I don't think it really sank in that we lost Michael Jackson until today. And when the reality of his death hit me, I realized we didn't just lose a Pop icon; we lost a humanitarian, a person who truly loved life and worked hard to bring us together as ONE. His parents lost a son, his children, bless their hearts, lost their father, and his brothers and sisters lost a sibling. We cry for the Michael we knew but they grieve for the family member they loved and lost.
I'm not usually one to shed tears but seeing the grief-stricken faces of family and friends of Michael Jackson, my cup ran over because I realized I was full. I felt a portion of their pain. Did you hear the poem Queen Latifah read on behalf of Maya Angelou? What about Brooke Shields' speech; her tears were so real. My heart went out to Usher because he truly idolized Michael and always acknowledges him as part of his own success. And then the family...Marlon's words, MAYBE NOW THEY'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE. His poor daughter, OMG, I wanted to reach out and hold her close to my heart. To her, he was the best father a child could have had and I see that because at heart, he was still very much a child himself.
Today, I cry and I grieve not for the life that was, but perhaps for the life that wasn't; the childhood that Michael Jackson never truly experienced. He's been in the spotlight since the age of 5; judged and accused, sentenced to shame even before he was trialed. He was convicted by the media and the public even though he was acquitted of the horrendous child molestation charges. For a long time I wondered, could he have done such a thing? Today, I scream and I shout, NO. NEVERLAND was meant to be a happy place where children were always happy and never had to grow up. NEVERLAND...Michael wanted to be PETER PAN and I surely don't believe he would have ever brought harm to anyone, especially a child. If he's guiltiy of anything, perhaps it was he was too giving of himself and loving to the point where some took his kindness for weakness. But trust and believe me when I say, GOD knows his heart and He is the ultimate judge for there is no jury; GOD's word is final.
To Michael, REST IN PEACE AND THANK YOU FOR THE MANY MEMORIES. I so wish I still had my record player with your picture on it. It's been a long time since the early 80's.
To the JACKSON FAMILY, his fans loved him, his family and friends adored him, but GOD loved him BEST.
Linda R. Herman
The life that was; or perhaps the life that wasn't
Professional Women Making Moves - Marie Antionette
Marie Antionette, author of the book, A Girl Named Job was interviewed by Tinisha Nicole Johnson, an author/writer/poet. Marie’s book is an autobiography of her life.
Marie’s life was far from normal. In fact, she lived a very hard life. This isn’t just any story, but a story of true trials and tribulations. I’ve read her book and let me tell you, if you want a fantastic read to add to your collection, then this is one those kind of books
Check out her interesting interview by clicking here: Marie's Interview
You can also check out her book trailer, based off the book.
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Professional Women Making Moves
The Professional Women Making Moves blog is about Black women who are doing something unique and out of the ordinary with their lives. Interviews will be taking until the release date of my non-fiction book, Lessons Learned: Loving Yourself As A Black Woman.
Check out LaToya S. Watkins interview and please provide comments. She is the author of the book In Love with Losers. If you haven't gotten your copy of her book, please so.
If you consider yourself a Professional Black Woman and would like to be interviewed and involved in this project please contact me at my website: www.TinishaNicoleJohnson.com
LATOYA S. WATKINS
Carleen Brice on BAN Radio, June 20
Join Black Authors Network host Ella Curry and author Carleen Brice on BAN Radio, June 20 for lively discussion about her new book Children of the Waters.Black Authors Network Talk Show
Saturday Night, June 20, 2009 at 8-10pm EST
Live Chat: www.blogtalkradio.com/Black-Author-Network
Fans call into at: (646) 200-0402
Gifts given out to live callers and registered BTR chatters.
Book Discussion and Live Reading from Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice
The author of the #1 Denver Post bestseller and Essence Book Club Pick Orange Mint and Honey explores the connection between love and race, and what it really means to be a family. Children of the Waters (ISBN: 978-0345499073) is a story about two long lost half-sisters, one white and one black, who find each other possibly with the help of their grandmother’s ghost.
