke volumes.

Maybe the C.B.C should hold meetings with their corporate board members and ask about sponsorships for job training for former inmates, educational seminars for students to show them the value of staying in school and being a contributing member of society, and real credit counseling for members of the African American community. Since we have seen the damage that Wells Fargo ‘bought’ seminars have done with many cities like Memphis and Baltimore, members of CBC should get out of bed with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and actually help their constituents become better by becoming more knowledgeable of the finance industries. By the way, Fannie Mae was number seven out of the top fifty in donations to the C.B.C Foundation.

In 2008, C.B.C Foundation spent $4.8 million on events and conferences, $3.8 million on programs and researching, and $1.7 million on fundraising and other costs. Expenses for the events and conferences included $700,000 for catering, $350,000 for a decorator, approximately $400,000 for contractor for lighting and production and $372,000 was spent on scholarships according to federal tax records. More money was spent on catering than on scholarships. We often yell about the harm others have perpetuated on the black community but time and again the harm is allowed by the very activists and elected politicians that claimed to fight righteously for the community. C.B.C members are not held responsible for the back door deals that are made at the expense of the folks they represent. C.B.C members are given halos and anointing oil and they prove to be no better John Mayer, whose devilish comments about black folks from a drunken haze infused interview with Playboy Magazine went viral. After reading the balance sheets and donations given to the C.B.C, John Mayer seems like an altar boy. He is a mean, ugly, and crude racist but he is not using “hood passes” to raise money for scholarships for disadvantaged black youths like C.B.C members who stand at the podiums demanding equitable treatment of blacks while having events and parties to honor themselves on corporate and taxpayers’ dime.

The Southern Company, which serves customers in Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, paid $300,000 to honor Miss Highness herself Chairwoman Barbara Lee. They were the title sponsor of the event. The unemployment rate in my rural hometown in Mississippi is 18.20%. Mississippi Power and Light is the utility provider to that area. The median income in Jefferson County is around $19,000 a year. The $300,000 sponsorship that The Southern Company spent to serenade a woman who does not represent Mississippi would have employed 12 people. I wondered why an electric company which provides services in the south would spend $300,000 on a California Congresswoman coming out party. “Knowledge is power”, my grandfather would repeat often. When one looks at bills sponsored by Congresswoman Lee, it does not take long to find the answer to my question in fine print to standout:

HR 890: American Renewable Energy Act – Establishes a national Renewable Energy Standard (RES) to increase our use of renewable electricity to 25 percent by the year 2025.

Well, no wonder they were willing to give such an electrifying celebration! Influence peddling does not discriminate. Chairwoman Barbara Lee is not the first and only politicians whose relationships with corporations and the bills they sponsored are questionable. But the C.B.C members have way of breaking the backs of the African American community that reminds me of a pimp trying to organize a union for unemployed women of the night.

Look at how the C.B.C uses the Black Newspapers to promote their “goodness” with free publicity while at the same time cozying up to corporations that would NEVER spend ad dollars with Black Press. Heineken Beer? Have a color person ever been in a Heineken ad? But they get a “hood pass” by donating huge dollars to C.B.C who would never jeopardize their party funds to keep jobs in the community that they want the President to take note of the lack of jobs. Got that? I didn't. If ten percent of the money raised by the CBC was given back in ad revenue to the Black Press that covers the CBC daily and weekly, how many Black Newspapers would still be in business? The Black Press held an event in DC for Congresswoman Barbara Lee as well. The Black Newspapers’ sponsorship bought them pictures to promote the C.B.C for free.

The need to wine and dine with corporations and influence given so freely to the electric company did not seem to reach black newspapers that report every “good and faithful” deed of C.B.C. The Black Press was not a premier sponsor at $500,000, nor a Presidential sponsor at $250,000 or a Congressional sponsor at $100,000. But the dollar value of the ink and paper that was spent to print thousands of photos from the 100’s of events and private parties totaled millions in comp revenue for Black Newspapers around the country. How’s that for equitable treatment? But how often have the C.B.C advocated to the advertising industry on behalf of Black Newspapers or use the network to help others? While at the same time, C.B.C members used the Black Newspapers without a thought to how they are surviving. The Black Press keeps the C.B.C members on the front page in predominant African American communities. “Why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free”, comes to mind. Many C.B.C members have become takers from the community they are elected to serve while gathering on the steps of congress to meet and greet and demand and command more for a community that they talk about but under serves.

With the curtains pulled back, let us look closer into the CBC’s window to see their view of the world.

Elsie L. Scott, chief executive of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, acknowledged that the companies want to influence members.

Ms. Scott said she, too, had heard criticism that the caucus foundation takes too much from companies seen as hurting blacks. But she said she was still willing to take their money.

“Black people gamble. Black people smoke. Black people drink,” she said in an interview. “And so if these companies want to take some of the money they’ve earned off of our people and give it to us to support good causes, then we take it.”

Sources: NY Times, Charity Navigator, C.B.C and The Southern Company

The MCC Passed...Now What?

