Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys

Rachel L. Swarns has been a correspondent for the New York Times since 1995. She has written about domestic policy and national politics, reporting on immigration, the presidential campaigns of 2004 and 2008 and First Lady Michelle Obama. She has been a foreign correspondent for the Times, reporting from Russia, Cuba and Southern Africa, where she served as the Johannesburg bureau chief. She has also worked for the Miami Herald, where she covered the L.A. riots and the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, and at the St. Petersburg Times. American Tapestry illuminates the lives of the first lady’s forbears who fought in the Civil War, escaped from bondage and often straddled the color line that divided blacks and whites. They survived slavery, endured Jim Crow and joined the Great Migration. It is an intimate family history, but it is also the collective chronicle of our changing nation, a nation in which racial intermingling lingers in the bloodlines of countless Americans and slavery was the crucible through which many family lines were forged. http://rachelswarns.com/

SUSAN FALES was born in Rome, Italy in 1962, and raised in New York City. She graduated with honors from Harvard College with a degree in History and Literature. She began her writing career as an apprentice on the original "Cosby Show". Susan has worked on various TV shows: Co-Executive Producer/Head Writer for "A Different World"..; Executive Producer of the CBS sitcom "Can't Hurry Love"; Executive Producer for "Kirk"; and Consulting Producer for "Suddenly Susan”.  In 1998 Susan co-created with Tim Reid the Showtime original series "Linc's” and served for two seasons as its Executive Producer/Head Writer. In 2003, Susan published Always Wear Joy (HarperCollins), a critically acclaimed memoir about her mother, the late actress/singer/dancer, Josephine Premice.  In 2010 She wrote One Flight Up which is about four Manhattan friends simultaneously questioning their romantic choices. Susan's third novel is entitled, Imperfect Bliss. It  is a wickedly funny take on the ways that courtship and love have changed—even as they’ve stayed the same. http://susanfales-hill.com/    

Actress Irma P. Hall: • Taught foreign languages and English for 27 years in Dallas, Texas, USA public schools.   • Became an actress rather late in life and completely by surprise. A teacher of languages for almost three decades in Dallas, she was seen reading poetry by actor/director Raymond St. Jacques, who was in town shooting a movie, and he offered her a role in his film on the spot.   • Co-founded a minor repertory theater in Dallas during her teaching years.    • Hit 'over-night' film stardom at age 36 in Book of Numbers (1973), starring Raymond St. Jacques. She played Mama Jo on Soul Food tv show. Irma was also in several episodes of Diary of a Single Mom, and Bernie Mac tv shows, just to name a few. Irma won Jury Prize in the Cannes Film Festival for her role in the film Ladykillers Recently, starred in the film Hiding In Plain Sight directed by M. Legend Brown.  

Special Guest: Brad Sharp-His talents have been showcased as a leading role on Broadway in Miss Saigon,  in the Broadway National Tours of  The Civil War  and The Full Monty,  the Oscar and Emmy Governor's Ball, and  Olympic Games. He starred in a T.V. soap pilot “87th & Broadway” and has performed in different aspects on national television. Although he has  been a studio singer for various projects in New York, Atlanta, California and Virginia, Brad now concentrates primarily on recording his own music. Brad's latest EP is entitled Old Man- The Luna Sessions. Check out www.bradsharp.com TWITTER: @bradsharpmusic

In 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland, Afaa Michael Weaver, formerly known as Michael S. Weaver, was born to working class parents. He attended public schools and graduated as a National Merit finalist at the age of sixteen. After two years at the University of Maryland, he entered the world of factory life alongside his father and uncles and remained a factory worker for fifteen years. These years were a literary apprenticeship during which he wrote and published poetry, short fiction, and freelance journalism. During that time he also started 7th Son Press and Blind Alleys, a literary journal. His first book of poetry, Water Song, was published in 1985 as part of the Callaloo series. He received a NEA fellowship for poetry six months after signing the contract for the collections and left factory life to accept admission into Brown University’s graduate writing program on a full university fellowship, where he completed the MA with a focus on theater and playwriting. Concurrently, he completed his BA in Literature in English through Excelsior College. Since Water Song, Weaver has published several more collections of poetry, including The Plum Flower Dance: Poems 1985 to 2005 (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2007); Multitudes; Sandy Point; and The Ten Lights of God, all of which appeared in 2000. His full length play Rosa was produced in 1993 at Venture Theater in Philadelphia under a small-Equity contract. His short fiction appears in Gloria Naylor’s Children of the Night and in Maria Gillan’s Identity Lessons. Weaver has been a Pew fellow in poetry and taught in National Taiwan University and Taipei National University of the Arts in Taiwan as a Fulbright Scholar. At Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts, he is the Alumnae Professor of English and director of the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Center.

