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Fine art gallery showcases Romare Bearden’s work

The Train by Romare Bearden is one of several of his works on display. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Fine Arts Gallery

CHARLOTTE – In a time defined by technology and social media, the fine arts can sometimes feel forgotten, but not for Joni Purk. With more than 30 years of gallery experience and 20 years as a teacher, the owner and curator of Charlotte Fine Arts Gallery has made art her life’s work.

Brown vs. Board of Education by Romare Bearden. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Fine Arts Gallery

Purk opened her gallery seven years ago at 7510 Pineville-Matthews Road. It features work from both local and national artists skilled in representational, abstract, photography, sculpture, jewelry, glass and wood, as well as special collections.

“The focus is diversity – having something in the gallery that speaks to every customer, from abstract to realism and in both second and third dimension,” Purk said. “It really works.”

Each month, the gallery hosts a rotating exhibit featuring a specific theme or high profile artist. The work of Charlotte-born Romare Bearden (1911-1988), one of the biggest African-American artists, is currently on display until the end of February. His collection includes 35 limited edition, signed and numbered prints available for purchase.

“It’s really interesting because it’s part of Charlotte’s history,” Purk said.

Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from Bearden’s work will go toward brain cancer research and the fight for a cure, specifically the Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte and the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University.

The theme for March is “Fresh Art – The Color of Spring!” Purk said each piece will have an element of ultraviolet, which is Pantone’s 2018 Color of the Year.

In addition to the rotating exhibits, the Charlotte Fine Arts Gallery also displays artwork created in the studio by adult students and watercolor, acrylic and oil painters from the Carolinas. On Feb. 10, the gallery will host its first jewelry trunk show featuring one-of-a-kind handmade pieces.

Purk said one of the biggest draws to her gallery is the weekly classes and workshops for adults, children and teens. She also hosts a Girls Night Out painting event every third Friday of the month. Participants create their own masterpieces by following along with an experienced artist.

“I think art can be intimidating to people and Girls Night Out makes it not so intimidating,” she said.

Although Purk has found success, she admitted it can be difficult for small art galleries to adapt and stay alive today. The Ciel Gallery in SouthEnd recently announced it will be closing at the end of February.

The key, Purk said, is keeping things fresh, supporting local artists and emphasizing the importance of creativity in the community, especially when many schools are cutting back on arts programs.

“We always say creativity is like another kind of yoga. It’s peaceful. Plus, being creative helps you with any field because then you’re coming up with new ideas and different solutions to problems,” she said. “Galleries are important because if you’re looking to buy a piece, it’s not enough just to see something online. You really need to look at in person. When you physically see it in front of you, it can be very different from how it looked online. Colors will be off and abstracts will look one-dimensional.”

Purk has high hopes for the future of the Charlotte Fine Arts Gallery. She wants to host more themed exhibits, offer ceramics classes and eventually expand to a larger space so she can show more pieces at one time.

“Sometimes it’s limiting,” Purk said. “I just have so much more I’d like to put out.”

Want to go?

The Charlotte Fine Arts Gallery is open Tuesday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. Visit www.charlottefineart.com for details.

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African Americans encouraged to join construction trades at Jan. 27 event

TIM STEVENS

Free community workshop Jan. 27

Between 1999 and 2014, southwestern Pennsylvania saw an average of about $2.7 billion in annual union commercial construction. Last year alone, that figure more than doubled to $5.6 billion, and in 2019, it is projected to be $6.3 billion—and the trade unions are working to see that more of the region’s African Americans earn some of that money.

On Jan. 27, the Builders Guild of Western PA, in partnership with community and educational partners, will hold a Construction Trades Careers Community Workshop to introduce young Black men and women to potential life-changing opportunities. Tim Stevens, founder of the Black Political Empowerment Project, Odell Richardson of Pittsburgh Community Services and Builders Guild Executive Director Jeff Nobers met with the New Pittsburgh Courier editorial board, Jan. 4, to discuss the workshop and ongoing efforts to recruit Blacks into the trades.

“I’d like to say this is a ‘Nate Smith’ moment, recalling the great Black labor advocacy work he did in the 1960s to integrate the unions,” said Stevens. “We have an obligation to keep that fire alive.”

While Smith fought primarily with the United Steelworkers, the Builders Guild includes 18 different trade unions ranging from laborers and masons to operating engineers and electricians—and all of them, Nobers said, are going to be needing workers—and it’s not just in construction, but in the maintenance and repair that follows.

