Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys

Special Guest: Anita T. Conner is the founder, President and CEO of Anita T. Conner & Associates, P.C. a full service Certified Public Accounting and Financial Services firm. Anita attended Drexel University, where she earned an accounting degree with honors.  She continued her education at the Philadelphia University, earning a Master’s Degree in Taxation, also with honors.She is the Founder and Chairman of the George E. Thorne Development Center, (GETDC) a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. In a documentary titled “Faith Based Entrepreneurship…The Anita T. Conner Story” released in 2005, Anita shares her life challenges, triumphs and the lessons she learned on teen parenting, the untimely death of her father, her advancement on the fast track in corporate America despite racism, entrepreneurship in a profession dominated by white men, and overcoming advanced stage breast cancer.   Special Guest: Kerri Conner Matchett, CPA is a partner at Anita T. Conner and Associates P.C., Certified Public Accountants and Financial Services / The Tax Divas.  She holds a B.A. in accounting from Howard University and has successfully completed all parts of the Uniform Certified Public Accounting Examination. She co-founded the program, Praise Is The Cure (PITC), an initiative of GETDC, whose mission is to motivate, educate and encourage African women to get breast health screenings and treatments and to celebrate breast cancer survivors. She received the Susan G. Komen – Philadelphia Affiliate, “Breast Cancer Survivor of the Year” award. Kerri authored her first book in 2010, titled “My Mommy Has Breast Cancer, But She Is Ok”.  Her hopes are that this book will inspire women with breast cancer and other adults to have conversations with young children about the journey to recovery.  

Justin Garner’s album debuted at #29 on the iTunes Japan R&B/Soul charts. An accomplishment worth celebrating as this is Justin's first album released exclusively in Japan. With buzz growing overseas and an established fan base in the United States, this independent pop R&B artist is poised for greatness.   From the small town of Plaquemine, Louisiana, Justin is no stranger to hard work and adversity. At a very young age he dealt with the tragedy of losing his father, also a musician. Several years later, as if to follow in his father’s footsteps, Justin discovered that he too had the gift of music in the form of song.   This singer, songwriter and scholar (a graduate of Southern University with a degree in Marketing) began sharing his talents with the world through a series of covers, re-writes, and remixes of chart toppers  Rihanna, Britney Spears, and more. He has opened for musical acts Trey Songz, Monica, Fantasia, Keri Hilson, and more.   In April of 2010 the digital EP entitled “Sound of My Heart” was released, which featured 6 original tracks showcasing Justin's writing and vocal talents. This was followed by a MySpace feature in April of the same year for his record, "Criminal.".   On the heels of his May 2011 debut album release in Japan, Justin has already began working hard on his next international album, "Take It from Here" slated for release in July 2011. The soon to be released lead single "Paper Heart" will talk of being recklessly in love, despite dealing with heartbreak from a lover. "Drummer" will serve as the pop international single, a dance pop and R&B hybrid track that pairs Justin's vocals with pulsating kicks and synth. http://www.justingarner.com/fr_welcome.cfm

Her first novel, Leaving Atlanta, is a coming of age story set during the city’s infamous child murders of 1979-81. Jones herself was in the fifth grade when thirty African American children were murdered from the neighborhoods near her home and school.  Leaving Atlanta received many awards and accolades including the Hurston/Wright Award for Debut Fiction. It was named “Novel of the Year” by Atlanta Magazine, “Best Southern Novel of the Year,” by Creative Loafing Atlanta. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Washington Post both listed it as one of the best of 2002. She has received fellowships from organizations including Illinois Arts Council, Bread Loaf Writers Conference, The Corporation of Yaddo, The MacDowell Colony, Arizona Commission on the Arts and Le Chateau de Lavigny.  Her second novel, The Untelling, published in 2005, is the story of a family struggling to overcome the aftermath of a fatal car accident.  Upon the publication of The Untelling, Essence magazine called Jones, "a writer to watch." In 2005, The Southern Regional council and the University of Georgia Libraries awarded The Untelling with the Lillian C. Smith Award for New Voices. Tayari Jones is a graduate of Spelman College, The University of Iowa, and Arizona State University. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark University. Silver Sparrow is her third novel. Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta in the 1980s, the novel revolves around James Witherspoon’s two families—the public one and the secret one.

