Fran Zinder, Joy Mckenzie, and Charlotta Janssen on Living Your Best Life Radio Show

Living Your Best Life Radio Show with Genma Holmes celebrates Artober Nashville with the Frist Center. Tune in as we shine the spotlight on art, culture, community and the Frist Center’s leadership that "inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways." Each week, we will hear from individuals who will share how the Frist Center carries out its mission to present and originate high quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach that have been recognized throughout Middle Tennessee, nationally, and around the world.

Living Your Best Life Radio Show can be heard on 880 AM from 10am-12noon CST in the Nashville-Middle Tennessee Area or on UStream.TV worldwide.







Join us Saturday, October 29, 2011 as we meet two fascinating and adventurous teachers, Fran Zinder and Joy McKenzie, who spent part of their summer vacation teaching students enrolled in SMART Moves (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training), a six-week summer program for kids at risk, designed to broaden their experiences and to help them in decision-making. Fran Zinder, an art teacher at Apollo Junior High School, and Joy McKenzie, a Professor at Watkins College of Art, Design, and Film, will share about their summer adventure with Apollo's teens that included a trip to the Frist Center to examine the work of photographer Vesna Pavlovic'. To learn more about their collaborative work with the teens click here.

Charlotta Janssen

We will also hear from artist Charlotta Janssen. Ms. Janssen's, Threads of a Story: History Inspiring Art, opened in Nashville on June 18, 2011 at the Nashville Public Library. Hear how the Freedom Riders mug shots (normally a sign of shame and criminality) inspired Janssen to work for a year and a half to tell their story of epic courage with paint, rust, and collages. Jannseen work has received great reviews in Nashville and is featured on Oprah.com.



To purchase copies of prints or giclees from this exhibit go here.

On Saturday, November 5, 2011, the Nashville chapter of the NAACP will host its annual Freedom Fund Gala fundraiser. This year, 11 Freedom Riders from the Nashville area will be honored by the NAACP for their bravery and enduring hardships that paved the way for desegregated travel in America.

Five other influential individuals from this time period are also being honored; Mr. George Barrett, Justice A. A. Birch, Jr. (posthumously), Rev. Dr. James Lawson, Mr. John Seigenthaler, Sr., Rev. Dr. Kelly Miller Smith, Sr. (posthumously). For more information about the event, contact 615-414-0618.

Michael McBride and Michael Brechner on Living Your Best Life Radio Show

Living Your Best Life Show with Genma Holmes celebrates Artober Nashville with the Frist Center. Tune in as we shine the spotlight on art, culture, community and the Frist Center’s leadership that "inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways." Each week, we will hear from individuals who will share how the Frist Center carries out its mission to present and originate high quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach that have been recognized throughout Middle Tennessee, nationally, and around the world.

On Saturday, October 22, 2011 we will be joined by renown artist, educator, and a member of the Frist Center Board of Trustees, Michael McBride and Director of Design & Operations for the Frist Center, Michael Brechner. Michael McBride will share how his background as an artist and an educator help guides the vision and mission of the Frist Center. Michael Brechner will take us behind the scenes and share about the implementation of an exhibit at the Frist Center. He will share details about the Frist Center exhibits that are not found in the pages of an exhibition guide.

In the Nashville-Middle Tennessee region, Living Your Best Life Radio can be heard live on 880AM and on Ustream.TV worldwide from 10am-12pm CST.


Michael McBride




Michael J. McBride, a native Tennessean, earned his undergraduate degree in art, from Tennessee State University and his graduate degree in painting from Illinois State University, where he credits Dr. Harold Gregor with providing a world class artistic mentorship. Currently, he is an instructor of art at Tennessee State University. McBride has also taught at Watkins College of Art and Design and Film school. McBride's commitment to the Nashville art world's future has always been at the forefront of his own career.

McBride has been the lead artist on many community-based projects in Nashville like the Sister Cities Mural Projects as well as Nashville International Airport's Arts in the Airport program. In addition to serving as a Trustee for the Frist Center, McBride also serves on the Board of Family and Children Services.

McBride's work was featured in Visions of My People: Sixty-years of African American art in Tennessee, an exhibit organized by the Tennessee State Museum. One of his pieces is part of their permanent collection. He was one of twelve Nashville artists selected by The Tennessean newspaper for inclusion in the Millennium 2000 Collection, a signal honor. McBride was was also chosen for Side by Side Sister Cities exhibition with Belfast, Northern Ireland. This exhibition featured 17 artists from Nashville and 17 artists from Ireland. In the summer of 2005, McBride completed a ten weeks artist in residence program in Bermuda with the Master Works Museum of Bermuda Art. His current body of work titled “Too Black Too Fast” is a traveling exhibition of art about African-American jockeys and trainers. McBride’s work is included in both private and corporate collections in the US and abroad. His work has been featured on television sitcoms, such as "Living Single", "The Wayans Bros. Show", and "The Jamie Foxx Show". McBride has also illustrated children's books and book covers for several publishing groups. To see more of Michael McBride's work click here and here .

Michael Brechner



Michael Brechner is the Director of Design & Operations at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Mr. Brechner joined the Frist Center staff in 2004 as the Exhibition Designer. He has over 30 years of museum exhibition design experience. Before coming to Nashville, he was employed as the Chief Designer of the Cincinnati Art Museum. He has also served as the head of the design and installation departments at The Speed Art Museum (Louisville, KY), and the University of Kentucky Art Museum (Lexington, KY).


A Divine Light: Northern Renaissance Paintings from Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery; Tracey Snelling: Woman on the Run; Maria Magdalena Compos-Pons: Journeys; The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt; Lyrical Traditions: Chinese Paintings from the Papp Collection; and The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957 are among the many exhibitions that Mr. Brechner has designed for the Frist Center.

Photo Credits: Frist Center for Visual Arts, Michael McBride and Genma Holmes

Other stories and radio interviews:
Dr. Tommy Frist, Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville and Professor William Luis

Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Neil Leonard, and Emily Harper Beard

Dr. Susan Edwards Knighted By Consul General of France

Susan Edwards

My Very Special Frist Center Adventure

Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Neil Leonard, and Emily Haper Beard on Living Your Best Life Radio Show

Living Your Best Life Radio Show with Genma Holmes celebrates Artober Nashville with the Frist Center. Tune in as we continue to shine the spotlight on art, culture, community and the Frist Center’s leadership that "inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways."