“In addition to all that work coming up, over the next 10 years, we’re going to have between 14,000 and 15,000 tradesmen retiring,” he said. “So what we’re doing with these career fairs is teaming up with as many partners as we can to reduce barriers people have to taking advantage of these opportunities.”

Contrary to popular belief, a criminal record is not necessarily an impediment to getting a position that starts at $18 an hour plus free Cadillac health care and pension benefits.

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Sam Fleming’s lifelong study of the human expressions inspires clothing line, Phillip Park

Demani Shikomba ’19, Arnold Sanginga ’19 and Robert Ford ’19 wearing Phillip Park clothing.

Sam Fleming ’19 began drawing at just two years old. For years, he was fascinated by the human face and the ways art can help express emotions that many struggle to communicate with others verbally. Crediting his mother for the initial idea, he would turn those drawings into a clothing line, Phillip Park. Based in Minneapolis where Fleming was born and raised, the brand includes various long sleeved t-shirts, sweatshirts and other athletic apparel in colors ranging from black, baby pink, forest green and sky blue. The items display his drawings and create another way for the public to interact with his art through fashion.

The drawings capture an array of intense expressions through abstracted human faces that communicate anger, sorrow and joy, drawn from a long history of expressions in African American art and his experience of being black in the United States. We spoke about what it was like applying his economics major into the real world by starting his first business, how his designs developed into a new medium of expression, his work as the illustrator for the children’s book *This Land is My Land in collaboration with Dubie Toa-Kwapong ’16 and Adom Mills-Robertson ’18, and how he hopes to expand Phillip Park in the near future.*

IE: How did you begin Phillip Park?
SF: I started Phillip Park in Sept. 2016. It wasn’t planned. My original goal was to become a commission based artist, working at art festivals and around the Twin Cities. My mother told me, “If you put it on clothing I think it would do better” and she was right. I’ve just been growing the brand from there. A big part of my artwork is expression based, especially revolving around African American culture, themes and subject matter. It transcends cultures and languages because general expressions like extreme anger or happiness with grotesque imagery are universally understood.

IE: Why is the brand called Phillip Park?
SF: So I’m half black and half white. My father is white and my mother is black. Phillip is my mother’s maiden name and I picked her to name the brand after. She also grew up around a park named East Phillips Park in Northside Minneapolis and things just seemed to fit. Especially because the brand is Minneapolis based.

IE: What has been a challenging aspect of designing and owning your own clothing brand?
SF: I guess my ignorance to quite literally everything possibly about the business side. I’ve been needing a lot of advice and a lot of help but learning on the job has been fun. When I first launched my new site in Nov., I spent months having it built and there was a lot of additional expenses that I was avoiding because I didn’t want to pay extra, but it turned out I needed them. For example, I had issues with people trying to hack the website and not being able to reach some demographics I wanted to reach. I needed to understand what needs to be purchased, what needs to be on the website, what makes you look the best, what makes you look the most secure. There’s not a lot you can look over but I’ve learned a lot.

Drawing by Sam Fleming ’19.

IE: So you spoke about how Phillip Park is rooted in Minneapolis but also you mentioned it is based on African American experiences. Can you say more about that?
SF: So expression is a big part for me, growing up as I did, where I did, I didn’t really feel as though I could confidently identify with any group of people or culture. As time went on I learned why I felt that way. I did a lot of research on the history of who I am, and black people in the United States in general and I found that expressions have a massive role to play in black art and black history. Being able to just express pain and express what you’re feeling without people necessarily being able to understand. For someone who has not gone through what I have, if I explain to them with just words my experiences, they will not be able to relate. The facial expression transcends that. Despite not having to know exactly what I’ve gone through, they can understand how I feel in a way that I’m comfortable with and a way that other people might be comfortable with. I think in more realistics drawings you lose the expressive part of things, but when its grotesque you can focus 100% on the expressive nature of the piece. When it’s just a very detailed and beautifully drawn human face, you can be more focused on the human face rather than the expression that they’re making. When it’s grotesque, you’re not usually used to seeing a face in that way so you have to focus solely on the expression.

IE: Who is this clothing line for?
SF: It’s for anyone who thinks that what I have to make speaks to them. It is for anyone that likes my art. I can’t really pick a demographic I always considered my art to be for all and a tool to express my own feelings my own thoughts, my own take on the world we all live in.