Dr. Leroi Hicks is an Associate Professor in Medicine in the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a Lecturer in Health Care Policy at the Harvard Medical School.  His research has been related to three areas:  (1) The effects of patients’ racial and cultural background on the treatment and clinical outcomes of chronic disease; (2) the development and assessment of interventions aimed at improving quality of medical care and the reduction of disparities in care; and (3) community-based participatory research to identify and address healthcare disparities. In addition to his research roles, Dr. Hicks is co-Director of the Health Disparities Program and research faculty to the Community Health Innovation and Research Program for the Harvard Catalyst. Dr. Hicks received his M.D. from Indiana University and completed his M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health.   Theresa S. Morrow is the Director of Marketing and External Relations for Men’s Health Network (MHN) located in Washington, DC.  MHN is a nonprofit, educational health organization dedicated to improving the health and well being of men and their families.  Through her work at Men’s Health Network, Theresa has co-founded the newly formed, Women Against Prostate Cancer (WAPC), a national organization working to unite the voices and provide support for the millions of women affected by prostate cancer and their families. She has successfully organized concerned women advocates from across the country around the importance of prostate cancer efforts and lead efforts around the First Annual WAPC Advocacy Day in July 2010. 

Wright's script, “A Turn to Grace,” was a semi-finalist in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' annual Nicholl's Screenwriting Competition. Likewise, the Mark Taper Forum's Blacksmyth's Playwriting Program accepted and performed her “Prelude to a Revolution.” Tanya recently wrote and produced a series of Shakespearean-themed AIDS Public Service Announcement starring several African-American actors, including Oscar- nominated Taraji P. Henson. Wright is the writer/creator of several screenplays, television pilots, a soap opera, a web- based series and a reality show. Butterfly Rising: When her brother dies, singer Lilah Belle sets out to escape her grief and embarks on a road trip, but not before coaxing the new-to-town, most scandalous woman in Artesia—Rose Johnson—to go with her. These two broken souls steal a vintage truck and head out on the open road to a fated encounter with the mythical, magical ‘Lazarus of the Butterflies.' What occurs with the strange Butterfly Man transforms their destinies and binds the women together—forever…   http://www.butterflyrisingthemovie.com/about.htm

Carol Dunlop, founder of Optimum Body Sculpting, is a dynamic fitness professional whose talent and innovative style has inspired many individuals to lead a healthy, fit lifestyle.  Carol started her body sculpting business to help women create the body they yearned for by developing individualized training programs and encouraging good nutrition habits. Carol uses her passion for fitness to motivate her clients to accomplish their fitness goals and maintain a positive self image. She works with her clients to help them achieve and maintain the healthy lifestyle they always knew they could have.  She obtained her extensive knowledge of weight loss and weight management strategies while in management positions at The Weight Loss Clinics of America and Mademoiselle Fitness Centers. Carol is a passionate entrepreneur, speaker, motivator and consultant. She is also the founder of “Shape Up Bootcamp for Women” and has conducted numerous fitness classes and bootcamps throughout the Atlanta area.  Carol is also the creator and host of “Fit-4-Life” Internet Radio show. The program showcases women who were once unhealthy but have now committed to living the Fit Lifestyle. They explain the steps that they took to acheive health during the program. Carol is certified through FiTour as a Personal Trainer and through the American Red Cross as a CPR, AED and First Aid Instructor. She has competed and placed in several Fitness America and National Bodybuilding competitions. www.optimumbodysculpting.com

Special Guest: Gregory Koutrouby, dcoumentarian of artists. A Thousand Stories is a continuously moving documentary through which writer Gregory Koutrouby shares his conversations with artists. Celebrating its four-year anniversary this month, A Thousand Stories features artists who, despite their brilliance, are often overlooked. A strong advocate of the arts as a source of inspiration and a native New Yorker, Gregory has shared conversations with artists of many disciplines, including the francophone R&B duo Les Nubians, pop-surrealist painter Martin Wittfooth, and Latin Grammy award-winning vocalist Susana Baca, and continues his search for the most brilliant artists whose voices must be heard. www.athousandstories.com http://www.facebook.com/athousandstories  