Well, the Music City Center (MCC) is a done deal. I reached out to Mike Williams of Alpha Pest Control and said “Mike, when they start to shovel; rats are going to be running. Are your trucks ready?” I am not the one to try to haul off all the rats and critters by myself. Besides, I got to help the city reach the stated 20% goal of women and minority firms.

The construction of MCC still has a ways to go. There are several eminent domain issues that must be settled. I attended as many as the meetings as I could and tweeted and blogged every one of them. Not for fun (Oh, I had fun!). But as I stated in an earlier post, I asked many questions about the MCC Project. Do I believe out city leaders have the taxpayers money and the future of the city in their hearts? Sure, I want to believe that but there are no qualifications for a sound mind to get elected. What I saw and heard at some of the public hearings were long winded, lack luster speeches that did not educate the public on why Metro chose this plan as “the Savior” of the city when three entities of major importance were involved in lawsuits on similar projects, questionable reports, and a public image flawed beyond repair.

Clark Construction Group (CCG) will be the general contractor for the MCC project. CCG, a Maryland based company who touts 4.7 billion in revenues won a contract in a city that has general contractors galore. Interesting. Clark Construction Group created local diversity/minority partnerships to win the bid valued at nearly $350 million for the historical project. It’s hard to understand why our city leaders decided that an outside company was the way to create jobs in our city with so many general contractors starving for work. I looked into the Orlando Convention Center (OCC) project that was built by CCG who formed partnerships with local companies in Orlando as well.

After a few glasses of oranges juice, I learned several of those partnerships ended in disaster for the smaller companies who eventually sued Clark who was dba as Hunt/Clark/Construct Two and have been in litigation for six years after the construction of the OCCC. In October ’09, US Bankruptcy Judge Michael Williamson issued a 6.3 million dollar judgment against the Clark Construction Group, the folks Metro hired to build MCC.

In a 163-page order in a case that has dragged on since 2003, Judge Michael Williamson said the joint venture hired by Orange County to oversee the center's construction was responsible for "an inefficient mess" and "an uncoordinated nightmare" that was completed "in the most unproductive way possible."

"Somehow, in what appears to this court to be a state of chaos, a convention center was built," Williamson wrote. The Orlando Sentinel

Who interviewed these folks at Clark Construction Group? Did CCG reveal the problems that were STILL in the news during their interviews? How could multiple lawsuits for not paying subcontractors been over looked or explained away? Seriously, this is scary.

According to many of the subcontractors, the project stayed in budget simply because many of them were not paid. Note to Metro accounting department, please do not give Clark Construction Group a check to pay the vendors. Just saying.

Furthermore, Judge Williamson’s order stated the project plans were "bogus" and the city of Orland maintained a public relations front to show that everything was okay when in actuality the OCC project was tragic for the subcontractors. Metro launched a PR campaign for the MCC and it bit Metro on the butt when the fees for the PR firm were revealed. Flags from the Sunshine State were waving for some time to taxpayers and to our compliant Metro council.

If disclosure about Clark Construction Group is starting to make you feel queasy, then HVS, the hotel consulting firm, should have you looking for a bottle of Pepto Bismol. HVS was hired to do the feasibility study for the MCC. HVS was referenced several times at January 19, 2010 council meeting as a company that could not be trusted and not worth the money that was spent on them. Does that mean the taxpayers get a refund for the “work” done on behalf of the MCC? HVS's feasibility study is mired in controversy because HVS believes strongly in recycling reports. HVS gave the same report to other cities that it gave to Metro. HVS blamed that on a “computer” that spit out the same information to different clients. Side note…if I count ten roaches in the offices of 9 different clients and report that each roach was the exact same size, color, and breed; please feel free to be skeptical of my business ethics and qualifications as a pest control operator.

HVS’s feasibility studies have come under scrutiny in Albany, New York; Baltimore, Maryland; and Dalton, GA. Councilman Mike Jameson raised concerns in one meeting prior to the final vote that the analyses HVS completed for the metropolitan cities of Santé Fe, N.M; Milwaukee, Wis.; Columbus, Ohio and Omaha, Neb. were verbatim in each report that a dependence on local event business “provides a partial buffer against economic cycles and continued concerns with air travel.” He went on to single out a study commissioned for Sante’ Fe in which HVS appeared to accidentally provide information addressed to Milwaukee. HVS’s managing director, Tom Hazinski, defended the company’s work.


We did not have to go outside of Tennessee to find HVS in the news for their inferior work. In 2007,the Chattanooga Times reported:

“Word on whether a developer will build a hotel next to the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center may be delayed after trade center officials got back the first draft of a feasibility study and found multiple errors…”

Councilman Jameson came with the theatrics,but he raised legitimate concerns about HVS.Some council members say they sought other analyses when they made their decision to vote in favor of MCC. No companies were given when asked. If one of the primary factors for going forward was analyses by a hotel consulting group, would it not have been in the best interest of Metro to reassure the taxpayers that the figures used for the forecasting of the MCC were not completed by the sloppiest consulting company that existed. We can’t please every client, could be HVS’s argument. But when many municipalities are complaining about consulting work that resembled a port-a-potty after Bonnaroo, that consulting work should have been dismissed and a second or third company should have been asked to do the work. The
delay would have been worth the effort if it eased the concerns of the taxpayers and the blatant sloppy work of the consulting firm would not have been in question.