IE: How has presenting your drawings on clothing rather than paper changed its perception?
SF: For the people who purchase my art both on clothing or on paper, they use it differently. If you’re going to wear it on your body and wear it around, that says “this is me,” “this is something that I personally like and I’m going to show that to the entire planet.” It’s more public and intentional. But if it’s on a piece of paper and it’s in your own home, then it’s more personal, you’re not necessarily broadcasting it to the whole world. When my designs are worn on t-shirts, it’s not the same.

Sam Fleming ’19 wearing Phillip Park.

IE: Where do you see your brand going in the future?
SF: I have a very open mind to anything the brand can take me to. I don’t have an endgame in mind. I have some very definite goals for the near future: I’d like to rent a kiosk sometime in the next few months and keep working on my website, I’m trying to get a better social media presence and gain more followers.

IE: Can you tell me a bit more about what it’s like being the illustrator for This Land is my Land?
SF: I’ve never done anything like this in my entire life so I’m learning as I go. The art I’ve been making for that book follows a similar trend in my other artwork. It’s very expression oriented. The book follows this young girl, Amina, who is going to school under the new Trump atmosphere. We don’t mention Trump in the book but, you’re supposed to know what we’re talking about. She talks about how some of her friends and some of the people close to her are getting treated differently because of the new environment that she’s in. Her parents explain to her why they have no right to make her feel this way, how this isn’t new, how this isn’t something that no one can combat and that this is something that is not going to stay forever, hopefully.

IE: How did you decide to illustrate her? I’m sure that’s a lot to have to encapsulate heavy themes through this one character.
SF: Again, I’ve never done anything like this before. The style is pretty new but I try to make something that will be appealing for kids to look at while also integrating in the themes that we wanted. The colors red, black and green appear pretty significantly throughout the book and if you’re not familiar with that color scheme it’s the Black national tricolors; it’s also the colors of the Ghanaian flag colors. The colors were big with Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X. I drew big hair for a lot of the African American characters and used a lot of close-up images on child and adult expressions. In some scenes, Amina will tell a story where one of her classmates got picked on for having two mothers or another who wears a hijab. The people who are committing those transgressions against kids are not drawn in color. They are drawn in black and white in an etchy type of way while everyone else is drawn with color pencil and is more appealing to look at. That’s how I’ve been trying to tackle that subject.

IE: So it sounds like you’re doing a lot of new stuff for the first time, both designing a clothing line and illustrating a children’s book. Has it been hard juggling all of these new things?
SF: I see it as 100% exciting. Since school’s been out it’s been a lot easier to focus on everything. Honestly, I’m still trying to figure it out as I go.

Check out the Phillip Park website here: https://www.phillipparkmpls.com/

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First African American President of Tournament of Roses

January 25th, 2018 by Temple City Tribune

2019 TOR President Gerald Freeny. – Courtesy photo

Gerald Freeny announces 2019 theme “The Melody of Life”

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Board of Directors has confirmed Gerald Freeny as President for the 2018-2019 Tournament of Roses year.  Freeny will provide leadership for the 130th Rose Parade® January 1, 2019.

Freeny announced “The Melody of Life” as the Pasadena Tournament of Roses theme to encourage creativity in float entries, marching bands and equestrian participants. “The 2019 theme, ‘The Melody of Life,’ celebrates music, the universal language,” shared Freeny. “Music has the power to not only bring us together but take us back to memories and moments as nothing else can. Rhythm, melody, harmony and color all come together to create the soundtrack that defines our lives.”

Freeny has been a volunteer member of the Tournament of Roses Association since 1988. In addition to his many years of service in the Tournament of Roses, his community involvement has included; president of the San Gabriel chapter of NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives), the Pasadena Police Foundation Board, Pasadena Police Citizens Academy, Pasadena Rose Bowl Aquatics Board, University Club, Pasadena YMCA Board, Black Support Group at Cal State LA, Urban League Board of Governors, United Way Fundraising Committee, Toast Masters and the Pasadena NAACP. Freeny has been on the Advisory Board of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation since 2016, and is also a member of Legacy’s Museum Committee.

He attended Pasadena Christian School and John Muir High School in Pasadena, and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from California State University, Los Angeles. Freeny is a member of both the Kappa Alpha Psi and Gamma Zeta Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi fraternities. Gerald resides in Altadena with his wife, Trina, and their daughter, Erica.

