“I was always health conscious. Sometimes I would drink socially, but I always did things that were productive to my health,” said Hickman.  “My major problem was stress.”

Young artists are taking over the game, but they aren’t who you think they are, nor or they
rapping about the usual  street life

Darrel McDaniel, the “D” in hip-hop’s legendary group Run DMC, said in an interview last year with NPR Music that  he’s proud of how far hip-hop culture has come, however, he states that the message of the music seems to have been lost.

In an article, “RUN DMC on the birth of Rap,” by Ashley Kahn, he stated, “When you look at hip-hop today, it’s like, ‘Do you see what this guy is driving? Wow, he’s got a lot of money. Wow, he’s dating a movie star.’ Jay [Jason “Jam-Master Jay” Mizell], used to say that the thing about hip-hop, about rap, DJing and MCing — about break dancing, the way we dress, the way we communicated — he said it was all-inclusive. It wasn’t about having to be rich. You ain’t have to be a thug, you ain’t have to be Black only, you ain’t have to break dance. Hip-hop was, ‘Come as you are, because here we are for you.’”

“Life began to open up quite a bit for me when I went to Howard University.”

NNPA—Innovative design, understanding, and the importance of diversity are guiding philosophies for General Motors Vice President of Global Design, Ed Welburn. “Exposure. Reading. Travel, whenever possible…and don’t be afraid to take risks,” says Welburn about the preparation for living and working in an increasingly global world.

Since 2003, Welburn, 59, is only the sixth design leader in General Motors’ history and heads what may be the largest design organization in the world. He leads 10 design centers in eight countries and manages 1,500 creative personalities.  It’s not uncommon to find Welburn at a 6 a.m. design review or on a late night conference call -- he is, after all, accommodating the world’s time zones. Design is around the clock work at a global company.

Vice President of Global Design Ed Welburn shows
off the C7 or Corvette Stingray Concept car.

HOUSTON—Gospel recording artist Brian Courtney Wilson began his tour with the American Heart Association on Oct. 9 in Little Rock, Ark, when he hit the road with Marvin Sapp in an effort to stamp out stroke among African-Americans. Wilson joined the AHA’s Most Powerful Voices Tour, the Power to End Stroke, because he realized that he could use the church and gospel music to spread information that can save lives.

The African-American community is more likely to have a stroke than any other community in the United States and it’s the number one cause of disability in that community. “And it’s largely due to lifestyle choices,” Wilson said. “So I think if we can use gospel music to influence people to make good choices, I think that’s a good thing.”

Wilson has been using gospel music to change hearts and lives ever since he was a child. His father, Henry Wilson, used to make him go to choir rehearsal to sing with the male chorus at Rock of Ages Baptist Church when he was a little boy.

Denial is the refusal to acknowledge the existence or severity of unpleasant external realities or internal thoughts and feelings. The 1990 Census profiles African-American men as being challenged to cope with a number of personal and societal factors that profoundly impact their emotional state. According to the report, this may account for higher divorce rates, unemployment rates and increased incidents of death due to violence, as well as disproportionately high rates of suicide among Black men ages 25–34.

 Denial, the silent killer of the Black community

DALLAS- The Black Academy of Arts and Letters will celebrate 34 seasons of Black theater. TBAAL, founded by Curtis King, is a Dallas based non-profit tax-exempt organization which was chartered and incorporated Nov. 23, 1977. On April 14, 1997, the Board of Directors of the Academy unanimously voted to change the name of the Academy from the Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Incorporated (JBAAL) to The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Incorporated. The name change was made legal by the State of Texas on June 26, 1997.

DALLAS- Entertainment icon Debbie Allen taught modern dance classes and spoke at “Debbie’s Corner” to students at the annual Debbie Allen Dance Institute (DADI) held in the Dallas Arts District at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. 

FT. WORTH- The Literary Arts Connection of Texas, a non-profit organization, in collaboration with The Dock Bookshop will host the annual Dallas /Fort Worth Literary SoulFEST September 25-26th, 2010 during National Literacy Month. The Literary SoulFEST is a fun & educational event for the whole family! Mark your Calendars.

Josh Milan’s music career started with a single moment.Milan was a mere twelve years old when he saw an opportunity to show off his skill on the organ and, without a second’s hesitation, he took it.

 The Brooklyn native made a habit of sitting near his cousin, the church organist, each and every Sunday. “Instead of sitting down where normal people sit in the church, I sat next to him and watched his every move,” Milan recalls. One Sunday, his cousin was so moved by the energy in the church that he jumped up from his perch and began dancing, leaving the organ completely unmanned.

Like a passenger jumping behind the wheel of a runaway car, Milan took his place at the organ and played like he’d never played before. “I’ll never forget that feeling,” says Milan who today serves as minister of music for his church. “It was spiritual for me because you’re taught to give what you have back unto God. I jumped on that organ and my heart was racing. Not only was I trying to keep the music playing for the moment, but I also knew God was watching. I was trying to give Him my absolute best. That was the beginning for me.”

Film transcends cultural, economic, social and racial bounds with a topic that is relevant and real in every country—families without a father.

SAN ANTONIO- The recent fued between Hollywood heavyweights Spike Lee and Tyler Perry went virtually unnoticed by San Antonio film producer Leroy McDonald. Although McDonald is keenly aware of the competitveness in the sometimes brutally cut-throat business of movie-making, as, founder  and CEO of Gordon Pictures Christian Movie Production Ministry, is not dwelling on the money, but rather the message, that the medium affords those with a vision to venture into this field.

Film producer Leroy McDonald (left) directs Brayden Whisenhunt (young Joshua) as he portrays a young boy mourning the loss of his father and mother. Cynthia Cannon (right) portrays Lucille, his adopted mother.

HOUSTON– Ranecia “Raen” Denson may be small in stature, but not in talent and dreams. The young Acres Homes performer recently climbed another rung on the ladder to success when she auditioned for the International Presentation of Performers (iPOP)! and out of thousands of talented entertainers, was one of 30 chosen to represent Houston.