Paying attention now? If Clark Construction Group makes one queasy and HVS got you reaching for Peto Bismol, Goldman Sachs (GS) should have you running to the toilet with diarrhea. Goldman Sachs whose name is synonymous with Sodom and Gomorrah was chosen to work on the MCC Project. This should have taxpayers picketing the home of that person who made that decision. Goldman Sachs helped lobby for deregulation by Henry Paulson then Chair of the GS. Before 2004, the SEC required banks to carry a debt ratio of 12 to 1. With the lobbying efforts of Paulson during the Bush Administration, investment banks were allowed to carry a debt ratio of 40 to 1. The five investments banks were Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Merrill Lynch. How many are still standing?

This very high debt-to-reserves helped lead to the financial crisis of 2008 by weakening the ability of these institutions to recover from losses incurred when the risky CDO and CDS bets failed. Goldman Sachs, a former investment bank, now a holding bank company practically defrauded our country and is now involved in one of the riskiest ventures in the history of our STATE and no one is sounding alarms. Goldman Sachs which is cloaked in secret dealings, helped undermined our financial standings around the world, has their hands in MCC. They will make money if MCC is a deal with the devil or manna from heaven. There is no incentive for them to do what is in the best interest of the city or the taxpayers. When Goldman Sachs puts greed above our country’s well being, should a local community believe GS will look after the interest of that local community and its taxpayers. Especially, a community that is a tier two city that is depending on tourists to visit and hoping they will spend money. That’s a tall glass of weak tea with no sugar to swallow.

Last year when the housing and financial markets were going to hell in a hand basket, many people had to choose between paying for utilities and buying medicine. However, Goldman Sachs folks received billions in bonuses. Let’s review their bonus payments from 2008-2009.

• Tarp funds received: $10 Billion
• 2008 Earnings: $2.3 billion, or $4.47 a share.
• 2008 total bonuses: $4.82 billion (includes $2.24 billion in cash)
• The top four received a combined $45.9 million
• The next four received a combined $40.81 million.
• The next six received a combined $56.40 million.
• Number of individuals that received more than $10 million: 6.
• Number that received more than $8 million: 21.
• Number that received more than $5 million: 78.
• Number that received more than $4 million: 95.
• Number that received more than $3 million: 212.
• Number that received more than $2 million: 391.
• Number that received at least $1 million: 953.
• Total work force: 30,067.

In the first and second quarters of 2009, the Goldman Sachs earned $5.3 billion in net income, the most profitable six-month stretch in the company’s history. By August of 2009, Goldman's stock had more than tripled since its low in November of 2008, to more than $160 per share. Goldman Sachs set aside $11.36 billion in the first eight months of 2009 in total compensation and benefits for its 29,400 employees. In 2008, while Goldman earned $2.3 billion for the year, it paid out $4.82 billion in bonuses, giving 953 employees at least $1 million each and 78 executives $5 million or more (although Goldman's top five officers, including Blankfein, made a public show of declining to take bonuses).

The company who gave 953 employees at least $1 million each was attending our local
council meetings and no one had them arrested? Insane!

As for the community of color, stop rolling over and playing dead with Metro. Our council members folded like lawn chairs at the end of a picnic with the MCC project. Several of the Black Caucus members, who questioned the intentions of May Town, did not show out about MCC. The May Town development never made it from the planning commission. The only two folks of color on the planning commission voted against May Town. Wait, wasn't May Town going to benefit the North Nashville community? If that is not using your own to kill you, then I don’t know what to call it.

Since I mentioned color folks, the community of color must speak truth to power and address how the majority trots out a few good black folks as the voice of reasoning for the entire community of color. It’s insulting and belittles folks with sound mind and judgment who can think for themselves. Metro must stop using folks only when Metro wants to show “diversity and unity” in Nashville. We have come too far to continue playing that game. When people are used in that manner, they are devalued and not respected behind closed doors by the very majority that pulls out their two Black friends when they need to be escorted into a room full of black folks.(My two Hispanics and three Kurdish friends made me write that paragraph!)

I am saying all this for what you may be asking? Get involved. Open your minds and your mouths. Do your research and ask legitimate questions. It does not mean you are against Metro Gov’t, the Metro Council, or the Mayor. It means you are not stupid. No one speaks for me. If you speak to me, I will answer you back. The MCC project has passed. Now what? We all must be watchful that mistakes, miscues and bad business practices do not plague this project. Political mind games with taxpayers money got us into the national debt crisis that we are in now, we must hold one another accountable to do what is right. And sometimes what is right may not sound popular. It is going to take rolling up sleeves and elbow grease to help this city do better by being better to all of its citizens not just a few selected individuals. I am praying for the success of MCC. May this project rise above political agendas and everyone involve work for the greater good of all the people of this great city.