On Saturday, October 15, 2011 we will be joined by world renown artist, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, one of the most significant artists to emerge from the Cuban post-revolutionary era, and her husband, Neil Leonard, an internationally recognized composer. The powerful artistic team and founders of G.A.S.P Gallery of Boston will share about their week-long residency at Vanderbilt which has included dual exhibits of Campos-Pons work at the Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, panel discussions, receptions, and a family collaborate intimate performance art piece. The individual lectures by the artistic duo and residency are sponsored by the Vanderbilt University Department of Art, Center for Latin American Studies, Department of History of Art, Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery, Program in African American and Diaspora Studies, Atlantic World Seminar, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy, Neil Leonard, and the College of Arts and Science.

We will also hear from the Frist Center’s go too, hands on, out and about, Community Relations Manager, Emily Harper Beard. Emily will share how she and the Frist Center’s Education outreach team, Shaun Giles and Rosemary Swain Brunton, take the vision and mission of the Frist Center beyond its Broadway address to classrooms, non-profits, groups and organizations, and to various events throughout the Middle Tennessee region.

Living Your Best Life Radio Show can be heard on 880 AM in the Nashville-Middle Tennessee area and on Ustream.TV worldwide from 10am-12pm CST.

Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons


Born in 1959, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons was raised in the Cuban province of Matanzas. Campos-Pons was educated in Cuba at the National School of Art (1976-1979) and Instituto Superior de Arte (1980-1985). She graduated from Massachusetts College of Art in 1988 and now lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, with her husband, Neil Leonard and their son.

Campos-Pons creates photographs, video, and multimedia installations that tell the story of the survival of African cultures by evoking rites, myths, and narratives that have evolved through generations. Her work symbolically follows the history of the slave trade from her family’s origin in Nigeria to Cuba, where they worked in the sugar industry, to present-day Boston, where Campos-Pons now works and teaches.

Her works have been exhibited in the United States, Canada, Japan, Norway, France, Italy, and Cuba. She was represented in the Johannesburg Biennial and has had a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Campos-Pons’ powerful attachment to her cultural African heritage is one that she has never experienced directly but its presence in the rites and myths of her childhood make her a Cuban transplanted in the United States, an exile twice over.

Most recently, the Guangzhou Triennial in China hosted her work. A 20-year retrospective of Campos-Pons’ work, Everything is Separated by Water: María Magdalena Campos-Pons, opened in Indianapolis in 2006 and traveled to the Bass Museum in Miami.

During her life, she has received many awards and recognitions like the "Mention of Honor", in 1986 in the XVIIIème Festival International de la Peinture, Château Musée, Cagnes Sur Mer, Francia. In 1990 Painting Fellowship, The Banff Centre for the Arts, Alberta, Canada, in 1992 Foreign Visiting Artist Grant, Media Arts, Canada Council, Canada, in 1994 Bunting Fellowship. Mary Ingraham Bunting Institute, Radcliffe Research and Study Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A and in 1995 Art Reach 95 Award, National Congress of Art & Design, Salt Lake City, Utah, EE.UU.

While in Nashville, the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recognized Campos-Pons for her contributions to international cultural with an award for "Outstanding Hispanic Professional Achievement Award in Art" at its 7th Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration and Awards Ceremony held on Thursday, October 13, 2011.

For more info on her dual exhibits at the Frist Center and Vanderbilt go here. A list of exhibitions can be found here.

Neil Leonard


Leonard is one of the most inventive and adventuresome artist in new music today. Leonard's work has ranged from traditional jazz performance, solo concerts for saxophone and electronics, collaborations with top Cuban musicians, works for orchestra as well as sound and music for dance, theater, performance and installation.

Leonard's collaborative work with visual artist Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons was featured by the 49th Venice Biennial, Museum of Modern Art (NYC), purchased by the National Gallery of Canada and presented by the U.S. State Department at Dakar Biennial. Leonard composed the music for Relatives, by Tony Oursler and Constance DeJong that was featured by the Whitney Biennial and the ICA (Boston).

His ensemble and collective projects featured Marshall Allen, Bruce Barth, Don Byron, Uri Caine, Kenwood Dennard, Robin Eubanks, Frank Lacy, Oriente Lopez, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Badal Roy, Jamaaladeen Tacuma. Leonard’s "Dreaming of an Island", (for orchestra, electronics and live-video) was premiered by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. Leonard's composition Totems was premiered at Carnegie Hall by Byron and Caine. Leonard's "Echoes and Footsteps" was featured by the Tel Aviv Biennial for New Music, Issue Project Room (NYC) and the Auditorium di Roma. To learn more about the composer click here and here.

Emily Harper Beard



Emily Harper Beard, formerly Communications Coordinator at the Frist Center, recently moved into the Community Relations Manager position where she works with a variety of community groups and audiences to help promote the Frist Center’s mission. Prior to working at the Frist Center, she received her B.A. in graphic design from Middle Tennessee State University and worked at Animax Design—a puppet shop in Nashville which creates characters for live shows, film, and television. She continues to be an active artist in and supporter of Nashville’s growing arts scene.

To learn more about community partners, educational programs, and affinity days at the Frist Center click here and here.

Photos: Neil Leonard,Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Susan Edwards, and Katie Delmez;Joesph Mella and Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons; and Emily Harper Beard courtesy of Genma Holmes

CD cover, art, and photo of Campos-Pons and Leonard courtesy of Campos-Pons and Leonard

Article written by: Chuck Beard
Chuck Beard is an active volunteer in the Nashville community. He works tirelessly to bring attention to those in need by bringing the music and art community together to raise funds and awareness to causes near and dear to his heart.

Dr. Tommy Frist, Chinese Arts Alliance Nashville, and Professor William Luis on Living Your Best Life Radio Show

Living Your Best Life Show with Genma Holmes celebrates Artober Nashville with the Frist Center. Tune in as we shine the spotlight on art, culture, community and the Frist Center’s leadership that "inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways." Each week, we will hear from individuals who will share how the Frist Center carries out its mission to present and originate high quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach that have been recognized throughout Middle Tennessee, nationally, and around the world.

On Saturday, October 8, 2011, we will be joined by Dr. Tommy Frist, Jr., Chairman of the boards for The Frist Center and The Frist Foundation and Chairman Emeritus of Hospital Corporation of America; Jen-Jen Lin, Director of Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville; and Dr. William Luis Professor of Spanish at Vanderbilt University and Editor of Afro Hispanic Review. In the Nashville-Middle Tennessee region, Living Your Best Life Radio can be heard live on 880AM and on Ustream.TV worldwide from 10am-12pm CST.

Dr. Tommy Frist, Jr.

Dr. Tommy Frist will share from the annals of Nashville’s history about the Frist Center's early years. Hear how his family and the Frist Foundation embarked on a venture to transform an old post office into an art museum that started in the 1990s. They implemented an interesting public/private venture between the Frist Foundation, the U.S. Postal Service, and the city of Nashville. The Frist Center opened its doors as a non-collecting museum to the public in April, 2001.