2019 Tournament of Roses President Gerald Freeny announced the leadership and organizational structure for the 2018-2019 Tournament of Roses. Terry Madigan, a volunteer member since 1993, was elected to the Executive Committee and will serve as the Tournament of Roses President in 2026.  He will provide leadership for the 137th Rose Parade® and the 112th Rose Bowl Game® on January 1, 2026.

Madigan was appointed a Tournament of Roses Chair in 2010 and a Director in 2013.  He has served as Committee Chair for Host, Judging, Parade Operations, and Special Events. Madigan has been Vice Chair for Float Entries and Post Parade and a committee member of Community Relations, Decorating Places, Equestrian, Formation, Parade Operations, Post Parade, and TV/Radio.

Professionally, Madigan is a Certified Personal Chef and owner of Just No Thyme®, a personal chef service serving Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. Before turning his passion for cooking into a full-time profession, he had a career in marketing and communications.

In addition to his many years of service in the Tournament of Roses, Madigan is a member of the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA), serving as a founding member of the Southern California Chapter where he served as President from 2012 to 2015 and organized the USPCA’s 2014 National Conference in Long Beach, CA. He also served as President of the Business Network International (BNI) Rose Bowl Chapter.

Madigan is a sixth-generation native Californian and grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. While attending South Pasadena High School, he drove the South Pasadena float in the Rose Parade, twice. Terry graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in political science and journalism from the University of Southern California and later graduated from the California School of Culinary Arts with a Diplôme in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts. Terry resides in South Pasadena with his husband, Kevin Sommerfield.

In addition, the following officers were elected to serve with Terry on the 14-member Executive Committee: Laura Farber, executive vice president; Robert B. Miller, treasurer; Amy Wainscott, secretary. Lance Tibbet, president of the 2018 Tournament of Roses, serves as past president.

Re-elected to the Executive Committee as vice presidents are Alex Aghajanian, Ed Morales and Mark Leavens.  The five appointed at-large members are Zareh Baghdassarian, Teresa Chaure, James Jones, Janet Makonda and Herman Quispe. Freeny also announced the election of a new member to the Tournament of Roses board of directors, Ernesto Cardenas. For more information Candy Carlson, Tournament of Roses, ccarlson@tournamentofroses.com, or call (626) 449-4100.

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A year of damage from Trump’s ‘Injustice Department’

Six months before he was inaugurated as our 45th president, Donald J. Trump screamed at a predominantly white crowd in the small, predominantly white suburb of Lansing, Michigan, “What the hell do you have to lose?”

That screech was heard by black Americans far and wide, which is why, after he was inaugurated, the Congressional Black Caucus found it incumbent upon ourselves to answer.

Last March, the Congressional Black Caucus Executive Committee, led by Chairman Cedric Richmond, D-Louisiana, presented Trump with a 130-page document entitled “We Have A Lot To Lose: Solutions to Advance Black Families in the 21st Century.”

The document, which was compiled by the entire 49-member caucus, outlined policy solutions, down to the very bill text, to issues facing our communities. Voting rights, economic justice, education, health care, environmental justice — those, among others, were the topics under which we presented our ideas to continue this movement’s progress.

But the president, who has not commented on the document since we gave it to him, obviously has had other ideas, almost as if he wanted to answer his own question during the first year of his presidency — to show us what we can lose. Examples of this are especially prevalent when you look at the impact he and his administration have already had on the criminal justice system in our country. Against the rapid barrage of tweets, we must realize what’s going on around us.

So, what have we lost in the first year of the Trump administration. A lot.

In January 2017, Trump directed the Department of Justice to defend each version of his unconstitutional ban on Muslim immigrants from some Middle Eastern and African countries. He quickly pledged action against the “anti-police atmosphere” in the U.S., a thinly veiled jab at our fight for police reform.

He has also used the Justice Department, and his Attorney General Jeff Sessions, to embrace mass incarceration and shy away from transparent policing.

In May, the department issued guidance for prosecutors to pursue increased mandatory minimums against criminal suspects, a recommendation that will feed mass incarceration nationwide. Coupled with this, Attorney General Sessions reinstated a policy allowing local police departments to seize private property regardless of a final conviction.