Book Introduction
Trish Taylor’s white ancestry never got in the way of her love for her black ex-husband, or their mixed race son, Will. But when Trish’s marriage ends, she returns to her family’s Denver, Colorado home to find a sense of identity and connect to her past.What she finds there shocks her to the very core: her mother and newborn sister were not killed in a car crash as she was told. In fact, her baby sister, Billie Cousins, is now a grown woman; her grandparents had put her up for adoption, unwilling to raise the child of a black man. Billie, who had no idea she was adopted, wants nothing to do with Trish until a tragedy in Billie’s own family forces her to lean on her surprisingly supportive and sympathetic sister.
Together they unravel age-old layers of secrets and resentments and navigate a path toward love, healing, and true reconciliation.
What are some of the topics addressed in Children of the Waters?
--- Paths toward love, healing, and true reconciliation
--- Feeling secure in your own identity
--- Surviving a messy divorce
--- Raising teenage sons
--- Generational racism
--- Handling of Lupus
--- Hidden secrets and adoption
--- Embracing a bi-racial heritage
--- The importance of sisterhood
"In Children of the Waters, Carleen Brice highlights the effects of America's complicated relationship with race and identity on three generations of two families in a clear and insightful depiction of what it means to be American at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Brice knows how far we have come and how far there is left to go, and in Children of the Waters she deflty lays it all out for the reader to see." - Matthew Aaron Goodman, author of Hold Love Strong
More about Carleen
Carleen Brice’s debut novel, Orange Mint and Honey (One World/Ballantine), was an Essence “Recommended Read” and a Target “Bookmarked Breakout Book.” For this book, she won the 2009 First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and the 2008 Break Out Author Award at the African American Literary Awards Show. Her second novel, Children of the Waters (One World/Ballantine), a book about race, love and family, is available now where ever books are sold. If you don't see it at your local retailer, please go to the representive and request it. You can read an excerpt at her website http://www.carleenbrice.com/.
She also edited and contributed to the anthology Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number: Black Women Explore Midlife, which was published in the U.S. (Beacon Press) and the U.K. (Souvenir Press). She is author of Lead Me Home: An African American’s Guide Through the Grief Journey (Avon/HarperCollins). Her book Walk Tall: Affirmations for People of Color, an Essence bestseller, was in print with traditional publishers for 10 years and sold 100,000 copies. It is currently available through iUniverse and Louis Gossett Jr.'s Eracism Foundation. Carleen and her husband live in Colorado.
Children of the Waters, Carleen Brice
ISBN: 0345499077
ISBN-13: 9780345499073
Pub. Date: June 23, 2009
Shop for the book at Barnes and Noble
Shop for the book at Amazon.com
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Black Professional Women Making Moves
Profressional Women Making Moves
Introducing Sylvia McClain
Welcome to Professional Women Making Moves Blog, where we feature professional Black women from all over making moves in their personal and business world. Tinisha Nicole Johnson is the author of the upcoming book Lessons Learned: Loving Yourself As A Black Woman. The book emphasizes ten life lessons that addresses a Black woman’s most intimate, personal, and professional life.
Tinisha will be interviewing professional women from various backgrounds up to the release date of her book, discussing who they are and the challenges they face, and any advice they have to offer. Learn more about this book and the author at her website: www.TinishaNicoleJohnson.com
Today, Tinisha interviews Sylvia McClain. Please comment and check out what Sylvia has to say.
Tinisha Johnson: Please introduce yourself and tell me who you most credit your success to?
Sylvia McClain: Sylvia McClain is my name and I am a professional Journalist. I write nonfiction through newspapers, magazines, and books. I also teach writing workshops and seminars in continuing education program at libraries, universities, community colleges, conferences and public school systems in the Detroit Metro Area.
I really don’t credit anyone other than myself for my success. I was not encouraged to pursue my profession therefore, I had to push myself against all odds.
Tinisha Johnson: What types of challenges do you face as a Professional Black woman?
Sylvia McClain: As a freelancer, work is the most difficult thing to get. With the economy the way it is now and many freelancers on the scene, one must have clips, clips and more clips of a current nature to acquire more writing jobs. Also, one must be willing to do different types of work such as editing, copywriting, contract writing, Internet sites, etc. Without being able to write in more than one category limits one’s possible source of writing income.
Tinisha Johnson: How important is networking to you?
Sylvia McClain: Networking is the utmost important thing a woman in my profession must do. Without making contacts, introducing you and the type of work you do, a loss in real writing gigs are out the window.