Chinese Arts Alliance Nashville, Director Jen-Jen Lin


The Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville (CAAN), a Frist Center community partner organization, was organized to promote the awareness, understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of Chinese visual arts and performing arts by presenting fine Chinese visual arts, crafts, performing artists and culture to the public. Their activities include seminars, art exhibitions, classroom teaching, educational workshops, and public programs for children and adults.

Jen-Jen will share about her involvement with the Frist Center’s Connecting Cultures Exhibit and the upcoming show at the Nashville Public Library, We Are One. We Are One celebrates the diverse ethnic groups in Chinese culture with various dances. This presentation includes dances representing Han people, Manchu people, Mogols, Chinese Muslims, and Tibetans.

To learn more about CAAN click here


Afro-Cuban Chinese Heritage

William Luis is the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Spanish at Vanderbilt University. He has held teaching positions at Dartmouth College, Yale University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Binghamton University. Luis has published thirteen books and more than one hundred articles. His authored books include Literary Bondage: Slavery in Cuban Narrative (1990), Dance Between Two Cultures: Latino Caribbean Literature Written in the United States (1997), Culture and Customs of Cuba (2001), Lunes de Revolución: Literatura y cultura en los primeros años de la Revolución Cubana (2003), Juan Francisco Manzano: Autobiografía del esclavo poeta y otros escritos (2007), and Bibliografía y antología crítica de las vanguardias del Caribe: Cuba, Puerto Rico y República Dominicana (2010). Also, Luis is Editor of the Afro-Hispanic Review. Born and raised in New York City of a Chinese father and a Cuban mother, Luis is widely regarded as a leading authority on Latin American, Caribbean, Afro-Hispanic, and Latino U.S. literatures.
Read William Luis Curriculum VITe here

Photo Credits: Dr.Tommy Frist with Genma Holmes and Terriance Moody, CEO of Dream Systems, LLC courtesy of the Frist Center
We Are One-CAAN
Professor William Luis and Mayor Karl Dean-Vanderbilt Press

Hal Cato's Farewell to the Oasis Center: The Crazy Ones

The Crazy Ones from Hal Cato on Vimeo.

Dr. Susan Edwards Knighted By Consul General of France

The Frist Center's Executive Director, Dr. Susan H. Edwards, was decorated as a Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres (Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters) in a ceremony at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. The medal was presented by the Consul General of France, Pascal Le Deunff.

Dr. Edwards was recognized for her significant contributions to the art and the culture of France.

Consul General Pascal Le Deunff remarks to Dr. Susan Edwards at Chevalier Award ceremony held at the Frist Center on September 23, 2011:

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
Dear Susan,

It is both a pleasure and a privilege to be here in Nashville with you today to honor a truly exceptional woman, visionary, ambassador of the arts, and precious friend of France, Dr. Susan Edwards.

Susan, your passion for art has been a driving force in every step of your professional career, which is clearly reflected on your curriculum vitae, but even more so in your community. Before arriving in Nashville, you spent a considerable amount of time in New York where you received your PhD in Art History from City University of New York in 1995. During your time as Curator at Hunter College of the City University of New York from 1987 to 1998, your drive and artistic vision was exemplified by the over twenty art exhibitions that you originated, and was affirmed in 1997 when you were named a Founding Fellow at the Liguria Study Center for the Arts and Humanities in Genoa, Italy.

You further honed your skills as Executive Director of the Katonah Museum in Katonah, New York from 1998 to 2004. But of course, your exemplary commitment to the arts spread far beyond the walls of museums. In addition to your book, Ben Shahn and the Task of Photography in Thirties America, you have also published numerous articles on modern and contemporary artists, material, culture, and photography-- of which you are a specialist -- as well as several exhibition catalogues, further establishing yourself as a known expert in the world of visual arts in the United States. You have also brought your knowledge and expertise to many schools and universities, including New York University, Queens College/CUNY, School of Visual Arts, New York, and Vanderbilt, where you are currently Adjunct Associate Professor.

As a recognized member of the art community, you continue to make contributions, serving on the advisory boards of the Bogliasco Foundation, Harvard University Art Museums and Collection Committee, and the Stephen Taller Archive at Harvard University. And all of these eminent accomplishments and contributions to the art community are only the half of it.

Your work at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts here in Nashville, Tennessee has been in a league of its own. From the very onset of your career as Executive Director in 2004, you’ve offered Nashville and beyond an ambitious, diverse, and multicultural program that has truly lived up to the vision of the Frist Center of “inspiring people through art to look at the world in new ways.” In addition to the spectacular array of art exhibited, your programming has demonstrated and reinforced an exceptional friendship with France. In only six years, you’ve consecrated more than ten expositions to French culture and artists. From “Les Chemins de l’Impressionisme, paysages français et américains du Worchester Art Museum” to Matisse, Picasso and the School of Paris Masterpieces from the Baltimore Museum of Art, Rodin, A Magnificent Obsession, sculpture from the Iris and B Gerald Cantor Foundation to Twilight Visions : Surrealisme, Photography and Paris”, your high, your high quality exhibitions have been both multi-disciplinary and extremely tangible, offering educational programs and community outreach activities that have brought French culture closer to the Southeast.

Most recently, it is thanks to your efforts that the Frist Center became one of only two institutions in the United States – making Nashville one of three cities in the world to present the exhibition "The Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay”. Displaying 100 paintings from the permanent collection of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, you’ve provided the Southeast with an unparalleled cultural experience. This further demonstrates your excellent intuition and entrepreneurial sensitivity. Indeed, the echoes from exhibitions and events have reached far beyond the boundaries of Nashville and Tennessee. Your leadership has brought the Frist Center to new heights, giving it national visibility and recognition and turning it into one of the premier art centers in the Southeast.

Your remarkable contributions to advancing cultural relations between France and the United States are commendable and worthy of the distinction that you are receiving today. It is a great honour partnering with you and we look forward to strengthening this relationship with you and with the Frist Center for the Arts in the years and projects to come.

Dear Susan, to render homage to your commitment to artistic efforts and actions, au nom de la République, nous vous faisons Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.




Dr.Susan Edwards Acceptance Speech



"Consul General Pascal Le Deunff, Honorarie Consul Madame Amelie De Gaulle, Madame Chevalier Hazel Joyner-Smith, et invités distingués. C'est mon honeur d’ accepter la medaille de Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et lettres de le part du comité administrateur et du personnel du Frist Center. Merci beaucoup. Maintenant, je voudrais continuer in anglais, s’il vous plait"

Consul General Le Deunff, Honorary Consul Amelie De Gaulle, fellow Chevalier Hazel Joyner-Smith and distinguished guests, I am deeply honored to accept the medal of the Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters on behalf of the Board of Trustees and the staff of the Frist Center. I am grateful to M. Frederic Mitterrand, the French Minister of Culture and Communication and the people of France. I thank Consul General Le Deunff and Carole Scipion, the French Cultural Attache in Atlanta, for placing my name in nomination, and Ellen Pryor and Angela Butler for keeping my nomination secret -- even from me – for the past year.