He has also increased the use of military equipment in local police departments. Trump’s embrace of these policies represents not only a systematic assault on police reform, but also a larger attack on our criminal justice system.

In August, the FBI published a report entitled, “Black Identity Extremists Likely Motivated to Target Law Enforcement Officers,” which invented a term (Black Identity Extremists) for a group of people that does not exist — black people organized to kill law enforcement officers.

But despite the report’s proliferation, no one seems to know how this report was created. Who authored it? Who authorized it?

I’ve asked these questions of Attorney General Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Chris Wray as they sat before the House Committee on the Judiciary. None of them could answer those basic questions.

What the FBI did not seem to do this year, a year that included the death of a young woman at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, is issue guidance to prevent increased white-identity-inspired racial violence.

A key reason why they have declined to do so may be because Trump dismissed this violence, the death of Heather Heyer and the injury of 12 others inflicted by a white supremacist ramming his car into a crowd of peaceful counter protesters, as violence from “many sides.”

Many sides?

What this administration has shown us this year with both its policies and its words is that racism is alive in our country every day and unfortunately, more often than not, it lives in the form of “many sides.”

It lives in “s—hole” foreign countries and it lives in private property seizures. It lives in the form of maximized sentencing and the war against police reform movements.

It lives in FBI reports that invent classifications for local police departments to use against young black activists and it lives in Trump’s attempt to claw back the progress we were making to reform our criminal justice system.

What this year has shown our community is that hard-earned progress must always be fought for. We must be active and we must be engaged, just as we were in Virginia and just as we were in Alabama. In the face of his racism and his bigotry, our activism will continue and prevail.

Rep. Karen Bass is the congresswoman from California’s 37th District, which includes Culver City, Leimert Park, the Crenshaw District and parts of South Los Angeles. Her Capitol Report column runs monthly in The Wave.

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Soul of Philanthropy opens February 2

Contributed by Flock and Rally

After a nationwide tour, Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited will make its South Carolina debut in Columbia, S.C. February 10, 2018, at Richland Library Main. A partnership between Central Carolina Community Foundation, Richland Library, and Women Engaged, The Soul of Philanthropy is a multimedia exhibition dedicated to sharing the tradition of African-American philanthropy, presenting the long and unsung legacy of black philanthropy, from generous donors of wealth to every day givers carving a way out of no way. Learn more at tsopcola.org.

The exhibition illustrates black philanthropy through highly innovative presentations, including luminous photographic prints on metal, iPad kiosks, video, and interactive digital apps featuring music, poetry, photography, narratives and more. It comprises over a dozen vignette stories and more than 50 black and white images that depict facets of giving across generations.

To view the launch video featuring an array of local philanthropists, visit tsopcola.org/stories/.

The inspiration for this exhibit comes from the award-winning book Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African- American Philanthropists, written by Charlotte, N.C. author Valaida Fullwood with photographer Charles Thomas.

The 400-page hardcover book celebrates the giving spirit through photography and stories that honor a centuries-old cultural custom. Valaida describes the books as “stories, so soulful and true, they resonate broadly and tap deeply at the core of people any and everywhere.”

The goal of the exhibit is to showcase the rich heritage of black giving on all levels; raise awareness of philanthropy in all communities and inspire others to join the conversation about philanthropy; and celebrate stories of local South Carolina philanthropists.

In addition to the exhibition, corresponding public programs will allow community members to explore a broad range of topics related to philanthropy. The list of programs can be found at https://tspopcola.org/events.

“When envisioning The Soul of Philanthropy, we set out to reimagine content from Giving Back and present it anew, rather than simply replicating the book on a museum wall,” states Fullwood. “The Soul of Philanthropy is designed to cover new ground, to plumb beneath the surface of why and how people give, and to spur generosity borne, consciously, of the heart, hands, mind, and soul. The exhibit is a reminder philanthropy is deeper than your pockets.”

The Soul of Philanthropy was developed with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, through a partnership with Johnson C. Smith University ( JCSU) and the giving circle New Generation of African American Philanthropists.

The inaugural exhibition was hosted in Charlotte, N.C., at JCSU in 2015, and the exhibit has since traveled to museums, cultural institutions and campuses across the country in cities ranging from Denver, Colorado, and Houston, Texas, to cities in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The exhibit is currently on display in Atlanta, Georgia.

The exhibit will run at Richland Library Main from February 10, 2018, through May 6, 2018. Richland Library is located at 1431 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Admission is free during the library’s regular visiting hours.

