Folks Who Get It - Watch "Five Deep Breaths", The Short That Got Morehouse College Filmmaker Seith Mann Noticed

Seith Mann, 37, is an acclaimed African-American film and television director. The Morehouse College Alum directed the award-winning Five Deep Breaths and has gone on to direct for The Wire, Hung, Heros and Grey's Anatomy.



Part 2, under the hood.



Keep your eye on this black talent. We'll see you at the Oscars Mr. Seith Mann!

Folks Who Get It: Percy Sutton Epitomized What The Harlem Renaissance Was All About

Job Well Done Sir - Rest In Peace!

Percy E. Sutton stood proudly at the center of the struggle for equal rights. He was arrested as a freedom rider; represented Malcolm X as young lawyer; rescued the fabled Apollo Theater in Harlem; and became a millionaire tycoon in the communications business to give public voice to African Americans.

Displaying fierce intelligence and exquisite polish in becoming one of the nation’s most prominent black political and business leaders, the New York icon died on December 26. He was 89.

Percy Sutton was an eminent politician in New York City, rising from the Democratic clubhouses of Harlem to become the longest serving Manhattan borough president and, for more than a decade, the highest black official in the city. In 1977, he was the first seriously regarded black candidate for mayor.

His supporters saw his loss in that mayoral race as a stinging rebuff to his campaign’s strenuous efforts to build support among whites. But David N. Dinkins, who was elected the first black mayor in 1989, called Mr. Sutton’s failed bid indispensable to his own success.

“I stand on the shoulders of Percy Ellis Sutton,” Mr. Dinkins said in an interview.

Mr. Sutton’s business empire included, over the years, radio stations, cable television systems and national television programs. Another business invested in Africa. Still another sold interactive technology to radio stations.

Mr. Sutton had an immaculately groomed beard and mustache; tailored clothing; and a sonorous, slightly Southern voice that prompted the nickname “wizard of ooze.” Associates called him “the chairman,” and he liked it.

Percy Ellis Sutton, the last child in a family of 15 children, was born on Nov. 24, 1920, in San Antonio, Tex. His father, Samuel Johnson Sutton, was born into slavery and became principal of a black high school. His mother, Lillian, was a teacher.

The 12 children who survived to be adults went to college, with the older ones giving financial and moral support to the younger.

S. J. Sutton, an early civil rights activist who did not use his first name for fear it would be shortened to Sambo, farmed, sold real estate and owned a mattress factory, funeral home and skating rink — in addition to being a full-time principal.

Percy milked the cows, then rode around San Antonio with his father in the same Studebaker used for funerals, distributing milk to the poor. He liked to attach strings to cans to pretend to be a radio broadcaster. He was an Eagle Scout.

At 12, he stowed away on a passenger train to Manhattan where he slept under a sign on 155th Street. Far from being angry, his family regarded him as an adventurer, he said.

His family was committed to civil rights, and he bristled at prejudice. At 13, while passing out N.A.A.C.P. leaflets in an all-white neighborhood, he was beaten by a policeman.

He took up stunt-flying on the barnstorming circuit, but gave it up after a friend crashed. He attended three traditionally black colleges without earning a degree. Their present names are Prairie View A & M University in Texas, Tuskegee University in Alabama and Hampton University in Virginia.

During World War II, he served with the Tuskegee Airmen, the famed all-black unit in the Army Air Forces, as an intelligence officer. He won combat stars in the Italian and Mediterranean theaters.

He entered Columbia Law School on the G.I. Bill on the basis of his solid grades at the colleges he attended. He transferred to Brooklyn Law School so he could work days. He worked at the post office from 4 p.m. until midnight, then as a subway train conductor until 8:30 a.m. He then reported to law school at 9:30. He kept this schedule for three years and became a lawyer.

This punishing pace so annoyed his wife, the former Leatrice O’Farrell, that she divorced him in 1950 — only to remarry him in 1952. In between, he married and divorced Eileen Clark.

Mr. Sutton’s survivors include his wife, Leatrice Sutton; a son from their marriage, Pierre; and a daughter from his second marriage, Cheryl Lynn Sutton.After graduating from law school, Mr. Sutton made what he termed “a major miscalculation.” He enlisted in the Air Force because he mistakenly thought he had flunked the bar exam.

He returned to Harlem in 1953 and opened a law practice. The initial going was tough: he had to work at supplemental jobs that included scrubbing floors.

The story continues...

Folks Who Get It: Phenomenal African American Sculptress Tina Allen Dead at 58

Funny, Energetic Artist Captured Black Figures In Bronze

By Our Weekly writer Shirley Hawkins

Internationally renowned sculptor and painter, Tina Allen, who has won commissions to sculpt the likenesses of Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela, passed away this week due to complications of pneumonia after a massive heart attack.