I am pleased to receive a Chevalier at this point in my life and career, after youthful arrogance has mellowed. It is not false modesty to acknowledge the role of many others in this award. Great accomplishments are rarely the result of one person’s endeavors, rather they come about through the combined efforts of visionaries such as Tommy Frist, the relentless promotion of a Ken Roberts, the steady direction and leadership of Billy Frist, as well as the assistance and professionalism of colleagues, co-workers, and friends.

The Chevalier acknowledges my passion for all things French and a twenty-year history of working on exhibitions, film series, and literary projects that promote French arts and culture. There is no doubt in my mind, however, that the pinnacle of my visibility was our 2010 exhibition "The Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay."

I am grateful to Guy Cogeval, President of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, for allowing their extraordinary 19th-century paintings to be presented in Nashville. The exhibition would not have come to Nashville without the support of Tommy and Trish Frist, Janet and Jim Ayers and Marlene and Spencer Hays, who made the lead gifts that gave us the courage to move forward with the project. Mark Scala, Chief Curator at the Frist Center, worked closely with Stéfane Guegan at the Musée d’Orsay to refine the checklist for our venue. For considerable efforts on « The Birth of Impressionism » and their devotion to our mission, I remain eternally grateful to our founders, trustees, members of our advisory councils, and the entire staff at the Frist Center.

For assistance on previous projects devoted to French culture, I should like to acknowledge colleagues and collaborators here at the Frist Center and from New York: Thérèse Lichtenstein, Jane Roos, Catherine Bernard, Laura Schor, Alice Zimet, Annette Blaugrund, Jeanine Plottel, Philippe Lalliot and Annie Cohen-Solal.

I want to thank Ellen Pryor, Kathy Demonbreun, Angela Butler, Brandon Gnetz, and Karen Gwaltney for planning this day for us. Thank you for being here. Please stay and join us for some refreshments.

Once again, I thank Cultural Attache Carole Scipion, Consul General Pascal Le Deunff, and the French government for this great honor.

Richard Diggs and Tia Brewer-Footman Share How A Bleak Economy Did Not Stop their Determination to Succeed

The more the well paid television pundits feed us hype that the sky is falling, the more individuals are coming forward to inform us that the sky is really blue and does not have a ceiling! Join Genma Holmes on Living Your Best Life Radio Show as we continue to talk to entrepreneurs who are soaring in the big blue yonder and taking quite a number of individuals with them.

Meet savvy individuals whose walks of faith have lead them down the road to success and garnered national attention by being steady and determined when others said it could not or should not happen. They have taken their success and served their communities by teaching others with heart and soul. Listen to Richard Diggs, CEO of Alexandria Pest Services and Tia Brewer-Footman empower, inspired, and motivate you to live your best life. Saturday, from 10am-12pm on 880 AM, The Big Mouth, in the Nashville market with Genma Holmes and on Ustream.TV

Richard Diggs, CEO of Alexandria Pest Services
(On cover Genma Holmes, Richard Diggs, Lenny Carter, and Ka Tsu)


Richard Diggs is the owner of Alexandria Pest Services, Inc., a growing pest and termite control business located in Alexandria, Virginia. Mr. Diggs has been employed by the pest control industry for more than 25 years. Rising from an entry level field technician to owner of a business employing more than 30 individuals. He is an accomplished corporate strategist and marketer with extensive experience in commercial, construction, governmental and residential contracts for pest, turf, ornamental birds and wood destroying pest control services.

Mr. Diggs began his career at a major pest control company as a commercial and residential technician. He quickly rose up the ranks as a regional sales manager and technical adviser. His rapid accession to high sales closer did not go unnoticed, he won several awards as Sales Person of the Year. In December, 1993, he established Diggs Pest Control in Arlington, Virginia. From 1994 thru 1999, Diggs Pest Control grew from a single employee to a staff of more than 20. Without commercial advertising, Diggs Pest Control contracted with over 3100 residential and commercial clients. In December, 1999, Mr. Diggs sold Diggs Pest Control to a leading Fortune 500 Company. In 2000, Mr. Diggs, together with his son Richard Jr., formed Alexandria Pest Services, Inc. (APS). Today APS is a leader in the local industry with over 3800 residential, commercial, state & local, and Federal clients in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. APS employs more than a dozen certified and registered technicians, on-staff entomologist, outstanding accountant and clerical staff. APS has achieved market share as well as recognition in a highly competitive industry. In 2009, Alexandria Pest Services spun off Asian Pest Services, a pest control company that services the undeserved Asian community on the East Coast. both companies have seen exponential growth within the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area as well as exploding into the national marketplace. Utilizing the latest technologies and research, the Mr. Diggs companies are well placed to make an impact not only in the local market, but nationally and international.

Mr. Diggs is a member of the National Pest Management Association Inc., co-founder of Minorities in Pest Management (MPM) Council, Chairman of MPM mentoring group in the U.S, a member of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, a member of the National Register's Who's Who, member of St. John Baptist Church Board of Trustee, Executive Committee, and the recipient of various community and industry awards. His ethical values form the cornerstone of his business practices. Mr. Diggs sponsors numerous events to train individuals interested careers in the pest control industry and entrepreneurship.

Mr. Diggs companies have ab "Outstanding" rating with the GSA. Mr. Diggs has been recognized nationally for his work with Minorities in Pest Management and has received numerous awards for his work in Fairfax County and Washington, DC inner cities. Read more about Alexdrian Pest Services here and Asian Pest Services



Tia Brewer-Footman has worked as an award winning journalist and television news anchor. Her community appeal and passion for her work helped to create one of the highest rated CBS-affiliated morning shows in the country. Her media experience spans across nearly 10 years in the industry as a former radio personality, reporter and television anchor for such affiliates as CBS, ABC and FOX.

After transitioning from television news, Tia and her husband Gerald
Footman founded Footman-Brewer Enterprises, LLC (FBE).This multicultural marketing consulting, publishing and special events firm produces a southeastern African American beauty and healthy living publication entitled “Hair Etc. Magazine.” Marketing consulting and special event coordination support has been provided to current and past clients such as McDonald’s, Johnson Products, Soft-Sheen Carson and Mizani (L’Oreal’s ethnic brands), American Heart Association (AHA), American Cancer Society (ACS), Clear Essence Cosmetics, the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment (NABFEME), the BET Foundation, University of South Carolina’s Center for Cancer Research (USC-CCCR), etc.