Find out more about the exhibit via the website at www.tsopcola.org.

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook via @TSOPCola. Hashtags: #tsopcola #philanthropyreframed.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TSOPCola/

Exhibition-Related Programs

Opening Celebration: Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited, February 10, 2018, 7:30 p.m.- 9 p.m., Richland Library Main, 1431 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201

In addition to the exhibition opening celebration, corresponding public programs will allow community members to explore a broad range of topics related to philanthropy. The list of program details can be found at https://tspopcola.org/events. Current programs being planned include the following:

• Civic Reflections Training of local community leaders with Elizabeth Lynn, founder of the Institute for Civic Reflections at Valparaiso University

• Preserving our Place in History, hosted by SC African American Heritage Association

• Cultural Collections: Author Talk-Back, hosted by Friends of African American Art, Columbia Museum of Art

• In Search of Our Mothers Gardens, hosted by Columbia College, The Watering Hole, WREN

• Reframing Portraits of Philanthropy, hosted by Association of Fundraising Professionals

• Honoring Local Legends, hosted by Cola63 and Richland Library

• Financial Literacy Month, hosted by City of Columbia and Know Money

• Closing Ceremony Family Festival, hosted by presenting partners

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

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Take a Look at the Winners From the 49th NAACP Image Awards

The 49th NAACP Image Awards were given out at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Monday evening (January 15) and the #BlackExcellence was in full effect! Hosted by Anthony Anderson, the two-hour event kicked off with a bang when stars including Kerry Washington, Laverne Cox, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Angela Robinson, Lena Waithe and Tracee Ellis Ross opened with a moment of support of #TimesUp.

It was a big night for several stars including Jordan Peele and his hit film “Get Out.” In the non-televised portion, Peele was recognized for outstanding directing in a motion picture and outstanding writing in a motion picture. During the televised portion, “Get Out” star Daniel Kaluuya took home his first award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture. “I don’t think you’re allowed to beat Denzel Washington in an acting competition,” Kaluuya said in his acceptance speech. Along with Kaluuya, Power star Omari Hardwick earned his first award for his role for the Starz series. Hardwick beat out “This Is Us” star Sterling K. Brown for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series.

“Black-ish” also have a big night after scoring three awards! The acclaimed series took home statuettes for Outstanding Comedy Series and stars Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson won in the comedy acting categories.

A joyful Ava DuVernay was awarded the evening’s top honor, NAACP Entertainer of the Year. During her acceptance speech, the acclaimed director lauded other Black artist such as Kenya Barris, Lena Waithe, Justin Simien, Shona Rhimes and Ryan Coogler. “This is our time,” she said. “We can say we were here when all this gorgeous art was happening, and that we supported it — that we lifted each other up, that we did as Dr. King said we would do: Live the dream. We’re the dream.”

Check out the list of winners below!

Entertainer of the Year
Ava DuVernay

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Octavia Spencer, Gifted (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Motion Picture
Girls Trip (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Comedy Series
black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Omari Hardwick, Power (Starz)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Taraji P. Henson, Empire (FOX)

Outstanding Drama Series
Power (Starz)

TELEVISION

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Jay Ellis, Insecure (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Marsai Martin, black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Joe Morton, Scandal (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Naturi Naughton, Power (Starz)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited, Series or Dramatic Special
The New Edition Story (BET)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Idris Elba, Guerrilla (Showtime)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited,Series or Dramatic Special
Queen Latifah, Flint (Lifetime)

Outstanding News/ Information, (Series or Special)
Unsung (TV One)

Outstanding Talk Series
The Real (Syndicated)

Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series
The Manns (TV One)

Outstanding Variety or Game Show, (Series or Special)
Lip Sync Battle (Spike)

Outstanding Children’s Program
Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited Series)
Caleb McLaughlin, Stranger Things (Netflix)

Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special), Individual or Ensemble
Roland Martin, News One Now (TV One)

Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special), Individual or Ensemble
LL Cool J, Lip Sync Battle (Spike)

RECORDING

Outstanding New Artist
SZA (RCA Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)

Outstanding Male Artist
Bruno Mars (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Female Artist
Mary J. Blige (Capitol Records)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
Kendrick Lamar feat. Rihanna (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope)