At this point, we need to stand strong together, listen to each other, speak up to be heard and join in to be counted. If you a business owner looking to do services with Metro, by all means get on the vendor list. If you are minority contractor wanting to work with the city as a minority vendor, get your business affairs in order and work to build genuine relationships that can led to real partnerships with majority companies. Study, study, and study the plans, meet with members of MDHA, and attend any meetings that are being held for public. Often times, attending a public meeting can lead to a private meeting to discuss business goals or employment opportunities.

This was long. See what happens when you spend too much time blogging council meetings…one starts to ramble on and on and on. Be good and pray for Haiti.

For more info on MCC go to www.nashvillemusiccitycenter.com

Credits:
The Wall Street Journal
The Bloomberg Report
Time Magazine
The City Paper
The Orlando Sentinel
The Chattanooga Times
Rolling Stone
Business Week

The Washington Center Honors TSU

Dr. Melvin Johnson, President of TSU

College One of First Recipients of Higher Education Civic Engagement Award
WASHINGTON – The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is pleased to announce the selection of Tennessee State University for a Higher Education Civic Engagement Award. Tennessee State was selected for integrating service with teaching and research, and engaging educators, staff, and students in activities that benefit their communities as well as themselves.

“Tennessee State University continues to demonstrate an exemplary effort in promoting leadership within the community for public service and civic engagement,” said Mike Smith, President of The Washington Center. “We have a network of more than 40,000 alumni who’ve gone through our internship programs, and these are values we’ve instilled in all of them. It’s gratifying to partner with a university that does the same.”

TSU’s plan to increase the civic engagement of faculty, staff and students by institutionalizing service learning and civic engagement will significantly increase research, outreach and public service efforts to impact the quality of life of all Tennesseans and ensure the life-long economic stability and viability of the State. As it fulfills these goals, the university aims to distinguish itself as a campus that creates interdisciplinary approaches to generate and communicate knowledge that meaningfully contributes to the well-being of society.

"Service learning and civic engagement are both an integral part of the tradition of excellence to which Tennessee State University has made a commitment,” said Dr. Melvin N. Johnson, President of Tennessee State University. “We know that to truly transform the nation and impact the world, we have to start at home by engaging and supporting our community with the help of students, faculty and staff. We are so proud to be a recipient of this prestigious award."

The winners of the Higher Education Civic Engagement Awards were chosen among a large set of nominees. The five winners represent some of the very best efforts to foster civic learning in this country. This year's Higher Education Civic Engagement Award honorees are: Cabrini College, Elon University, Tennessee State University, Villanova University, and Wartburg College.

The awards were given during The Washington Center’s annual Academic Affairs Awards

The luncheon was held at the National Press Club. The awards serve to honor many of The Washington Center’s academic partners, sponsors, agencies, faculty and other supporters who assist in providing strong academic programs for students.

About The Washington Center

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic seminars is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C., for academic credit. The largest program of its kind, The Washington Center has more than 40,000 alumni who have become leaders in numerous professions and nations around the world. It was established in 1975.

(As National Mentoring Month comes to a close, thank you Dr. Johnson for your leadership and the mentoring opportunities you are establishing at Tennessee State University for your students.)

MCC Hearings...Open Mic Nites in Nashville

I have attended several of the hearings regarding the proposed plan for the Music City Center. This project is epic and historical as well. The largest of its kind proposed in Metro’s history, physically and fiscally. Metro government rolled out this ambitious plan that will be voted on by our Metro Council on Tuesday, January 19, 2009.

One of the things that has amazed me while listening to both proponents and the opposition to this mammoth project is the wonderful citizens of Davidson County that have stepped up to the podium meeting after meeting to express their thoughts on the how they see the MCC will shape the future of our great city. I have called each meeting I have attended, tweeted and blogged about “Poetry Nights from the Ville”. The voters have become political savvy poets at the microphone.

Many of the words that have been spoken communicate the zeal and passion of the voters in the community. No matter what side of town you live on, the poets have spoken zingers that have left me speechless and in awe that their words were uttered in a public forum so boldly and with straight faces. The MCC project shows how serious voters have become and are not taking this project for granted. Some have asked very practical questions, while others have preached sermons and I have heard a dissertation or two on public policy. This city is not just filled with only musicians but we have amateur and professional rhymesters, writers, critics, and lyricists, clothed as voters that come in every shade and hue of the rainbow. I have captured questions and statements that have heard repeated several times or ones that left me wondering should I trademark a remark and sell it on a T-shirt.