In addition to helping other companies succeed, specially created FBE initiatives such as the Beauty Barber Network, formerly the Shop Talk Movement was founded. This evidenced based initiative trains African American hairstylists and barbers on the latest in health and industry information in an effort to educate and save the lives of beauty professionals and their clients. The latest FBE project is the McDonald’s Choir Showcase Tour, a multicultural faith-based consumer relations program conducted in key southeastern US markets.

Aside from the work Tia produces under her company umbrella, she is no stranger to the camera or the stage as she has made guest appearances on the CW’s (formerly WB) “One Tree Hill”, featured in Walt Disney commercial print ads and videos, Steve Harvey national campaign ad, Mercedes Benz campaign ad, numerous commercials, infomercials, PSA’s, radio and online campaigns for corporate clients throughout the US.

As a State Finalist to the 2000 Miss Georgia USA Pageant and former Miss Savannah State University(1998), Tia’s love for pageantry is what prompted her to also own and direct both the Mrs. South Carolina United States and the Miss Black Teen Charleston Scholarship Pageant along with creating ”T-Time Girls”, a non-profit etiquette, leadership development and public speaking program for young ladies.

Tia is passionate about the community and has received numerous honors for her involvement. Tia was recently recognized by the Charleston Regional Business Journal as a 2011 Top 40 Under 40, Post & Courier's Newspaper’s Top Influential Woman under the Age of 40; the Bethune Leonard Section of the National Council of Negro Women’s Young Innovators under 35 Award and featured in the June 2008 edition of High Profiles within the Post & Courier. Also under her belt is a day named in her honor. Mayor Joe Riley proclaimed October 8, as "Tia Brewer Day" in the City of Charleston, South Carolina.

Tia is the founder of the Live 5 News Golden Apple Award and recipient of the Georgia State Department of Education’s School Bell Media Award for Best News Series on School Violence.Her community work spans from serving as the National Ambassador to the inaugural Power to End Stroke Campaign (American Stroke Association), Susan G. Komen’s Circle of Promise Ambassador, Member of the Medical University of South Carolina’s Center for Community Health Partnerships Board, University of South Carolina’s Health Disparities Research Network, Charleston’s Minority Business Development Advisory Board (appointed by Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley), Board of Directors for the North Charleston Housing Authority, Advisory Board Member to the Women’s & Children Shelter S.O.L.D. (appointed by North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey), former member of the Harbour Clubs’ Young Executive Council, Jr. League of Charleston, Charleston County Safe and Orderly Schools Advisory Board, YWCA Board of Directors, United Methodist Relief Center Board of Directors and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

For more information about McDonald's Choir Show Case here
Read more about previous Hair and Health Expo here
Order Copy of Public Speaking Super Powers book featuring Tia Brewer-Footman here

30 Days to Losing Weight brought on by Emotional Eating

I have never blogged about losing weight. I have read numerous posts over the years from other bloggers sharing their weight loss stories, but I never thought it was an issue I would write about for my readers. But surely as a blogger lives, a blogger grows; mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes, to my dismay, physically.

I have worked out and walked regularly to stay healthy and slim all of my adult life. I have many reminders from my family tree of what obesity looks like and countless ill family members. Having modeled off and on for many years, I know that staying fit is necessary to getting booked. After I turned 40, being healthy overshadowed vanity. Now, well into my 40s, I am learning that my fight with weight is often a fight with eating for emotional comfort. For the last ten years, several family crises led me to late-night snacking that contributed to spikes in my weight. Family issues like my older son’s surprising marriage, a teen daughter's determination to see the whole family all in hell, along with the devastating loss of my grandfather in 2007 contributed to weight gains that I fought and won over the years, but my weight gain pandemonium reached its highest level this past year.

In 2010, my youngest son, known affectionately as Baby Boy, abruptly decided to join the Marines and the family’s drama queen came on with all the fury of Hurricane Katrina. Again. Not to mention my beloved grandmother has been ill throughout the year. I internalized all my frustrations and anxiety without realizing it. Working late at night and reaching for "something" crunchy became a nightly habit.

My weight crept up slowly on me. I was walking but not being attentive to working out. I learned some time ago that in order to prevent genetic health issues and weight gain, I needed more than walking to keep my weight down. I added Zumba and weightlifting to my workout routines. When I became an empty nester, my beloved workout plan included exercising in the mornings and afternoons. That time was carefully carved out and rarely interrupted. All of that changed when my adult children came home this summer.

In May, my baby boy, returned from Camp Legumes. Elated to have him home, I was at his beck and call. Who says no to a Marine? In June, my drama queen moved back home for a few short months. Within a few days of everyone dropping their bags in the middle of my living room floor, I became a taxi driver, a caretaker, and "mommy" again to grown children. Add worrying about my grandmother to my tornadic family life and I was a perfect storm for gaining weight. “God help me”, became my daily plea. My little home became too small for my own shadow. Claustrophobia started settling in, quickly. The pressure from all the issues happening at once got to be unbearable. Did I share that I started a radio show somewhere in the middle of all of this mayhem?

Over the summer, I became a size thick a term I learned from my sons. Nothing’s wrong with being thick, they reassured me often, but I saw someone in the mirror who has gained enough weight to make two of me. When the children eventually left home for school and work, I challenged myself to lose my "baby boy" weight, 25 pounds. I got my doctor’s approval last week.

I thought I would share my routines and goals with Genma Speaks readers and to my radio show, Living Your Best Life, audience.

When I was at my desired weight, I walked five to seven miles a day, rain or shine. Often, I combined a Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds walk indoors with a two-mile walk outdoors, if the weather cooperated. I also worked out three times a week on my gazelle. Last year, I added Zumba on Monday evenings. Zumba was fun and gave me time to spend with others having sweaty fun. I was not a workout fanatic by any means, but my stress levels were kept at bay. Running two businesses comes with an anxiety clause. Anxiety has been a key issue in my gaining weight.

I have kept journals for years that soaked up the ups and downs of my life, but today is my first time blogging about my weight. I was motivated by other women who have blogged about their weight loss journey. I was never one to follow the crowd, but why not share? Public scrutiny can have its downside. But publicly engaging others on an issue that many struggle with can have many positive outcomes, if not for me, for those who are in the same situation.

I was encouraged by reading others’ weight loss journeys on the web and attending Cindy N. Landham’s class two summers ago, which I want to take a second time this fall.

Wish me luck as I find my figure (and sanity) and put a summer of stress behind me.

Day 1, Monday, September 19, 2011 my workout included a Leslie Sansone Walk At Home five mile fat burning walk and 20 minutes on my Gazelle. I worked up a serious sweat and felt the burn.

Here is a website that I spent days reading: Black Woman's Weight Loss Blog

P.S. No, I do not expect to lose 25 pounds in 30 days...I am hoping to update my blog for 30 days about losing weight.