Tinisha Johnson: What does success mean to you?
Sylvia McClain: Success to me is doing what I love to do and that is writing, teaching writing to others, assisting forthcoming writers in their desires.
Tinisha Johnson: How do you balance your professional and personal life?
Sylvia McClain: Time management, it is as simple as that. I always tell people work on a schedule and stick with it. You must also diversify in your life as a writer because where else would you get writing ideas. What I mean is do more than just write, experience life itself. Also treat what you do like any other job with a set schedule.
Tinisha Johnson: What advice do you have for today’s young Black girls?
Sylvia McClain: Go for it. Don’t wait like I did until my forties to pursue your dreams. The earlier one gets started the more time is available to one to make mistakes and have time to correct them.
Tinisha Johnson: Who would you call a writer?
Sylvia McClain: Anyone, who is willing to transfer the ideas and thoughts in their head to paper.
More About Sylvia McClain
Sylvia McClain is a freelance writer who currently writes for the business periodicals published by Equal Opportunity Publications, Inc on engineering and information technology. She wrote on life changes for Strut. She conducts workshops on freelance writing, self-publishing, accepted queries, historical writing and money management as a writer.
She is a former board member of The Detroit Writer’s Guild, responsible for the recording of financial data. Ms. McClain has been on the board of Project Sis (a nonprofit organization for teens at risk) and the city of Detroit’s Cluster Seven of Detroit’s Community Reinvestment Strategy Process. Her other volunteer work has been with WTVS Public TV volunteer staff for fourteen years, a supervisor with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) for six years, and the Better Business Bureau as an arbitrator during the 1980’s. She was previously employed 22 years with Comerica Incorporated as a Data Base Analyst in the Economics Department.
Ms. McClain is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Journalism while holding a Bachelor of General Studies: Art History, Communications, and English degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She holds an Associate of Arts degree in Accounting from Wayne County Community College.
Ms. McClain is single and has one child. She lives in Westland.
Please visit her web site at http://www.scribalpress.com/ and her blog http://sylviaspeaks.blogspot.com/.
About Tinisha Nicole Johnson:
Tinisha is the author of the book Lessons Learned: Loving Yourself As A Black Woman. This book emphasizes ten lessons that addresses a Black woman's most intimate, personal and professional life. Learn more about the author and the book at her website: http://www.tinishanicolejohnson.com/
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Black Pearls Article Updates
Did you miss these exciting article in Black Pearls Magazine....
Literary Leaders Spotlight for May 2009
Poetry Spotlight: Resilience By Dana Rettig
Women, Don't Forget Your Worth
Summer Romance Selections
Book Spotlight: Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies
Intimate Conversation with author Recha
Intimate Conversation with author Matthew Aaron Goodman
Business Spotlight: Rhonda Crowder, freelance editor
Intimate Conversation with author Eugenia O'Neal
Intimate Conversation with Terri Schlichenmeyer, Book Reviewer
Black Book Clubs Rock Awards, June 20, 2009
Black College Sabbatical: Fall Quarter
Watch Me by Brenda Novak
Parenting: Miracle of Me: From Conception to Birth
Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
Not Becoming My Mother by Ruth Reichl
Blind Fall by Christopher Rice
Pursuit by Karen Robards
What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Paradise Valley by Robyn Carr
The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship
Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend
Straw: Finding My Way by Darryl Strawberry
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When Lightning Strikes by Keya
How can you have it all – education, personality, and beauty - yet your life is flooded with a sea of troubles?
Imminent, new author Keya answers this question and more in When Lightning Strikes, a novel about Ms. Taylor Devereaux, her three best friends, and her spiraling-out-of-control life. Taylor is on the road to happiness and success. She is a gorgeous and classy woman with a thriving career and a wonderful fiancée. One day, Taylor’s near perfect world is turned upside down when she discovers her future husband is cheating.
To make matters worse, while trying to put the pieces of her life back together, she finds out someone at her job has filed a sexual harassment complaint against her. She realizes someone is out to ruin her life. With Taylor’s personal life, profession, and overall reputation at stake, can she overcome it all? Or, will the stress of it all bring out another side of Taylor?