Nashville is “Shovel Ready” on day one.
Music City Center will create 1,000 construction jobs.
I am for the MCC but I thought it should be on land the city already owns, why not the thermal site?
We really need a hotel.
Nashville will be the most desirable city to build a hotel; we just don’t have any takers at the moment.
We have more things going on in this city other than music!
We don’t have textbooks in our schools? What about Jefferson Street?
Nashville is a tale of Two Cities.
The only way to expand this is to expand our tax base.
The stated goal is to have 20% minority and women owned contracts for the convention center.
Why are we focused on MCC when we have 28% unemployment among Black males in Nashville?
What is a medical mart?
Don’t get your hopes up on your jobs coming to our community.
Please slow down, this will be the biggest decision you will make for this city.
No one has mentioned cost over runs.
Give us the tools to work with.
The government should not be in the business of owning hotels.
I am a libertarian.
I represent the SEIU of Meharry and Metro General, they are the only hospitals in the area they are union.
I am a metro employee I have not gotten a living wage increase in two years.
Please vote no and let the people decide.
I have not gotten a raise either but that’s okay, I want to know about how we are going to pay for this when we don’t have money for anything else.
Folks are losing their homes to foreclosure…that is tax revenue the city does not collect.
I believe in this city and I want what is best for the city of Nashville.
Why are we doing business with Goldman Sach?
Goldman Sach used bonds for the city of San Diego and the city sued them for fraud. Aren’t the Goldman Sach bonds being dumped by China?
Metro school employees’ majority are against this project…we had 400 layoffs for Metro employees last years.
Metro employees have not received their longevity pay for the 2nd year in a row.
I asked 15 council members if there was a risk to the taxpayers, they all said yes.
Nashville has three classes of people; the rich, the potential homeless, and the homeless.
If Metro council members vote for this convention center, they can hang up their political careers.
Professional people built the Titanic and an amateur built Noah’s ark. Which boat would you rather be on?
Nashville Airport spent 60 million on contracts and of that you spent 1.8 million with minorities and you feel good about that?
That’s what the paper said.
This is not personal.
We love to wave and shout and that gets us nothing, we do not need to leave hear without a plan of action.
We have seen the same thing for twenty years; people are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
We have contractors that come into our neighborhoods on minority procurement and a Black contractor is never hired for the jobs.
Who will be policing the subcontracting?
1 million was spent on a disparity study that found Metro’s contracting discriminatory.
Another million was spent and the exact same time was said.
We must add goods and services, unbundle contracts, and offer legal and financing help.
Why are law firms that have not place a bid on MCC being paid, when I won the sub-contract as a minority lawyer and can’t get work from Bone?
I have veto power on financial payments.
The mayor left after fifteen minutes, he is going to have to stop that.
Are these the same folks who did not want May-Town but voting for MCC?
China is dumping Goldman Sach bonds…their bonds are not worthy to be toilet paper!

By the way, the lady who made the reference about Goldman Sach said that without any liquor on her breath and I did not see her sipping from a flask in the hallway. As I said before, folks have become poets about the MCC projects. Whichever way you lean on this issue, for or against, let it be known. Where we go from here is anyone’s guess but I do pray the Metro Council use discernment and common sense. Fancy verbiage is not necessary when one is doing right by the people and our tax dollars.

As for me, I want oversight, transparency, and no fuzzy math. The financing sounds iffy in a down economy to me. Watching how our federal government threw away taxpayer dollars to bail out the banks has me leary. The banks continued with their business as usual attitude and actions which makes me think long and hard of any government entity which says "we will work the details out later but we need this right now or else". We must learn from our mistakes and hold our elected officials accountable; federal, state, and yes, locally. If you are for this project, be proud not defensive. If you believe in the MCC, explaining why 1+1=2 on Monday, should not tie you in a knot on Tuesday. If you are against the building of MCC, don’t be ashamed. But please come with facts not Pius preaching. I know we are in the bible belt but quoting scriptures must not leave folks baffled. Lastly, if you are unsure about the MCC project, don’t be bashful about asking questions…I have. Lots of them!

Mr. Kwame Lillard, I Respectfully Disagree With You

On Sunday, I appeared on a local radio talk show. It was the last show of the year and the top news stories of 2009 were the topics. I was thrilled to be asked. My preparations for the show included analyzing the data from my blog posts hits and the most commented stories on page 4a in the Tennessee Tribune. I went over the data endlessly to make sure I came prepared and informed for the show. My grandfather’s love of historical events and my mother’s fanatical love of reading are deeply planted in my DNA.

My grandfather showed by his example that respect of those who served in the military and the unsung heroes of the civil rights era was honorable. Whenever we met someone from the fifties, sixties, and early seventies who marched alongside Daddy in the struggle for equality, he would introduce them and share a wonderful story about the person with us listening. “You are not going to read this in any history books”, he would start each introduction. I could see the change in posture of the person as Daddy talked about a deed not recognized civically, a gesture gone unnoticed, marches on the battlefield, protests, boycotts – name it and he built the person up. We always walked away feeling as if we met a hero, and the individual walked away feeling proud that his/her sacrifice was not trivialized by today’s standard of leadership. Mr. Joe (Daddy) did not forget the contributions of everyone and was teaching his grandchildren history all in one breath.