Scott Gordon, Ellen Cagnassola, and Chip Ivie on Living Your Best Life Radio Show

Join Genma Holmes on Living Your Best Life Radio Show. During the month of September, we will feature entrepreneurs and business leaders who will offer solutions and inspirations for those in the marketplace who are searching for jobs or needing motivation to follow their heart (and head) to start a business.

Downturns in the economy maybe just the motivation one needs to seek another career path and or a second income. On today’s show, hear from those who have turned off the “jobs, jobs, jobs” doomsayers on the punditry circuit and turned on the power of seeing an opportunity instead of fear.

We will look at the booming tech industry where jobs are plentiful but often overlooked with Scott Gordon, 2010 Nashville Blogger of the year and Partner at Vaco, Sweet Soap’s sensation and marketing maverick, Ellen Cagnassola and MLM Wine King and realtor, Chip Ivie. Living Your Best Life can be heard on Ustream.Tv and on 880AM in the Nashville Market from 10-12CST.

Scott Gordan


Scott has 10 +years of recruitment experience specifically with senior level software developers, CIO’s, CTO’s architects and DBA’s. He's managed and produced in a Top 5 office of an IT staffing and Consulting division of a global Fortune 500 strategic staffing company (100+ offices). While assisting and training recruiters around the United States, he was chosen as one of twelve recruiters nationwide to develop policies and procedures for recruitment and retention in an information technology market. Scott was also recognized as one of the Top Fifteen individual producers worldwide for the same global Fortune 500 staffing firm. He escaped the Fortune 500 company in 2004 to assist in opening an office for Vaco and has been a Partner since joining in 2004. Scott holds a B.A. from Henderson State University.

He brings his 14 years of experience in “buying and selling people” for some of the nation’s most successful sarcasm to deliver some real “ah-ha” moments. Scott's real-life examples and insights will demonstrate how existing relationships can go miles deeper through the use of social networks and social media.

Scott is a lover of things social media, a diligent student and an excellent communicator. Scott has shared secrets with internet superstars like Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh, Alltop’s Guy Kawasaki and Gary Vaynerchuk, the star of Wine Library TV. Top exec’s at companies like Publix, Disney, Universal Studios, Sears, Gaylord Entertainment and Electronic Arts have learned from Scott. He’s not for the faint of heart, though. His in-your-face views of the misnomers and best practices of the world will leave you smiling and nodding.

You can find out more about one of country's most provocative thought leader here : http://theanitpimp.com

Ellen Cagnassola
Ellen Cagnassola, owner of www.sweetsoaps.com, creates unique soap and candles for the craft and gift industry. Ellen designs product and packaging for mid sized and large companies in the US and Canada. Sweet Soaps product development is cutting edge due to Ellen’s unorthodox approach to artistic expression.

Cagnassola’s ability to generate media interest for herself have landed her media coverage. Television placements on MSNBC “Your Business”, The Verizon Channel “Push Pause”, Daytime TV,NBC,CBS, and The Ellen Degeneres Show. Print publications that have also featured Sweet Soaps are Woman’s Day, Real Simple, Entrepreneur, Promo, Pitney Bowes “Priority Magazine”, The Newark Star Ledger, Bride and Groom and the American Express Executive Travel Oct. 2011 issue. Ellen Cagnassol has also been featured on many websites including; Patch.com, Foxnews.com, Trendhunter.com (1 of 33 most creative candles),CBS.com.

Sweet Soaps has designed and manufactured for the following well known branded companies; Neiman Marcus Catalog, Horchow Catalog, Solutions Catalog, Touchstone Catalog, Nike, and Warner Brothers Studios. Ellen has also marketed her products into the hands of celebrities such as Howard Stern, Kevin Gillespie of Top Chef, cast and crew of Two and a Half Men (2005), and Ellen DeGeneres.

Ellen Cagnassola has leverage her branding of Sweet Soap’s by partnering with Horizon Group USA, the number one wholesaler of kids craft kits in the US. Sweet Soap’s and Horizon Group USA announce their partnership to bring consumers innovative soap programs for kids and adults this month to national retailers.

Cagnassola will share her insight on how to find partnerships that are mutually beneficial for a small business owner and how to overcome negativity in the marketplace.

Read more about Ellen Cagnassola www.sweetsoaps.com

Having Fun Making Money in a Networking Marketing Business


Chip Ivie, an Atlanta Realtor, is also a successful networking marketing business owner. He will give listeners a new look at Multiple Level Marketing businesses. Chip is a successful wine consultant with WineShop At Home. He will share his secrets to being prosperous in a venture that is taking the country by storm.

WineShop At Home is the premier direct seller of handcrafted, artisan wines. The company is a bonded California winery headquartered in the famed Napa Valley and is the only direct seller to offer exclusive wine brands available nowhere else. Our Independent Wine Consultants throughout the country, present in-home Wine Tastings, where guests can taste our wines and learn about, experience and buy wines directly from the Winery. WineShop At Home epitomizes a whole new generation of direct selling -- offering an exceptional consumer experience, an unparalleled and exciting business opportunity for both women and men, and unequaled quality, service, and style.

To learn more about an opportunity to become a consultant or to plan a home tasting contact Genma by email at bugsact@gmail.com

Back to School advice for MBA Seekers, Single Moms, and Large Families

Genma Holmes and Living Your Best Life Radio will share that going back to school includes a growing segment of the population who have not seen a classroom in a few seasons. Many are considering going back to school for their first, second, or third degree. In this economy, having an edge on other job applicants includes being prepared with work experience and a secondary education.

Also hear from moms who believe going back to school means being organized, prayed up, and not afraid to ask (or hire) help. You wouldn't want to miss this exciting show that is guaranteed to empower, inspire, and motivate you to live your best life!

On 880AM in the Nashville Market on Saturday from 10am-12 CST and Streaming Live on Ustream.TV August 20, 201

Getting Your MBA Maybe The Best Investment in This Economy


Professor of Accounting and Director of Owen Entrepreneurship Center at Vanderbilt, Germain Boer will share about transforming students into self-driven entrepreneurs. Hear about many of his students who have become dynamic business leaders with out of the box thinking.

More about...Dr. Germain Boer





Preparing Your Family For A Successful School Year

Hear successful super model, actress, and spokesperson Dawn Montgomery Greene share how she managed work life balance after returning to college full time while raising her son. Dawn completed her college goals and managed to pull off the wedding of her dreams during her last semester of school to Atlanta's super lawyer Reggie Greene.