Chika Unigwe was born in Enugu, Nigeria, and now lives in Turnhout, Belgium. She holds a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MA from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. She also holds a PhD from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. Chika Unigwe is the author of fiction, poetry, articles and educational material. She won the 2003 BBC Short Story Competition for her story "Borrowed Smile", a Commonwealth Short Story Award for "Weathered Smiles" and a Flemish literary prize for "De Smaak van Sneeuw", her first short story written in Dutch. "The Secret", another of her short pieces, was nominated for the 2004 Caine Prize. She was the recipient of a 2007 Unesco-Aschberg fellowship for creative writing, and of a 2009 Rockefeller Foundation fellowship for creative writing. Chika Unigwe's stories have been broadcast on BBC World Service, Radio Nigeria, and other Commonwealth Radio Stations. Her first novel, De Feniks, was published in Dutch by Meulenhoff / Manteau in September 2005; it is the first book of fiction written by a Flemish author of African origin. Chika Unigwe has recently published her second novel, On Black Sisters Street (first released in Dutch under the title Fata Morgana), a tale of choices and displacement set against the backdrop of the Antwerp prostitution scene. Website: http://www.chikaunigwe.com/

Chika Unigwe was born in Enugu, Nigeria, and now lives in Turnhout, Belgium. She holds a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MA from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. She also holds a PhD from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. Chika Unigwe is the author of fiction, poetry, articles and educational material. She won the 2003 BBC Short Story Competition for her story "Borrowed Smile", a Commonwealth Short Story Award for "Weathered Smiles" and a Flemish literary prize for "De Smaak van Sneeuw", her first short story written in Dutch. "The Secret", another of her short pieces, was nominated for the 2004 Caine Prize. She was the recipient of a 2007 Unesco-Aschberg fellowship for creative writing, and of a 2009 Rockefeller Foundation fellowship for creative writing. Chika Unigwe's stories have been broadcast on BBC World Service, Radio Nigeria, and other Commonwealth Radio Stations. Her first novel, De Feniks, was published in Dutch by Meulenhoff / Manteau in September 2005; it is the first book of fiction written by a Flemish author of African origin. Chika Unigwe has recently published her second novel, On Black Sisters' Street (first released in Dutch under the title Fata Morgana), a tale of choices and displacement set against the backdrop of the Antwerp prostitution scene. Website: http://www.chikaunigwe.com/

Special Guest: Dr. Rani G. Whitfield, is a board certified family physician. A native of Baton Rouge, LA, Whitfield earned his undergraduate degree while attending Southern University. He completed a sports medicine fellowship at Ohio State University. “Tha Hip Hop Doc” or “H2D” engaged in a twelve-month campaign, five days a week during the evening drive on WEMX Max 94.1 FM. His commercials were aptly titled the “Hip Hop Medical Moment”.natives. In 2004 Dr. Whitfield was selected by BET to appear on the critically acclaimed hit show “106 & Park.” In 2005 he agreed to become one of several noted professionals (Hill Harper, Patti Labelle, Mo’Nique, Al Sharpton,  Dr. Joycelyn Elders, etc.) to share his wisdom via a book entitled Not In My Family – a collection of essays that discusses AIDS in the African American community. He  was on the “Road to Health Tour” alongside nationally syndicated radio commentator and television talk show host Tavis Smiley.  http://www.h2doc.com

Special Guest: Bill Hll, Eecutive Director of the US Chess Federation. I was one of the chess kids we are talking about. I grew up in a small southern town. I benefitted tremendously academically due to my involvement with chess. This allowed me to build the resume I needed to get accepted to the college of my choice, and traveling a crossing the country playing in national events opened a whole new world to me, preparing me to move 1,000 miles from home at 18. I received my bachelor's degree in mathematics from MIT. I have been the Executive Director for the USCF for almost 6 years now and this has given me a platform to begin to pay it forward. I am very passionate about chess for all kids, but particularly for at-risk and disadvantaged youth. www.uschess.org Special Guest: Bradley Crable has been teaching chess in the Philadelphia area for over ten years. As a member of the MasterMinds Chess Club and a certified tournament director through the United States Chess Federation, Bradley assists in organizing monthly chess tournaments and events in Philadelphia and surrounding counties. http://www.mastermindschess.org/

