Jimmy Heath

American jazz tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath as known as Little Bird visited the campus of NCCU last Friday to talk about his lengendary experience as a musician. He explained to us how jazz was not just a particualar genre of music but a "world" music. He said "The artist today need to focus on the music of the past before they can know their future in music." He presence alone in the music department engaged everyone with his slick wit and amazing story. All-in-all , Jimmy Heath visit here was very interesting and appreciated.

Publisher and editor of Spectacular magazine, Phyllis D. Coley visited our Mass Media and Society class on Monday to enlighten us on her journey and how Spectacular is the magazine of "people". She told us of her various events that are coming up really soon, one of them was the Juneteenth Celebration at Forest Hill Park, which she takes so much pride in because of the history. She also encourage us to continue to work on our writing and to make sure that we use our sources to get our name out there so when the day comes we will be ready for the "real world". I really enjoyed this guest speaker because she was really down to earth and open with her answers to our various questions.

2004 Graduation Keynote Speaker: Bishop Eddie Long

On Monday, we had the opportunity to watch the keynote address from the 2004 graduation here at North Carolina Central University given by Bishop Eddie Long. He gave the graduating class such a powerful and inspiring message. To continue to prosper and hold on to their dreams because the worst thing you can do is settle for a job instead of living out your dream. Bishop Eddie Long's speech to the graduating class was one that should have inspired anyone in college who isn't reaching their potential to straighten up and work harder for what they want. Even myself, I am dedicated to my studies and getting what I want out of the college experience while I am here, so I plan to take everything Bishop Long said and use it to my advantage.

When Are WE Going to Get Over It?: What White Republican wrote in a Georgia Newspaper About President Obama

Andrew M. Manis: When Are WE Going to Get Over It?

For much of the last forty years, ever since America "fixed" its race problem in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often we have heard whites ask, "When are African Americans finally going to get over it? Now I want to ask: "When are we White Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color?

Recent reports that "Election Spurs Hundreds' of Race Threats, Crimes" should frighten and infuriate every one of us. Having grown up in "Bombingham," Alabama in the 1960s, I remember overhearing an avalanche of comments about what many white classmates and their parents wanted to do to John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Eventually, as you may recall, in all three cases, someone decided to do more than "talk the talk."
Since our recent presidential election, to our eternal shame we are once again hearing the same reprehensible talk I remember from my boyhood.

We white people have controlled political life in the disunited colonies and United States for some 400 years on this continent. Conservative whites have been in power 28 of the last 40 years. Even during the eight Clinton years, conservatives in Congress blocked most of his agenda and pulled him to the right. Yet never in that period did I read any headlines suggesting that anyone was calling for the assassinations of presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, or either of the Bushes. Criticize them, yes. Call for their impeachment, perhaps. But there were no bounties on their heads. And even when someone did try to kill Ronald Reagan, the perpetrator was non-political mental case who wanted merely to impress Jody Foster.

But elect a liberal who happens to be Black and we're back in the sixties again. At this point in our history, we should be proud that we've proven what conservatives are always saying -- that in America anything is possible, EVEN electing a black man as president. But instead we now hear that school children from Maine to California are talking about wanting to "assassinate Obama."

Fighting the urge to throw up, I can only ask, "How long?" How long before we white people realize we can't make our nation, much less the whole world, look like us? How long until we white people can - once and for all - get over this hell-conceived preoccupation with skin color? How long until we white people get over the demonic conviction that white skin makes us superior? How long before we white people get over our bitter resentments about being demoted to the status of equality with non-whites?

How long before we get over our expectations that we should be at the head of the line merely because of our white skin? How long until we white people end our silence and call out our peers when they share the latest racist jokes in the privacy of our white-only conversations?
I believe in free speech, but how long until we white people start making racist loudmouths as socially uncomfortable as we do flag burners? How long until we white people will stop insisting that blacks exercise personal responsibility, build strong families, educate themselves enough to edit the Harvard Law Review, and work hard enough to become President of the United States, only to threaten to assassinate them when they do?

How long before we starting "living out the true meaning" of our creeds, both civil and religious, that all men and women are created equal and that "red and yellow, black and white" all are precious in God's sight?

Until this past November 4, I didn't believe this country would ever elect an African American to the presidency. I still don't believe I'll live long enough to see us white people get over our racism problem. But here's my three-point plan: First, everyday that Barack Obama lives in the White House that Black Slaves Built, I'm going to pray that God (and the Secret Service) will protect him and his family from us white people.

Second, I'm going to report to the FBI any white person I overhear saying, in seriousness or in jest, anything of a threatening nature about President Obama. Third, I'm going to pray to live long enough to see America surprise the world once again, when white people can "in spirit and in truth" sing of our damnable color prejudice, "We HAVE overcome."
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It takes a Village to protect our President!!!

The Obituary Assignment

Last Friday, we were assigned to write our obituaries for my Mass Media and Society class. When Mr. Chambers told us of the assignment I was kind of reluctant to completing it because who honestly wants to think about dying at such a young age. I continuously procrastinated this assignment for two reason the mere thought of death bothers me I mean I am not scared of it because I know everybody has to leave this earth one day, but its just a subject I'd rather leave ALONE. Secondly, because no less than two weeks ago I lost a very close cousin to cancer and I am still trying to get through that. However, I managed to work through my issues and began my obituary. While preparing to write my obituary, I called my mother to help me through this paper and all she could say was "Tell your professor I said, I don't like this one single bit." Once, she cracked a few jokes and read some old obituaries to me over the phone I was able to get through my own. This assignment has really opened my eyes because I have now set a standard for myself and the life that I want to live by. As one of my fellow classmates said today "I don't want what I wrote in my obituary to just be something I made up what I wrote is what I want to happen." That's exactly the way I feel about the details of my life in my obituary I want those things to happen...correction I AM going to make those thing happen.

On Monday, NCCU Graduate Ronnie Camille visited our class to give us a few pointers on how to make it in the real world after graduation. He told us of his time here at North Carolina Central University and how his career started just from networking with teachers as Mr. Chambers. As well as, putting himself out there to be noticed, he told us of how one day ABC news crew were on campus and he randomly went up and asked if they needed help. They told him yes, they did and he had a job pulling not knowing that later, he would go onto work for ABC and became the professional he is today. He stressed the importance of networking and following up with other visitors who attend class as well as working on writing skills. I found Ronnie's visit to be inspiring because we actually got to see how far a NCCU graduate made it and for him to take the time to come back and speak to us of his progress was a good thing.

NBC Meteorologist Wes Hostenin visited our class last week to inform us of the change in cable and antenna due to June 12 conversion. Instead, he informed us of his life before he became the NBC meteorologist, and how he traveled around before finding his home with NBC. A graduate of the University of St. Louis has been all over the map when it comes to his work. I recall, him saying he was in Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina hit and how the he witnessed the people of Louisiana moving in the Stadium of Houston. A transition that he couldn't believe that they would be moving thousands into the stadium. All-in-all, Hostenin gave us a great presentation of his life as well as his experie.nces