Dawn has been featured in numerous magazines around the world. She was featured in Essence
And on Genmaspeaks Blog


Meet The Malone Quads of Georgia





Columbus, Georgia's Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Michael (Kelly Collier) Malone family of three grew by four in one day on August 20, 2007. Kelly delivered four beautiful boys who have become known as the Malone Quads. Hear how super mom along with dad raise five boys in a wonderful environment that Kelly calls "organized chaos" with a smile. Michael and Kelly will share how they manage to get their rambunctious brood of five out the door during the school year. We will learn "it takes a village" truly applies to this inspiring family!

Read more about the famous quads here... The Malone Quads and here

Community Colleges: Preparing Students for Tomorrow's Marketplace

Join Genma Holmes for in-depth dialogue with educators from diverse backgrounds who teach and touch the lives of our students from K-12 and college. Also hear from parents and students throughout the month of August as well prepare our minds and bodies for back to school on Living Your Best Life Radio Show. Saturdays from 10-12 on 880AM, the Big Mouth!





Dr. Janet Smith
President of Columbia State Community College

Dr. Janet F. Smith was named president of Columbia State Community College in late November 2007, and officially took over the presidency on February 18, 2008. Smith returned to her native Tennessee following a distinguished career which has taken her to North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, Kentucky, and Arkansas.

Smith grew up in Houston County, near Erin, Tennessee. She attended Austin Peay State University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree with a major in health and physical education and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. Following Austin Peay, she earned a Doctorate in higher education from George Peabody College for Teachers, Vanderbilt University. She has participated in post-graduate studies at North Carolina State University, Indiana University, Mississippi State University and Harvard.

Prior to becoming President of Columbia State Community College, Smith was President of Rich Mountain Community College in Mena, Arkansas; Dean of Academic Affairs at Hopkinsville Community College in Hopkinsville, Kentucky; Director of Extension Services at Dyersburg State Community College in Dyersburg, Tennessee; and Instructor, Department Chair and Division Chair at Isothermal Community College in North Carolina.

Dr. Smith is very active in the communities that Columbia State serves – she has presented at area and state conferences, clubs, organizations and events. She currently serves on the Impact Center Inc. Board, Workforce Investment Board, Maury Alliance Board of Directors (Executive Committee and Chamber Council Chair), Williamson County-Franklin Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Maury Advisory Board to First Farmers Bank, Nashville Symphony Advisory Council and the Family Support Center Board. In addition, Smith is Vice President of the Tennessee College Association and a member of the national advisory board for the Higher Education Research and Development Institute.

Smith is married to James (Jim) W. Fowler, who is a retired community college Librarian. They reside in Columbia, Tennessee with their daughter Alexandra Hiles.

“Education has been my lifelong work,” said Smith. “I am not just a believer in the value of education but a walking example of the impact of an education on opportunity and life enrichment.”



Dr. Stephen Jones
Author and Educator
Dr. Jones is currently Associate Dean of Students and Strategic Planning at Villanova University and CEO of SAJ Publishing. For thirteen years he worked at Drexel University as Director of the SUCCESS/ACT101 program. He is trhe former director of the ACT101 program at Philadelphia University and Director of the Metropolitan Career Center Computer Technology Institute. He has received numerous awards for his dedication to thousands of students. Some of his awards include Distinguished Toast Master, Toastmasters District Award Winner, National Society of Black Engineers Award and Black Engineer of the Year Award.

My Goal: My vision to reach 1 million students and parents to help them to attend college. My first book is titled "Seven Secrets of How to Study" and my second book is " Parents Ultimate Education Guide, Seven Secrets of How to Study Special Edition."



Living Your Best Life Radio can be heard on on 880 AM "The Big Mouth" and on Ustream.tv @ http://bit.ly/liEfqO

Join 880 AM, 760 The Gospel and Harper's Resturant for Back 2 School Drive

Scholars Raising Our Social Consciousness

This week, On Living Your Best Life Radio Show with Genma Holmes:
Scholars Raising Our Social Consciousness

Dr. Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University, Dr. Norma Burgess of Lipscomb University and Veterans Liaison David K. Hughes




Dr. Boyce D. Watkins is an American author, economist, political analyst, and social commentator. Formerly a member of the finance faculty, and currently a Scholar in Residence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Syracuse University, he also is a Distinguished Scholar with the Barbara Jordan Institute for Policy Research, and was previously a Visiting Fellow at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and the Center for European Economic Research (Mannheim, Germany). Watkins is also a faculty affiliate with the College Sports Research Institute at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He has authored several financial advice books, including "Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with your Partner in Ways that Feel Good", "Black American Money," as well as "What if George Bush were a Black Man?"; his work has also appeared in such publications as the Journal Of Small Business Management, and The Journal of Economics and Business.

In addition to publishing scholarly articles on finance and investing, Watkins is an advocate for education, economic empowerment, and social justice, and has made regular appearances in various national media outlets, including CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Fox News, BET, NPR, Essence Magazine, USA Today, The Today Show, ESPN, The Tom Joyner Morning Show and CBS Sports. He is also a frequent guest on, The Wendy Williams Experience radio program. Watkins is also a frequent contributor to theGrio and TheLoop21.com.



Norma Burgess
Dean

Dr. Norma Burgess is the founding dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Burgess previously worked at Chatham University, Pittsburgh, where she was founding dean of the College of Graduate Studies. In that role, she was responsible for every aspect of graduate education, including new program development, faculty evaluation, budgetary management, academic management, and faculty and support services.

From 1993-2007 at Syracuse University, Burgess earned the rank of full professor and chair of the Department of Child and Family Studies and was academic co-chair of the Bachelor of Professional Studies program. She has also served as a visiting professor for the University of the Aegean in Rhodes, Greece, and as a member of the summer faculty at Cornell University. Dr. Burgess is a widely published scholar with a focus on work and family and leadership development.

Burgess has served as chair of the women’s caucus of the American Association of Higher Education and is currently a board member at-large of the National Council on Family Relations. She is co-author of African American Women: An Ecological Perspective and numerous articles and other writings on work and family life, leadership, faculty development and workplace diversity.

Burgess holds a doctorate in sociology and a master’s degree in public affairs from North Carolina State University as well as a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Tennessee. She is a native of Stanton, Tenn.


David K. Hughes,
The Yellow Ribbon Program

An active member of the military for more than ten years, David K. Hughes is Lipscomb University’s Veterans Liaison. Hughes, a retired Captain who served with United States Army Special Forces in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, brings his unique experience to this role. Hughes works as an advocate for all veterans who enroll at Lipscomb University to ensure quality and efficient negotiation of the undergraduate pipeline.