Special Guest:  Bill Hll, Eecutive Director of the US Chess Federation. I was one of the chess kids we are talking about. I grew up in a small southern town. I benefitted tremendously academically due to my involvement with chess. This allowed me to build the resume I needed to get accepted to the college of my choice, and traveling a crossing the country playing in national events opened a whole new world to me, preparing me to move 1,000 miles from home at 18. I received my bachelor's degree in mathematics from MIT. I have been the Executive Director for the USCF for almost 6 years now and this has given me a platform to begin to pay it forward. I am very passionate about chess for all kids, but particularly for at-risk and disadvantaged youth. www.uschess.org Special Guest: Bradley Crable has been teaching chess in the Philadelphia area for over ten years. As a member of the MasterMinds Chess Club and a certified tournament director through the United States Chess Federation, Bradley assists in organizing monthly chess tournaments and events in Philadelphia and surrounding counties. http://www.mastermindschess.org/

Yemane I. Demissie is an independent filmmaker who has received numerous national and international grants and fellowships for his work including Best Picture nominee at M-NET’s All Africa Film Awards, the Walter Mosley award for Best Documentary, the Locarno Film Festival Production Grant, the Paulin Vieyra Merit Award for Outstanding Work in the Cinema, and the Fonds Sud Writing Grant.  Yemane recently completed Dead Weight, a narrative feature and Twilight Revelations: Episodes in the Life & Times of Emperor Haile Selassie, a one-hour documentary for MNET’s seven-part series entitled Great Africans.  His first narrative feature, Tumult screened at over 40 international film festivals. For the last four years, has been teaching writing and film production in the department of Film and Television at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.  Prior to his move to New York City, Yemane taught filmmaking at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and UCLA Extension.

Sonja Lewis was born in a small town in the United States and now lives in London, England with her husband. A former journalist, she also has extended experience in public sector communications with the American Red Cross, The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Habitat for Humanity International, The Royal National Institute for the Blind and others. The Barrenness is her first novel.She is a member of the Society of Authors and English Pen. The Barrenness: This debut novel intrigues with an element of surprise that keeps the reader captivated until the very last page-a story about whether you can truly be fulfilled as a woman without being a mother. When Georgia peach Lil (pronounced Lille, France) embarks upon a campaign to have a child, she expects her most formidable opponent to be her biological clock. After all she is 39, her childless aunt, Mamie Lee, reminds her. Nonetheless, when Aunt Mamie dies suddenly, Lil finds herself up against a cadre of obstacles, including a battle with her aunt's stepson over the family's land and a relationship with a congressman who doesn't want more children and possibly can't have them anyhow. She also faces a major crisis at her high-powered job. The most unsettling of all her adversaries, however, turns out to be her own mind, filled with conventional notions about this illusive tie in between motherhood and womanhood. An emotionally captivating story, told with skilful pacing that makes it hard to put down. Blog: http://www.sonjalewis.com/

The Epilepsy Foundationrecently held the 9th annual Kids Speak Up! conference for youth with epilepsy on Capitol Hill. The 45 selected ambassadors from across the country petitionedcongressional leaders for aid in assuring better access to care, improved public education and more research toward a cure for epilepsy. Kids Speak Up! participants and other ambassadors were trained to become national and local advocates on behalf of the nearly 3 million people with epilepsy in the United States. Raise Your Voice, the theme of the event, underscores the importance of people with epilepsy sharing their personal stories with their lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Special Guests: Kimberli Meadows, Senior Director, Media & Public Relations, Epilepsy Foundation Kids Speak Up! Participants: Quinn Allen, 18, Beaverton, OR Ashley Irven, 12, Jacksonville, FL Malina Richardson, 15, Ashland, VA About Epilepsy Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures, which are brief disturbances in the electrical activity of the brain. When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, they have epilepsy, which affects nearly 3 million people in the United States and 40 to 50 million people worldwide. About the Epilepsy Foundation The Epilepsy Foundation, a national nonprofit with affiliated organizations throughout the United States, has led the fight against epilepsy since 1968. The Foundation's mission is to stop seizures, find a cure and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy. www.epilepsyfoundation.org.