Outstanding Jazz Album
Petite Afrique, Somi (Sony Music/OKeh)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album (Traditional or Contemporary)
Greenleaf Soundtrack Volume 2, Greenleaf Soundtrack (RCA Inspiration)

Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
“That’s What I Like,” Bruno Mars (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Song – Traditional
“That’s What I Like”, Bruno Mars (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Album
DAMN., Kendrick Lamar (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope)

Outstanding Song – Contemporary
“HUMBLE.”, Kendrick Lamar (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope)

LITERATURE

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
The Annotated African American Folktales, Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Editor), Maria Tatar (Editor), (Liveright Publishing Corporation)

Outstanding Literary Work, Non-Fiction
Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies, Dick Gregory (Author), (HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work, Debut Author
No One Is Coming to Save Us, Stephanie Powell Watts (Author), (HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work, Biography / Autobiography
Becoming Ms. Burton, From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women, Susan Burton (Author), Cari Lynn (Author), Michelle Alexander (Foreword By), (The New Press)

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
The Awakened Woman: Remembering & Reigniting our Sacred Dreams, Dr. Tererai Trent (Author), Oprah Winfrey (Foreword By), (Simon and Schuster)

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
Incendiary Art: Poems, Patricia Smith (Author), (TriQuarterly Books/Northwestern University Press)

Outstanding Literary Work – Children
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, Vashti Harrison (Author), (Hachette Book Group)

Outstanding Literary Work, Youth / Teens
Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, Rita Williams-Garcia, (Author), Frank Morrison (Illustrator), (Amistad/HarperCollins Publishers)

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Idris Elba, Thor: Ragnarok (Marvel Studios)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Tiffany Haddish, Girls Trip (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
Detroit (Annapurna Pictures)

DOCUMENTARY

Outstanding Documentary (Film)
STEP (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Documentary (Television)
The 44th President: In His Own Words” (History)

WRITING

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Janine Barrois, Claws, “Batsh*t” (TNT)

Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series
Gina Prince-Bythewood, Shots Fired, “Hour One: Pilot” (Fox)

Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special
Abdul Williams, The New Edition Story – Part 2 (BET)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture
Jordan Peele, Get Out (Universal Pictures)

DIRECTING

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Anton Cropper, black-ish, “Juneteenth” (ABC)

Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series
Carl Franklin, 13 Reasons Why, “Tape 5, Side B” (Netflix)

Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special
Allen Hughes, The Defiant Ones (HBO)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
Jordan Peele, Get Out (Universal Pictures)

ANIMATED/CGI

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Tiffany Haddish, Legends of Chamberlain Heights” (Comedy Central)

Photo Credit: PR Photos

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

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Georgia Corporate Whistleblower Center Now Urges a MD to Call Them About Rewards If a Healthcare Company Is Gouging Medicare with Bills for Unneeded Medical Procedures

We are also extremely interested in hearing from a MD or medical professional if they possess proof a healthcare service provider in Georgia is gouging Medicare for unnecessary medical procedures”

— Georgia Corporate Whistleblower Center

WASHINGTON, DC, USA, January 25, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Georgia Corporate Whistleblower Center is urging a medical doctor or a healthcare professional in Georgia to call them anytime at 866-714-6466 if they have proof a medical group or healthcare company is violating the Stark anti-kickback laws. They are also very eager to talk with a physician if a healthcare company is gouging Medicare for medical procedures that should have never taken place. Recently a whistleblower received $340,000 for this type of information. http://Georgia.CorporateWhistleblower.Com

In September 2017 the Department of Justice announced a South Carolina based healthcare company agreed to pay $1.56 million to resolve a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging that they submitted and caused the submission of false claims to the Medicare and TRICARE programs.

The settlements resolved allegations the healthcare company submitted claims to the Medicare Program that violated the physician self-referral prohibition, commonly known as the Stark Law, which is intended to ensure that a physician’s medical judgment is not compromised by improper financial incentives. The Stark Law forbids a clinic from billing Medicare for certain services ordered by physicians who have a financial relationship with the entity. The settlements also resolve allegations the healthcare company submitted and caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and TRICARE for medically unnecessary laboratory services.