Living Your Best Life Radio can be heard on on 880 AM "The Big Mouth" and on Ustream.tv @ http://bit.ly/liEfqo
Show Airs Saturday, Aug. 6 from 10-12 CST

A Life Changing Encounter with a Homeless Woman

A year ago, I volunteered to help with a project for women cancer survivors. I have participated in several events over the years that were geared to help restore or uplift the spirits of cancer survivors through pampering, empowerment or patient advocacy. Diving in heart first, I was excited to volunteer to help stamp out the stigma of cancer. At this event, I met women from diverse backgrounds on various stages of their journey with their cancer diagnosis. Some of the women had recently completed their treatments and some of them were a few years down the road. Some were well known in the community and supported by family and friends. A few were still in treatment but only one was homeless.

Enter Wanda.

Wanda was in a battle for life with no place to call her own. She was referred by her oncologists who knew about the special event. When Wanda entered my makeshift dressing room, she was a bit nervous as she gave me a once over and checked out the surroundings packed with designer clothes and jewelry on loan to me from personal friends from around the country. As I introduced myself, I promised her we were going to have a fantastic time as I pulled my “stylist” title out of the box for her makeover and photo session. I shared with her about my grandfather who was the motivation for me volunteering that day. Wanda countered my icebreaker conversation with words of her own as she told me how she wanted to look. “Not shy, this one”, I thought to myself with a smile. After our intro, Wanda tried on clothes while preparing for her photo shoot. During that time together, we shared about each other lives. Wanda did not hold back her thoughts and gave me quite a few old school zingers about her observations about life from a street perspective. Her words were honesty on steroids. She shared her thoughts about “people wanting to help others when their own lives are messed up.” Hearing her priceless commentary had me roaring with laughter and deep in thought. Wanda talked about her cancer diagnosis and her chemo treatments that seemed endless. She did not hold back about the physical and mental pain. She expressed her gratefulness for the Madison Church of Christ congregation that befriended her and took her under their wings. The more I inquired about how she was taking care of herself, the more she shared about her life and background. "Cancer was the last thing on my mind,” she said softly at one point. She had seen many trials before cancer, I was told. But those trials produced one of the most courageous women I have ever met.


When she was photographed, her inner strength and beauty that I saw firsthand filled the camera lens. Wanda was radiant and proud. My tears flowed uncontrollably as the photographer kept telling her how stunning she was as he was encouraging her to give him her best smile for the camera. By the end of the shoot, Wanda was ready to sign with the Ford Modeling agency!

As we were calling the day a wrap, I introduced Wanda to my friend, Daphne, who was volunteering also. I told Wanda that Daphne was a dentist. With all the frankness that only Wanda can deliver, she pulled off her well-coiffed wig that was used in her beauty transformation and said, “A dentist! How come you did not introduce her to me first? I really need to visit her!” With a jerk of a wig, Wanda gave me a dose of reality. Just like that, Wanda told us in her own way, what her real needs were!

A homeless woman taught me to make sure "my good works" met the needs of those I am trying to serve. Giving a winter coat to a man who lives in the desert is an exercise in futility. A homeless woman showed me that true compassion and a willingness to listen to those who need to be heard should be at the heart of volunteering. A homeless woman had me reevaluating if my volunteer hours were making any difference. A homeless woman had me questioning if my "good deeds" were actually meeting real needs. It might be a city flooded or hit by a tornado or a cancer patient who has no place to lay their head: in the end, we all need each other. Listening to Wanda, I learned the importance of knowing the true need of those who I am trying to serve. Wanda taught me to listen for the real answer when I ask, "How can I help?"

I stayed in touch with Wanda and her church members. They became her adopted family and friends. They all have endless stories about the goodness of Wanda. She is well. They say she has an apartment of her own and is finishing school. Everyone that knows her tell me exactly the same thing, “Wanda changed my life!” Wanda changed my life too. Because of Wanda, I have learned nothing in life is without purpose or meaning, even an encounter with a homeless person.

Originally published on Blogcritics

Blogcaction is over!

Whew! My did the time fly. My blogcation was much needed. Every now and then, this blogger needs a lil 'cation. Family life, bugs, movies, launch of a new radio show, Life Beyond Cancer conference being planned for November and a TV show being "discussed" leave a girl with much to write about but so little time to post and tell you.

I am baaaack!

Genma!

The 50th Anniversary of Tennessee State University's Freedom Riders

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Boynton v. Virginia (1960) gave travelers the legal right to disregard local segregation ordinances regarding interstate transportation facilities. But it was the ruling itself which was blatantly disregarded by local segregationists who refused to relinquish their “whites only” signs and other vestiges of discrimination in bus terminals and train stations throughout the South.

It was this fervent disregard for the law which called the Freedom Riders into action. Led by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and inspired by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., hundreds of students and other activists rode interstate buses into the segregated South to assert their rights. During the initial rides in May 1961, the riders, who were armed only with their commitment to nonviolent protest, were met with nonstop violence and persecution. The buses were frequently intercepted by mobs and riders were brutally attacked. When the buses were able to arrive at their destinations without incident, riders were arrested for violating local segregation ordinances – a direct violation of the Boynton decision.

Throughout the summer of 1961, more than 60 different Freedom Rides took place across the South. It is believed that nearly 450 individuals participated, with more than 300 being arrested. Included in those numbers were 14 students from Tennessee State University. They were members of the Nashville Student Group, a local group of students who had successfully desegregated the city’s lunch counters and movie theaters.

What were the Freedom Riders able to accomplish? In September 1961, bowing to public pressure, the Kennedy Administration finally convinced the Interstate Commerce Commission to issue another desegregation order. The new policies took effect November 1, 1961. As a result, passengers were allowed to sit wherever they pleased on interstate buses and trains, “white” and “colored” signs were removed from terminals, separate drinking fountains, toilets and waiting rooms were consolidated, and lunch counters served ALL customers regardless of skin color.

What did the TSU Freedom Riders receive for their courageous efforts? They were expelled by the university under a year-old law created during the administration of Tennessee Governor Buford Ellington, an avowed segregationist. The students were informed of the ruling via letter while they were still incarcerated in Jackson, Mississippi. Afterwards, a number of people – both black and white – picketed the Tennessee State Capitol on behalf of the Freedom Riders, and sought an audience with Governor Ellington. Their request was denied.

Vindication is seldom swift. Instead, it often takes months, even years. For the 14 TSU Freedom Riders, it has taken nearly half a century. After much debate and public outcry, on April 25, 2008, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) reversed an earlier decision and agreed to award honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to the 14 students (four will be awarded posthumously). In doing so, TSU was given the opportunity to not only right a grievous wrong, but also, in the words of TSU’s President Dr. Melvin Johnson who helped lead the efforts to recognize the Freedom Riders, “will serve to remind this generation of students of a time when young people were willing to risk reputations, careers, their freedom and their lives for a higher cause.”


Fifty years later, the bravery of the Freedom Riders show us the numerous contributions that students of TSU have made to society to bring about positive change that influences us today and our future leaders of tomorrow.

Original published in the Big Blue Issue