With my grandfather in my thoughts, I arrived at the station early with my laptop, copies of The Tennessee Tribune, stories that I have written for the paper that made print/web media outlets in New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles and many other markets with me, as well as my Twitter account up and ready to discuss the news with the listening audience. I sent out numerous tweets to my followers on Twitter to make sure they tuned in online. I felt prepared and ready to share the good, the bad and the ugly top stories of 2009.

Mr. Kwame Lillard was a guest also. I have met him before on several occasions, and I knew he was part of ushering in change in Nashville during the turbulent civil right years. I invited the Oasis Center youth to meet him and others when both of us were honored at JUMP’s 10th Annual Christmas Extravaganza. Mr. Lillard arrived a few minutes before the show was about to go on air and we made small talk. He came with notes scribbled on a piece of paper. I commented that old school meets new school because I was wired and was going to tweet and blog while we were on the air. We started off with friendly banter, and by fifteen after we were discussing national topics regarding the Obama administration’s first year. I noted that his message of change and hope on the campaign trail has not quite resonated yet and that “inherited problems” can no longer be used in 2010. Our host mentioned the ”Skip” Gates debacle that we all agreed was not an issue the President should have commented on without all the facts.

As we shifted from national to local news, one of the top news stories that shook the community was Ms. Joyce Searcy’s, former CEO of Bethlehem Centers of Nashville, new role as Director of Community Relations at Belmont University. Her work at the 1417 Charlotte makes her a case study for servant leadership and community involvement for any college or university.

Mr. Lillard ranted that she was now a pawn working for the enemy and started
booing as I was speaking. This contrasted sharply with his earlier statements on air about his celebrating the first principle of Kwanzaa, Umoja, which mean to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race the night before. I couldn’t respond faster enough to disagree with his enemy comments. He rambled on about the “school buying up parks”. I was dumbfounded. My usually sharp wit was numbed for a second and I had to speak through my astonishment. I quickly remembered he was seventy years old. Back home, telling him what I thought at the moment would have been equivalent to sassing and being disrespectful. Whatever message I had to say to the listeners would have been distracted by my “talking back” even at my age on the air. Others on the show disagreed with Mr. Lillard as well, but his initial comment sent many to my gmail and Twitter accounts in protest. Folks were not happy with his words or actions either. We managed to fumble through an awkward moment live, and the show went on with more educated and meaningful commentary.

We ended on a note to be better in 2010. There were hugs and laughter after the spirited show that was engaging, but my dismay at Mr. Lillard’s comment lasted well beyond the morning’s program. My new school meeting with old school was very disappointing.

Why is it so hard to rejoice in another’s goodness and accolades? The years sitting at my grandfather’s feet has taught me to appreciate and value the struggles that took place before me. As I went from listening to my grandfather to earning the right to converse with him, I told him the battlefield is still there but I fight differently. My fight has always been in the boardroom and the marketplace. That does not negate my grandfather’s advocacy by any means. In his later years, I would often tell Daddy, “Try running a company, keeping your kids out of trouble, being active in civic and networking groups and navigating culture issues at every turn. I am in the fight every day.”

Instead of further dissecting Mr. Lillard’s actions, let me share what I wrote earlier this year about Ms. Searcy.

The evening was bittersweet as many shared stories about Ms. Searcy powerfully impacting their lives. Ms. Searcy, a community Shero and servant leader, retired after 22 years of service and dedication. Ms. Searcy's joyful spirit and sacrificial giving of her time and expertise to anyone who needed a hand up or a shoulder to lean on was acknowledged by all in attendance. Ms. Searcy has received numerous awards and accolades for her leadership and devotion to the community of Nashville and women and young girls nationally and internationally. Nashville's 2008 Athena Award recipient will be greatly missed at Bethlehem, but she promised to continue to lead with passion as she takes on her new role as Director of Community Relations at Belmont University.

Sometimes, we have to be reminded that everyone has a role in moving a community and a nation forward. Ms. Searcy, a civil rights leader in her own right, has worked tirelessly to help thousands who have passed through the doors of BCN and touched the lives of many more nationally and internationally. She does not have to remind others of the work she has done in the community because the fruit of her labor is evident. As we ring in 2010, let’s celebrate and rejoice when others are lifted up as we pass lessons of hope, change and empowerment from one generation to another. Young people truly watch and listen to our words and deeds. We can go from hero to zero in an hour.

I will not attempt to hide my respect for Ms. Searcy and many in the community feel the same way. Thank you, Ms. Searcy for your years of community service. I know you will continue to impact others for generations to come.

Illiterate R. Kelly to "Pen" A Book

Illiterate R. Kelly to “Pen” A Book

Sometimes headlines are meant to be sensational to draw the reader to the story and sometimes some headlines, like the one above, should not be written. Illiterate, should be locked up for life, R. Kelly has inked a deal with Smiley Books to tell his life story. The notorious pedophile will tell his tragic pitiful tale of rags to riches and from women to girls, through Tavis Smiley, to anyone who will buy his story. If this is not a con game, then I don’t know what is.