See how Taylor reacts “When Lightning Strikes.”
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What happens once the affair is discovered?
“I’m sorry too, India. I’m sorry for wasting six years of my life with you,” he snarled. The pain he felt was audible in his voice and his eyes glistened with tears. The storm raged; booming thunder and sharp lightning, as sheets of tears threatened to rain from his eyes.
Suitcase filled with toiletries, most of his casual belongings, and work clothes, he stormed downstairs, out the carport door, and out of my life. When I heard the engine of his Caprice come to life, I died a thousand deaths on our bedroom floor, heartbroken with no one to blame but me.
Ready to read more from this novel and find out what’s the cost of India’s affair?
COST OF OUR AFFAIRS releases
June 2, 2009
from Xpress Yourself Publishing!
www.XpressYourselfPublishing.org
Want to reserve an autographed copy?
Visit www.LindaRHerman.webs.com
Semmaster’s Thoughts (Life of A Little Man)
Semmaster’s Thoughts (Life of A Little Man)
Semmaster’s Thoughts are a series of poems partitioned by the emotional reflections of a man who has finally taken control of his body, mind and soul from the demons within. The Great Master has awakened my senses to the sweet smells, sounds and sights of a literary world full of the essence, verbal expressions and visions that has long been ascending from gut to mouth to paper, the truth as it reflects the path I must trek to enter into the Mansion of The Creator.
Semmaster's Thoughts are poems written and based on the struggles of a small town boy trying to cope with being different. He was too tall to be a midget or dwarf and not tall enough to be "normal." His self esteem sunk lower than a clam at the bottom of a pond when his brother drowned in a lake on a farm that he was working on. His brother was sixteen years old, in the prime of his life, leaving his fourteen years old brother to ponder how to continue life without his mentor. Tommy, the young boy's brother, was perceived as a god, with the boy's entire identity dependent on the personality and actions of this boyhood man.
Raising Him Alone Campaign
Listen to the encouraging interview with authors Matthew Stevens and David Miller. Special guest Sheron Smith (mother of Grammy nominated actor and rapper Mos Def) Hosted by Ella Curry, president of EDC Creations.
Raising Him Alone Campaign features thought-provoking workshops, series of community forums addressing a variety of diverse topics (legal resources, financial literacy, mental health support, health & nutrition & educational advocacy). The Kick Off also features workshops, resource fair and an intimate panel discussion featuring several celebrity mothers who have raised boys become men. The mothers include the following: Dr. Mahalia Hines (mother of rapper Common), Dr. Brenda Greene (mother of rapper and activist Talib Kweli) and Sheron Smith (mother of Grammy nominated actor and rapper Mos Def). Other featured speakers include: Meshelle, Cassandra Mack, Richard Rowe, Adeyemi Bandale, Kenneth Braswell and Joel Austin.
The campaign focuses on four areas identified as key benchmarks in addressing positive outcomes for single mothers and their sons. The campaign's approach to provide greater advocacy and supporting parents gaining access to community based services. The following are the four key campaign areas:
Health & Well Being (Mental Health)
Black males have the worst health status of any other race-sex group.
Black males have the second lowest life expectancy at birth second only to Native American men. Black males have the highest death rate from all causes and the highest death rates from cancer, cardiovascular disease & homicides.
Black male have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections.
Educational Support & Advocacy
Black males account for 8.62% of total enrollment in the nation's elementary and secondary schools, but account for 21.69% of total expulsions.
Forty-two percent of all Black boys have failed an entire grade at least once.
The national average high school graduation rate for Black boys is 47%.
Financial Literacy (African American Community)
Nearly six of 10 children living with only their mother were near (or below) the poverty line.
Of the 19 million children of single parents, two thirds live in rented homes.
Reconnecting Fathers & Sons
Children From Fatherless Homes More Likely To:
Commit Suicide (5 Times)
Have behavioral disorder (20 Times)
Drop out of school (9 Times)
Abuse drugs (10 Times)
Go to prison (20Times
Visit the main website to purchase the book and for more information:
http://www.raisinghimalone.com/index.htm
The Renaissance Group, LLC
Marketing Consulting · Extraordinary Events
therenaissancegrouplm@gmail.com
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Coming April 17, 2009 AMERICAN VIOLET
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