FRATERNITY: The inspiring true story of a group of young men whose lives were changed by a visionary mentor. On April 4, 1968, the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., shocked the nation. Later that month, the Reverend John Brooks, a professor of theology at the College of the Holy Cross who shared Dr. King’s dream of an integrated society, drove up and down the East Coast searching for African American high school students to recruit to the school, young men he felt had the potential to succeed if given an opportunity. Among the twenty students he had a hand in recruiting that year were Clarence Thomas, the future Supreme Court justice; Edward P. Jones, who would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize for literature; and Theodore Wells, who would become one of the nation’s most successful defense attorneys. Many of the others went on to become stars in their fields as well. Diane Brady is a senior editor and columnist at Bloomberg Businessweek, where she covers corporate strategies, profiles, and global business issues. She has won several national and international awards for her coverage. Along with regular broadcast appearances, she speaks on business trends and interviews newsmakers worldwide. She’s also taken a leadership role in cross-platform initiatives and editorial events. Diane previously worked at the Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong and Manila, Maclean’s magazine in Toronto, and the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi. She is on the board of the Overseas Press Club, and holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto, as well as graduate degrees from the University of Nairobi and Columbia University

“Hiding in Plain Sight” is the feature film debut of director M. Legend Brown. A Family light-hearted, faith-based film that stars Kelly O’Neil Jackson and Sharice Henry-Chasi as a 30-something couple struggling to keep their family safe after their fall from the middle-class forces them, and their two children, to live in their car.  Special Guest: Actress Irma P. Hall Special Guest: Actor Kelly O'Neil Jackson Special Guest: Actor Marty Ezelle-Kevin Allen http://www.hidinginplainsight.biz/#!main-cast

Maimouna “Mumu Fresh” Youssef is a Grammy nominated seasoned singer, songwriter, producer and emcee. She received a Grammy nomination for her contribution on the Roots hit “Don’t Feel Right” in 2007 for best rap song. She has swapped musical licks with such artists as Angelique Kidjo, Brian Wilson’s band, Big Daddy Kane, Nas, Dead Prez, Wilco, Zap Mama, Cody Chestnut, Martin Luther, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli. Maimouna has also rocked the stages of many renowned venues such as Denver Colorado ‘s Red Rocks Amphitheater, New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, Switzerland’s Moniteau Jazz Festival, and The Carter Baron Amphitheater in Washington, DC. Her musical endeavors were a springboard for Youssef to make her big screen debut in Dave Chapelle’s hip hop documentary “Block Party.” Maimouna released her first Solo EP entitled Black Magic Woman March 1, 2011 and her first full length album - The Blooming on September 20, 2011. http://mumufresh.com

Anita T. Conner, a prominent accountant and 13 year Breast Cancer survivor expanded GETDC in 2005 to incorporate Praise Is The CureÒ as a primary initiative. African American women die from this disease at higher rates than any other ethnic group, for this reason, Praise Is The CureÒ, targets primarily African American women. The George E. Thorne Development Center (GETDC) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit corporation, whose mission is to empower individuals to control their destiny by equipping them with the essential tools needed in the areas of education, healthcare, finance and related issues. “As a breast cancer survivor, I believe that if it weren’t for the divine intervention of God, I would not be here today to share my story. Through Praise Is The CureÒ, I am committed to saving lives by motivating, educating and encouraging African American women to get breast screenings and treatment,” said Conner. Praise is the Cure Kickoff Breakfast is Saturday June 30th at 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. ET 4200 Wissahickon Ave., Phila., PA

Special Guest: Professional Organizer Geralin Thomas offers real solutions for real people, emphasizing simplicity and excellence in her approach to organizing challenges both large and small. Past President of the NC chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers as well as a chronic disorganization and ADHD specialist, Geralin founded Metropolitan Organizing® in 2002 to help transform the lives of her clients. Geralin has been published in an array of national magazines. She is often featured on well-recognized television and media outlets, including A&E’s Hoarders, The Nate Berkus Show, Today and South Africa’s The Home Channel.   Special Guest: Susan Orenstein, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and the Founder of Orenstein Solutions, a group private practice providing psychological services for the entire family. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Brown University, Master’s Degree from Georgia State University, and Doctoral Degree in Counseling Psychology at Temple University.

Fixing The Problem: Making changes in how you deal with challenges Author, Dr. G. L. Reed book provides step-by-step guidance for business leaders, organizations, and individuals on how to change an environment in order to gain control and live a better life in a constantly changing world. Her current work is with organizations and businesses to promote community building. Dr. G. L. Reed is an educator with 25 years of experience helping people from a variety of organizations to create a stronger community through the integration of spirit, culture, and ethics. Dr. Reed holds a Doctor of Ministry in Spirituality, Sustainability, and Inter-Religious Dialogue, a Master of Science in Communication Disorders, and a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences. http://www.expectations-reality.com/index.html

The Color of Autism Foundation is a Non-Profit (501 c3) organization committed to educating and assisting African American families with Autistic children. Autism affects children of every race, ethnic group and socioeconomic status. African-American children frequently are confronted with late diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Our goal is to help families identify the warning signs of autism early on. We can start to overturn these disparities by helping African-Americans with autism reach their full potential. Empowering families with information on autism that they can use to advocate services for their child.  http://www.thecolorofautism.org

Special Guest: Cheryl 'Salt' James of the rap trio Salt-n- Pepa.They released five studio albums. They were the first female rap act to have gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums, and the first female rap act to win a Grammy. Special Guest: Dr. Rani Whitfield (Tha Hip Hop Doc).Rani G. Whitfield, M.D., a board certified family physician with a Certificate of Added Qualification in sports medicine, has become known as "Tha Hip Hop Doc" or "H2D" to many of the young adults in his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he practices medicine. http://www.h2doc.com/landing/ The American Stroke Association has teamed up with Cheryl “Salt” James of Salt-n-Pepa on a new youth music video project to increase awareness about stroke in America.  Salt and Dr. Whitfield are judges for the Hip Hop Stroke Video Competition (open to kids ages 10 to 15 and runs now through Sept. 21). http://www.strokeassociation.org  A free, educational hip hop stroke song, Enlighten the World on Stroke, was commissioned by the American Stroke Association specifically for the video competition.  Go here to download the song: http://annex.citizenglobal.com/app/custom/americanheart/files/Mattie_B_Enlighten_The_World_On_Stroke.mp3 The grand prize winner will get to meet Terrence J. of BET's 106 & Park TV show.

In 2009, Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks created Black Girls RUN! in an effort to tackle the growing obesity epidemic in the African-American community and provide encouragement and resources to both new and veteran runners. The mission of Black Girls RUN! is to encourage African-American women to make fitness and healthy living a priority.  In April 2010, Black Girls RUN! launched more than 60 Black Girls RUN! running groups across the nation. The groups range from the most novice, to the most experienced runner, in hopes to educate African-American women about health and fitness and provide a support system to help them reach their goals. Website: www.BlackGirlsRUN.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BlackGirlsRUN Twitter: www.Twitter.com/BlackGirlsRUN

Veteran Essence magazine beauty director and fashion and lifestyle expert Mikki Taylor uses Michelle Obama as muse in, Commander-in-Chic: Every Woman’s Guide to Managing Her Style Like a First Lady (Atria Books/Simon & Schus­ter). The book is about developing personal style, good health, and acquiring the tools of self discovery, as a path to empowerment. Over her many years as beauty and cover director for Essence, Mikki Taylor became the woman Black women trusted most on the subjects of beauty and style, becoming highly recognizable around the country and in every market around the world where Essence is published.   Taylor understands that women everywhere are fascinated and inspired by the First Lady and aspire to her kind of confidence and effortless glamour. She uses Obama as inspiration to help readers put their personal stamp on everything they wear—no matter the price, the designer, or the occasion, proving that you can have fun with fashion, wear what you love, dress powerfully, and yet not be bogged down by old rules that have nothing to do with how you want to live your life.   Taylor has been featured on many television out­lets, including: The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, TODAY, Weekend Today, The Early Show, NBC Nightly News, EXTRA, Inside Edition, E! Entertainment Television, CNN, TV Guide Channel, VH1, Style Network, Life & Style, WE-TV, CBS 2 Morning News, the Style Network, Pure Oxygen, BET, Mo’Nique’s Fat Chance and TV One.