Mr. Smiley who enlightens, encourages and empowers Black folks will help the community of color understand a high school dropout who can barely read turned child predator by publishing his book sometime in 2011. I don’t know what is worst Mr. Smiley’s press release announcing the upcoming book or R. Kelly claiming he is writing one. Are we to assume he will get a rushed copy of Hook-on- Phonics to help him understand how to spell and write the words he will speak? Mr. Smiley, the promoter of Wells Fargo, originator of bad loans to “mud” people, comes back to the very people he duped promoting flawed financial “products” to sell (I mean promote) a remorseful, suddenly educated, cleaned up, family version of R. Kelly. Please.

Once I got over the disbelief, I felt there were questions that Black folks should ask Mr. Smiley. Not R. Kelly. Why continue to peddle products, services and people who either dumb down or rob the very community you declare to love so greatly? And why do Black media continue to give a pass to Mr. Smiley? “What About Our Daughters” founder, Gina McCauley, was one of the first to address this topic last week on her blog. Mainstream and Black media have bypassed the hypocrisy of this all together. She has an entire list of questions that many should ask of the Smiley Group because inquiring minds that are enlightened, encouraged, and empowered really want to know.

Mr. Smiley’s show is broadcasted on PBS, a public station that relies heavily on donations to stay on air. Do donors want to help promote a taped child molester? The very thought should close purses with super glue to keep any money from escaping. Why R. Kelley? Why now? With the drop out rate of Black and Hispanic males at an all time high and the incarceration rate of black males representing a third of the community, why put R. Kelly back in the spotlight? This message could be misinterpreted to mean drop out and become a pedophile like me…you will be exonerated by the community even if you are guilty and get a book deal. Trifling is not even an adjective for this situation.

Mr. Smiley’s creditability continues to sink. Mr. Smiley goes from writing about holding the President accountable to publishing a book by R. Kelly. I got to give it to him for being creative when sponsorships are getting low. When all else fails, play to the lowest mindset in the community. Some stories you do not have to look for, they write themselves. But why would Mr. Smiley partner with R. Kelly? Smiley Books is part of a co-publishing venture with Hay House, Inc. According to Smiley Books website, “Smiley Books is a general trade book publisher that specializes in quality nonfiction”. Dr. Cornel West and Jeff Johnson are two authors who have written works published through Smiley Books.

R. Kelly will now get billing along side a noted college professor and a change agent who gives commentary on the community “discovering and sharing” information that will empower itself. With the swoosh of the pen a deal is cut with Smiley Books and R. Kelly is redeemed while at the same time releasing a new CD this month where song lyrics mention making love to “Baby Girl” several times. Some of the songs on his new CD are so explicit that the titles could not be read during an interview on the TJMS. From the heart the mouth sings, huh? Is part of the marketing of R. Kelly is praying that folks forget his taped criminal activities?

If this makes you sick and you want to become empowered, check out www.whataboutourdaughters.com . There are thousands who are using their collective voices to not allow this garbage to be dump into the community. If Mr. Smiley wishes to promote R. Kelly by all means do so but don’t use public airwaves to con the public. Enough with the foolishness and as Jeff Johnson would say “truth is power”. A book about R. Kelly is not about enlightening, encouraging, or empowering Black folks and people of color. He is an “opportunity” to make money. At the end of the day, the making money card seems to trump the “enlighten, encourage, and empower” card often.

By the way, why R. Kelly was not included in Mr. Smiley's book "How to make Black America Better"? There goes my inquiring mind again.

Reality TV Spawns

We are right in the middle of the holiday season and Tiger Woods'women are as numerous as Santa’s Reindeer. Renaming Santa’s reindeer to fit the saga would not be right for this wonderful time of year so I will try to keep this post PG rated.

When I read that one of the “alleged” women from Tiger’s den was a reality TV show contestant, I thought “here we go again”. How many women hold a press conference with a celebrity attorney to announce proudly she was someone’s trick? I am blaming this docudrama on the need to feed reality TV folks' insatiable appetite. The world of reality television has spawn folks who are as phony as a three dollar bill at Wal-Mart checkout line for twenty or less items. You wonder why they got in the line knowing their money was not real and had no means to pay for the items.

Look at the national attention that reality television has spawn in the last two months from folks “attempting” to be on reality television. The broke down family who faked their missing child flying in a homemade spaceship gave us endless hours of news that was not news. Two weeks ago, we had a Bravo wanna-be house wife, breaking into reality TV that also included breaking into one of the most secured homes in America, the White House. And Facebook proud of her and chubby hubby's new found fame, I might add.

Prior to those headlines, a reality TV “star” dismembered his wife that he met on a reality TV show earlier this fall that set off a national manhunt. The bizarre antics to become famous are bringing forth folks with mental issues that we know are a little beyond touched. Octomom’s mentality of having a bunch of kids and becoming famous came from watching the once wholesome “family channel”, TLC. This network is fast becoming the livelihood of anyone who is pint size, morbid obese, or whose wife’s womb can hold nine babies until each child weighs an ounce. Sick, sick, sick thinking. That Jon and Kate should have been outlawed the minute she got a free tummy tuck and he got new hair plugs. I knew at that point, the show was going to become a product placement mecca. And did it ever! Companies made millions off of Jon and Kate deals that were signed behind the scenes and pitched to famlies in the very scripted show. (Psst, Jon said most of the show was staged.)

We watched as this family's wholesome image become a nightly punch line in less than five years. That’s tragic folks. While watching this family come unglued, TV audiences were saying, “Yeah, I am going to have ten kids and play a Christian on TV too”. Geez, this is as close to peddling crack that a network can get. If it was not already illegal, I would bag this kind of thinking and sell it on the street corner.

All snark aside, reality TV affects us daily. Our news media is picking up on drama sells model and we are hit over the head with news blended with mayhem. Tiger's mess with his mommy-in-law going to the hospital damn near killed us on Tuesday. We can’t take anymore blond women coming forward. Can we get a red head for variety drama sake? When his mommy-in-law had some kind of something happen to her in the middle of the night and the media could only identify her as a blond hair middle age women, the news anchors went fanatical telling us not news about the war, the economy, unemployment or the housing market. That would be real news to real people. We were held hostage with titillating tidbits on who the new woman maybe. The speculation was spawned by the anchors that were getting “tips” from unnamed garbage collectors. Please. Give me the news, please.

When Comcast decided to buy NBC Universal which included Bravo, owners of Ho-wives of Atlanta, OC, New York, New Jersey and soon DC; the value of the news division in the deal was zero. That’s right zero. NBC News division had no value to Comcast. The part of the company that suppose to inform the world about truth when it reports the news, had no value in a deal that was worth nearly $14 billion cash. Now that should scare us more than the war on terror ever did! What was lucrative and valuable to Comcast was the cable division that produces the foolishness that we see nightly. Less facts more drama, God help us all!

Now don’t call me prudish, I am not saying watching reality TV is bad. What I am addressing is how reality TV mentality is effecting how we interact with one another in everyday life. At this stage of my life, too much drama is just too much. We have too many needs in our country to become pawns in the games that spawns of reality television play to become famous. Even in the news division. How the news is delivered has become unreal to many who would appreciate some professionalism without the drama. Comedy shows are becoming top rated for making fun of the news media's lack of reporting the news and the media's rush to report drama staged for a comeback or a spawn's audition.

We see the devil don’t care attitudes of reality TV spawns and the need to be seen at whatever the cost, even if it may hurt one of their own family members or risk national security. What drives this is our media’s willingness to give the spawns a platform to escape discussing real issues with real people. I am praying that we curb the desire to participate in foolishness and granting fake-drama-driven people megaphones to announce their deeds to world. You slept with Tiger Woods you say. Okay. Here’s your award, now go feed a starving child. Next.

In the meantime, the going rate for announcing you are one of Tiger Woods’ concubines is as cheap as bottle of blond bleach, 4.99.

Genma Holmes Recognized for Advocacy Work for Nashville Teens

The Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership, Inc. (JUMP) will hold its annual Christmas Extravaganza, December 6, 2009 at the 15th Avenue Baptist Church at 6:00 p.m. “This year's event will include taking a walk on the “RED CARPET” with the BEST of the BEST”. The Candlelight awards is an attempt to show appreciation to those individuals who have shown leadership in the African American community," said Mrs. Sharon Hurt, Executive Director of JUMP. "It is a small award in comparison to the value of the service they provide." Those being honored with Candlelight Awards will include Mr. Billy Cox - World Renowned Bassist, Ms. Genma Holmes - Blogger, Entrepreneur, Dr. Melvin Johnson - President - Tennessee State University, The Honorable Edith Taylor Langster - Councilwoman District 21, Mr. Billy Lynch - Director - Metro Nashville Public Works Department and the distinguished Vintage Award to Interdenominational Minister’s Fellowship (IMF) for their unyielding service to the citizenry of Nashville.

Genma Holmes is being recognized for her advocacy and leadership efforts to raise awareness and money to support youth programs in the North Nashville area non-profits like Grace Eaton and the Oasis Center. Holmes uses her blog www.genmaspeaks.com to bring attention to many issues facing youth regionally and nationally.

Also, results of the People's Choice Awards will be presented that night. We will get to see who the customers like the most. Categories voted on were: Best Barber, Best Barber Shop, Best Hair Salon, Best Stylist, Best Chicken, Best Fish, Best Meat and Three, Best Restaurant, Best Specialty Shop and Best Business. "JUMP appreciates the determination and dedication business owners have shown over the years in overcoming the many and varied obstacles to stay in business," said Mrs. Hurt. "We want them to know we share in their commitment.

Sharon Hurt, Executive Director
Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership
1215 9th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37208
(615) 726-5867

Photos above from Nashville's First Teen Job Fair held (March) and Nashville First Teen "Stop the Violence" Rally(November)