The Georgia Corporate Whistleblower Center says, “We are also extremely interested in hearing from a MD or medical professional if they possess proof a healthcare service provider in Georgia is gouging Medicare for unnecessary medical procedures. If you have this type of proof-please call us anytime at 866-714-6466 and let’s discuss the reward potential of your information. Why sit on a potentially winning lotto ticket without ever knowing what it might be worth?” http://Georgia.CorporateWhistleblower.Com

The Georgia Corporate Whistleblower Center is especially interested in hearing from physicians or healthcare professionals if the following types of companies are grossly overbilling Medicare for unneeded medical procedures:

* A blood testing company

* A company providing hospice services

* A Cardiology Group

* A Dialysis Center

* An Imaging Center

* A hospital ER (“Let’s do $10,000’s of unnecessary medical tests on Grandma & then bill Medicare”)

Simple rules for a whistleblower from the Corporate Whistleblower Center: Do not go to the government first if you are a potential whistleblower with substantial proof of wrongdoing. The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, “Major whistleblowers frequently go to the government thinking they will help. It’s a huge mistake. Do not go to the news media with your whistleblower information. Public revelation of a whistleblower’s information could destroy any prospect for a reward. Do not try to force a company/employer or individual to come clean about significant Medicare fraud, overbilling the federal government for services never rendered, multi-million-dollar state or federal tax evasion, or a Georgia based company falsely claiming to be a minority owned business to get preferential treatment on federal or state projects. Come to us first, tell us what type of information you have, and if we think it’s sufficient, we will help you with a focus on you getting rewarded.” http://CorporateWhistleBlower.Com

Unlike any group in the US the Corporate Whistleblower Center can assist a potential whistleblower with packaging or building out their information to potentially increase the reward potential. They will also provide the whistleblower with access to some of the most skilled whistleblower attorneys in the nation. For more information a possible whistleblower with substantial proof of wrongdoing in Georgia can contact the Whistleblower Center at 866-714-6466 or contact them via their website at http://Georgia.CorporateWhistleBlower.Com

For attribution please refer to the September 2017 Department of Justice press release regarding this matter: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/south-carolina-family-practice-chain-its-co-owner-and-its-laboratory-director-agree-pay.

Thomas Martin
Georgia Corporate Whistleblower Center
866-714-6466
email us here

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Jay-Z’s Past and America’s Future

Striking visuals accompanied Jay-Z’s customary uncensored lyrics — this time, it was for “Family Feud.”

He released the video three weeks ago and, of course, it was all anyone could talk about. Ava DuVernay directed the elaborate video, which featured a star-studded cast that included Michael B. Jordan, Jessica Chastain, Thandie Newton, America Ferrera, Brie Larson and Rosario Dawson, to name a few.

The video followed the story of what we can only assume is America hundreds of years from now. There were various subplots throughout the futuristic history, all of which seemed to stem from a turning point, when the “foremothers” revised the Constitution.

As the video progresses, we see Jay-Z holding his daughter Blue Ivy’s hand as they walk into a cathedral. The song begins and we are introduced to Beyonce, who symbolizes the priestess that Jay-Z confesses his sins to. The video appropriately becomes about Jay-Z’s family, as he raps about how far he’s made it in his career and in his personal life, without shying away from admitting he’s made many mistakes, including being unfaithful to his wife (“Yeah, I’ll f*** up a good thing if you let me / Let me alone, Becky”).

However, his lyrics also touch upon the importance of his triumphs, in business and in his artistic career (“What’s better than one billionaire? Two (two) / ‘Specially if they’re from the same hue as you”).

This particular line can be interpreted in two different ways, one being that he is acknowledging the empire him and his wife have created, both united and separately. Another can be his praise of not only his but his fellow black artists’ success as entrepreneurs.

Sure, you might have to watch the video a couple of times to fully grasp the various subplots that lead into the bigger picture — which is that Jay-Z envisions the future of the U.S. with an ethnically diverse government as well as an increase in leadership positions for women — but it is an impactful video nonetheless.

Not everyone enjoyed Jay-Z’s video though. Some thought that it was hard to follow due to the video’s elaborateness.

Others even thought that he disrespected the Catholic church for having a cathedral as a backdrop for a song with curse words in it.

The Catholic League President Bill Donohue released a statement regarding the video, “Is it anti-Catholic? No, it is not a bigoted assault … But it is nonetheless gratuitous as well as exploitative, just the kind of thing we would expect from this genius couple.”

Love it or hate it, the message Jay-Z conveyed in his video furthers the very relevant conversation surrounding the prejudices of race and politics in America.

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RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment