Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys

Tina McElroy Ansa is a novelist,  publisher, filmmaker, teacher and journalist. But above all, she is a storyteller. Her fifth novel, TAKING AFTER MUDEAR, a sequel to her bestselling second novel  UGLY WAYS and the lead title on DownSouth Press’s first list, was published in Spring 2008.   Tina McElroy Ansa grew up in Middle Georgia in the 1950's hearing her grandfather's stories on the porch of her family home and strangers' stories downtown in her father's juke joint, which have inspired Mulberry, Georgia, the mythical world which is the setting of her four earlier novels, BABY OF THE FAMILY, UGLY WAYS, THE HAND I FAN WITH and YOU KNOW BETTER.   In March 2007, Ms. Ansa launched the independent publishing company, DownSouth Press, with its focus on African-American literature -- fiction and nonfiction. DownSouth will publish established as well as emerging literary voices. In the fall of 2011, she will be publishing THE BOOK OF EPHESUS, a first novel by  Tarshia Stanley, a scholar and the chair of Spelman College’s English Department.   In April 2011, Ms. Ansa received an honorary Doctorate of Arts from her alma mater Spelman College.   Currently, Ms. Ansa and her filmmaker husband Jonee’ Ansa (AFI) who live on St. Simons Island, GA,  also are adapting BABY OF THE FAMILY as a feature film.   For more information and to reach Ms. Ansa, go to   the websites: www.tinamcelroyansa.com  www.downsouthpress.com.  Photo credit: Jonee' Ansa  

August is Psoriasis Awareness Month. The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) is a non-profit, voluntary health agency dedicated to finding a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and eliminating their devastating effects through research, advocacy and education. Founded in 1966, the Psoriasis Foundation has evolved to become the leading patient advocacy group for the 7.5 million Americans living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. http://www.psoriasis.org/   Special Guest: Krista Kellogg. She is the chair-elect of the National Psoriasis Foundation Board of Trustees. Special Guest: Dr. Jenny Murase, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of San Francisco.

Soledad O'Brien and Brad Raymond Foundation The stated goal of the Soledad O'Brien & Brad Raymond Foundation is to provide young women with a bridge between obstacles and opportunity, giving them the experiences, education and resources to overcome unexpected barriers to success. WEBSITE: http://obrienraymondfoundation.com TWITTER: @soledadfdn Soledad O'Brien is an anchor and special correspondent for CNN/U.S. She also covers political news as part of CNN's "Best Political Team on Television." O'Brien's most recent documentaries include; the Battle for Blair Mountain: Working in America, looks at the battle to continue mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia. Don't Fail Me: Education in America, a look at the crisis in public education where American kids are not learning the skills necessary to compete; Almighty Debt, a Black in America special that explores the role of the black church in helping African Americans survive the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. In 2009, Soledad reported for Latino in America, a wide-ranging look at Latinos living in this country; how they're reshaping America and how America is reshaping them. Prior, O'Brien reported for Black in America 2, a four-hour documentary focusing on successful community leaders who are improving the lives of African-Americans. In 2010 the National Association of Black Journalists named O'Brien the Journalist of the Year and Edward R Murrow Awards lauded her with the RTDNA/UNITY award for Latino in America. O'Brien was part of the coverage teams that earned CNN a George Foster Peabody award for its BP oil spill and Katrina coverage.

Tamara Beauboeuf-Lafontant, associate professor of education studies and sociology at DePauw and chair of the University's education studies department, has authored Behind the Mask of the Strong Black Woman: Voice and the Embodiment of a Costly Performance. Published by Temple University Press, the new book "foregrounds the intersection of race and gender with fresh and thought-provoking insight," according to Publishers Weekly. A synopsis states, "The defining quality of black womanhood is strength, states Tamara Beauboeuf-Lafontant in Behind the Mask of the Strong Black Woman. But, she argues, the idea of strength undermines its real function: to defend and maintain a stratified social order by obscuring black women's experiences of suffering, acts of desperation, and anger. Interviews with 58 black women explore the restrictive myth of the 'Strong Black Woman.' In particular, Beauboeuf-Lafontant highlights the physical and emotional toll of this performance of invulnerability, which leaves many black women suffering from eating disorders and depression.   Drawing on black feminist scholarship, cultural studies, and voice-centered research, Behind the Mask of the Strong Black Woman traces the historical and social influences on normative black femininity. This provocative book lays bare the common perception that strength is an exemplary quality of 'authentic' black womanhood, maintaining that the expectation of strength creates a distraction from broader forces of discrimination and imbalances of power."  

Brian White stars in Tyler Perry’s upcoming new romantic drama “Good Deeds” for Lionsgate and 34th Street Films. White will take on the role of Tyler Perry’s(Glen Deeds) brother, Walter Deeds.Thandie Newton, Gabrielle Union and Phylicia Rashad also star in the film. White will also reprise the role of Marcus when the TNT hit Emmy-award nominated drama series “Men of A Certain Age” returns with all new episodes to complete it’s second season in Summer 2011.   In 2011, White stars opposite Academy-award nominee Richard Jenkins and Emmy-award winner Bradley Whitford in the Joss Whedon/Drew Goddard horror film “The Cabin in the Woods” (MGM).   Also, in 2011, White starred in David E. Talbert’s stage show “What My Husband Doesn’t Know” alongside Michelle Williams, Ann Nesby, Clifton Davis and Morris Chestnut in which he played Paul, a handsome man who tempts the beautiful Lena Summer (Williams).   In 2009, White starred in Tyler Perry's “I Can Do Bad All by Myself” (Lionsgate) opposite Taraji P. Henson. He also appeared opposite Channing Tatum and Terrance Howard in “Fighting” (Rogue Pictures) and alongside World Wrestling Entertainment superstar John Cena in the film “12 Rounds” (Fox Atomic ).    He also has a philanthropic side to him and has co-founded a multitude of different ventures including: Black Carpenter (www.BlackCarpenter.org) which is a multi-platform youth empowerment brand that includes a book, feature documentary and speaking tour designed to create a “tool box” that represents the essential life skills for building a successful next generation.

Novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah was born in 1948 on the island of Zanzibar off the coast of East Africa. He came to Britain as a student in 1968 and now teaches literature at the University of Kent. He is associate editor of the journal Wasafiri. His first three novels, Memory of Departure (1987), Pilgrims Way (1988) and Dottie (1990), document the immigrant experience in contemporary Britain from different perspectives. His fourth novel, Paradise (1994), is set in colonial East Africa during the First World War and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction. Admiring Silence (1996) tells the story of a young man who leaves Zanzibar and emigrates to England where he marries and becomes a teacher. A return visit to his native country 20 years later profoundly affects his attitude towards both himself and his marriage. By the Sea (2001), is narrated by Saleh Omar, an elderly asylum-seeker living in an English seaside town. In 2007 he edited The Cambridge Companion to Salman Rushdie. His novel Desertion (2005)was shortlisted for a 2006 Commonwealth Writers Prize. His latest novel is The Last Gift (2011).   The Last Gift: One day, long before the troubles, he slipped away without saying a word to anyone and never went back. And then another day, forty three years later, he collapsed just inside the front door of his house in a small English town. It was late in the day when it happened, on his way home after work, but it was also late in the day altogether. He had left things for too long and there was no one to blame for it but himself.

Born in Zimbabwe 25 years ago, Tinashé is a prodigious pop talent whose accessible guitar and keys driven future classics take gleeful inspiration from everyone from Arctic Monkeys and the Bloc Party to Jack Penate, Jamie T, Paul Simon and original afro-beat sounds.  Filtering his own life experience into supremely addictive chart-friendly tuneage, Tinashé exacts a lightness of touch that means the results are always euphoric and life-affirming. Take the strutting guitars and elegant strings on the delirious new single also called ‘Saved’, which was written after Tinashé was accosted by a particularly forthright tramp who thought he was an angel.   He wrote and produced his debut album, with assistance from engineer Cenzo Townshend (Bloc Party, Late Of The Pier, Florence and the Machine). Front and centre is Tinashé’s signature vocal, instantly recognisable and easily sliding from giddy and urgent, as on the yearning love song ‘If You Say So’, to lived-in and careworn, especially on the end-of-his-tether ballad ‘Decency’.   Tinashé has more than proved his talent as a live performer, with a host of thrillingly addictive shows, supporting the likes of Ellie Goulding, I Blame Coco, Marina & the Diamonds and Kate Nash and her new riot grrrl band The Receeders.  

Join me on TWITTER for a chat with John..Use @ joykeys and @johnautryii  or hashtag #SMJK To meet John today, you would never guess that he was once described as shy. His outgoing personality makes him a true people magnet, and his childhood dream of becoming an actor is coming true.  In the summer of 2007, John was filmed in a starring dramatic role for his first television pilot “Katrina”. His television pilot is still awaiting pickup from Nickelodeon. In mid 2009, John met casting director Robert Ulrich and team when he first went on an audition for “Glee”. He was so excited to be there. John had to learn how to sign the Beatles’ song “Imagine”. Robert encouraged him to try it different ways. Robert was kind, patient and supportive. It was two weeks later, John remembered sitting on the front porch, his father came out with a big smile on his face and said, “you got the part!” He was so happy when he got the part. When he went to the set of “Glee” and met all cast members, it was so cool. In the winter of 2009, John appeared on “Til Death” after Brad Garrett and his production team saw him on “Glee” and thought John was very talented. Brad wanted him to play the short part on his show. In January 2011, he went on an audition for the new TV show called “No Ordinary Family” and got the part. He portrayed Jasper Woods. John met James Bland, who is a co-president of Home Team Entertainment. James put him on his web show “FAIL”. John continues to be on the web show.   John’s acting reel: http://youtu.be/FC3Im47E-Yo

Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is a Poet and Recording Artist, a 2010 TED Global Fellow, the 2nd place 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, and a spokesperson for the Amenawon Foundation. Daughter of Nigerian-born parents who both hold Doctorate degrees from Boston University, Iyeoka was a practicing pharmacist before launching her career as a poet, singer, activist and educator. In her native Esan language, Iyeoka means “I want to be respected.” By channeling her culture and ancestral influences, she delivers an authentic and inspiring message of healing through accessing the power of the moment. In November of 2010, Iyeoka released her new album, SAY YES, containing nine songs and two poems, through the Underground Sun artist development company. It is the first “Evolving Album(tm)” where purchasers will receive added content for free as the album evolves. Even before the album’s release, the first song “The Yellow Brick Road Song” was featured in an episode of the new hit HBO series “How To Make It In America” and is now the official theme song of the USA Network’s show “Fairly Legal.” http://www.iyeoka.com/

Ellis Cose has been a longtime columnist and contributing editor for Newsweek magazine, and is the former chairman of the editorial board of the New York Daily News. He began his journalism career as a weekly columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and has been a contributor and press critic for Time magazine, president and chief executive officer of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, and chief writer on management and workplace issues for USA Today. Cose has appeared on the Today show, Nightline, Dateline, ABC World News, Good Morning America, the PBS “Time to Choose” election special, Charlie Rose, CNN’s Talk Back Live, and a variety of other nationally televised and local programs.   He has received fellowships or individual grants from the Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, among others, and has won numerous journalism awards including four National Association of Black Journalists first-place awards.   Cose is the author of Bone to Pick, The Envy of the World, the bestselling The Rage of a Privileged Class, and several other books.

Ngo is the poster boy for the American success story. Born in Framingham, Massachusetts and raised in Nigeria, Africa, Ngo is on track to becoming one of the most sought after celebrities of our time. Ngo is a talented actor, model and successful businessman. Ngo began his studies at the University of Connecticut and then went on to study acting at the Lee Strassberg Theater Institute in New York City. His website WWW.GETINGO.COM offers everything from engaging photo spreads, video clips, health/fitness advice and helpful tips for young people looking to get started in the modeling and acting business. The fan base for GETINGO.COM continues to grow in leaps and bounds and is on track to becoming a phenomenon.   Ngo continues to blaze trails. One of his major campaigns was with none other than the Queen of Hip-Hop soul Mary J. Blige and rapper Lil' Kim for MAC cosmetics. Since then, Ngo's work has been featured in several magazines such as Vogue, W, Vibe, Men's Health, ESPN The Magazine, Fortune and many more. Ngo's work as an actor has been featured on HBO, CBS and NBC. He has also worked on several TV commercials, TV shows, Indie and feature films. While continuing to build the brand that is NGO, he has successfully produced two bestselling calendars. Audiences nationwide continue to be captivated with Ngo as he makes stops in several cities as part of his INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR TOUR

Tasha Taylor, the youngest daughter of pioneering R&B artist, Johnnie Taylor is having a breakout year with the release of her first solo CD, TAYLORMADE. And the magic will continue, when Tasha makes her Broadway debut, creating the role of Margie Hendrix in “Unchain My Heart,” the upcoming new musical based on the life and music of Ray Charles. An entertainment triple threat, Tasha is a multi-talented musician, actor and performer. As a musician she is the complete package, an accomplished singer, songwriter, musician and now, producer of TAYLORMADE. Tasha began traveling with her family on tour as a child and was constantly surrounded by music legends. She has been busy as a featured guest on acclaimed network fare such as “House,” and “Ugly Betty,” and in indie films, “Dimples” and the just released “Heaven Ain’t Hard to Find.” As a composer, her original music has been featured on “Men In Trees” and “Lipstick Jungle.” She has shared the bill with rhythm, blues and soul icons such as Aretha Franklin, Allen Toussaint, Taj Mahal, Carla Thomas, Susan Tedeschi and Buckwheat Zydeco, and Voice of the Wetlands—Tab Benoit and Donald Harrison. She also performs regularly with Jim Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in their Blues Brothers engagements and on the road with Jack Mack and The Heart Attack. This year Tasha hooked up with producers Stuart Benjamin ("Ray"), and Noisy Neighbors' Rob Arbittier and Gary Adante (Songs In The Key of Life), and headed for the recording studio to cut a new soul album in loving memory of her dad who passed away in 2000.

Like the blazin’ ball of cosmic energy at the center of the universe, songstress/pianist/composer Avery*Sunshine bursts onto the scene with the release of her self-titled debut project (June, 2010). Avery*Sunshine got her start singing at church and playing piano in her hometown of Chester, PA. A graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.   She has opened for noted jazz vocalist/pianist Rachelle Ferrell and sultry “Soulsinger” Ledisi; has done background work for gospel icon Karen Clark-Sheard; and has performed with popular industry figures Michael Bublé, David Forster and Anthony Hamilton.   Avery*Sunshine returns with the release of her 13-track debut CD. The project is an amalgamation of jazz, gospel and soul, and features legendary vibraphonist and funk-soul jazz composer Roy Ayers; Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist Christian McBride; and her talented lyricist/guitarist/producer and musical partner Dana Johnson.   Avery*Sunshine was chosen as iTunes 2010 BEST and featured among “What We’re Listening To” on the iTunes homepage. She’s been recognized as the SoulTracks 2010 Reader’s Choice Best New Artist and was featured as one of JET Magazine’s Top 5 Rising Indie Artists. The CD was listed as a 2010 Album of the Year in Atlanta’s Creative Loafing, and has received countless glowing reviews from such notable publications/media outlets as The Washington Post, USA Today, Heart&Soul magazine, and Rolling Out.com.  

JUDY RICHARDSONwas on SNCC staff from 1963 to 1966: in Maryland; Mississippi, during 1964 Freedom Summer; and in Georgia and Alabama. She ran the office for Julian Bond’s successful first campaign for the Georgia legislature; co-founded Drum & Spear Bookstore in D.C., the country's largest African American bookstore; and was Director of Information for the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice.   Her experiences in the Movement influenced the rest of her life. She worked on Blackside’s fourteen-hour PBS series Eyes on the Prize and was its education director. She also co-produced Blackside’s Malcolm X: Make It Plain.  As a Senior Producer with Northern Light Productionsshe produced African American historical documentaries for broadcast and museum, including all the videos for the National Park Service’s “Little Rock Nine” historic site and, most recently, PBS’s Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre, 1968. She has worked for numerous social justice organizations and writes, lectures, and conducts teacher workshops on the Civil Rights Movement.   She co-edited Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC, with 5 other female SNCC staffers.  Published by University of Illinois Press, the anthology includes the memoirs of 52 courageous women on the front lines of the 1960’s Southern Civil Rights Movement.

Angela Webb is an independent filmmaker based in Los Angeles.  Webb was born in Washington DC and grew up in Atlanta, GA.  Her interest in documentary was sparked when she met the world while working in Europe, and traveling to Africa, Asia and South America during her college years.  She began making audio recordings during her travels and combining them with photographs and other collected media. Webb began her first documentary feature Hearing Radmilla without formal training,  while working as a producer and a youth media educator in New York City.  She then constructed the film while completing an MFA in Film/Video at California Institute of the Arts.Angela Webb is currently working, traveling with Hearing Radmilla and developing new project ideas. With an angelic voice of bluebirds singing, Radmilla Cody, traditional Navajo recording artist, Indie Award Winner, multiple Native American Award Nominee and international performer. Miss Cody is of the Tla’a’schi’i’(Red-Ochre-on-Cheek) clan and is born for the African-Americans. Radmilla is the 46th Miss Navajo Nation from 1997-98. A survivor of domestic violence, Radmilla uses her personal experiences to advocate strongly against the epidemic of violence. www.radmillacody.net Hearing Radmilla: Miss Navajo Nation 1997-1998, the radiant Radmilla Cody tells her story. The film follows Radmilla through her controversial reign as the first biracial Miss Navajo and her burgeoning singing career. www.hearingradmilla.net   Trailer for film: http://vimeo.com/13113380