Born in 1949 in Hemptead, N. Y., Allen began painting at the age of five and was discovered at the age of 10 by William Zorach, who was considered one of the greatest living sculptors in the world. Allen was the daughter of Gordon “Specs” Powell, a studio percussionist for CBS Records.

Allen, who was considered a social activist as well as an artist, created her first three-dimensional work when she sculpted a bust of Aristotle in high school. She soon began winning competitions and awards, but Allen revealed that though she had originally intended to paint, “sculpture was more natural for me than painting.”

In 1986, she entered a competition in Boston for a commission to create a memorial statue of African American labor activist A. Philip Randolph, who founded a union for train porters in 1925. To her surprise and delight, Allen won the $85,000 commission and her career began in earnest.

In 1988, Allen moved to Los Angeles where she produced many sculptures and paintings that reflected the Harlem Renaissance. She also focused on the black male, which is shown in her creations entitled “Proud Father and Son” and “The Banjo Lesson.” Allen has promoted the contributions of African American women through her work entitled “Ethiopia.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke, a long time friend of Allen, reflected, “I think all of us know that Tina was an exceptionally talented woman as a sculptress. Tina always did excellent work.”

Burke recalls that Allen also possessed a great sense of humor. “She was the funniest woman I ever knew,” said Burke. “She would keep you in stitches for hours. She had an ability to lift you up and make you smile and to bring you out of whatever depths you’re in.”

Through her artwork, Allen wanted to leave a legacy for African American children. “Our children must be able to say greatness comes out of people who look like me,” she once said.

Locally, Allen had been commissioned to create sculptures of community activists Lillian Mobley and Celes King Jr. She was also commissioned to create sculptings of Sammy Davis Jr., Alex Haley, Dr. Ralph Bunch, Marcus Garvey, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. Charles Drew, George Washington Carver, Sojourner Truth, Betty Shabazz, and Tupac Shakur.

As her acclaim grew, Allen’s prodigious talent kept her traveling extensively to such far away places as Africa, Europe, and Asia, South. LA Times Has Details & Photos.

Good job Tina. Congratulations, you've been promoted. Source

FOLKS WHO GET IT: DON LAFONTAINE, AKA "MR. VOICE", DEAD AT 68

A Down Guy With A Terrific Black Wife And Beautiful Children Leaves Us

The film world has lost an amazing, unbelievable talent. Everyone reading this post has heard him speak, but many of you probably don’t know his name.

Don LaFontaine was and will forever be a voiceover legend, whose voice has graced over 5,000 movie trailers and nearly 350,000 commercials!

I met Don after he married my friend Nita Whitaker, an incredibly talented African American sistah who actually sing at my wedding.

Don had been admitted to Cedar Sinai hospital on August 22, with a blood clot lodged in his lung. Sadly, he died of complications relating to pneumothorax. He was 68 years old and leaves behind Nita and teen daughters Skye and Elyse and another child from a previous marriage.


He has generally been thought of as the person who coined the phrase “In a world…” He has helped to stoke excitement for such varied shows and films as Terminator 2, Cast Away, 24 and Arrested Development among countless others. Most recently, he has been seen in Geico commercials, in which he parodies the urgency of trailer voiceovers.

Although a number of years have gone by, I will always remember Don as someone who was sarcastically witty and a incredible sense of humor. Our prayers go out to the family, particularly Nita during what will obviously be a very challenging period:



Don, you will truly be missed. Congratulations, you've been promoted.

via ETOnline

Folks Who Get It: American Idol's Dorian Holley Steps Out Onto Center Stage

Husband, father and businessman would not be the first things that come to mind when you hear the name Dorian Holley.

As the featured vocalist for three years on DANCING WITH THE STARS, Holley is perhaps most known as the men's vocal coach on AMERICAN IDOL. Having backed up everybody from Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan to Michael Jackson. From Queen Latifah and Joss Stone, to Usher, Chris Brown and Alicia Keys, this brother has a new cd coming out that has folks buzzing.

To kick off Holley's newest solo cd, he wants you and a few friends to come check him out in concert Saturday, September 6, 2008. at Stage 52 in Los Angeles. Don't sleep, this gathering of who's who in the music industry is officially going down at 5299 W. Washington Blvd. For more, check my boy out at Dorian Holley.com

FOLKS WHO GET IT: Charleston Firefighter and Family Man Charles "Chuck" Overstreet

3BAAS Media Group is proud to bestow on Charles “Chuck” Overstreet our "Outstanding Role Model Award."

We believe that it's important that traditional and new media honor and celebrate African Americans who promote positive community activity and involvement through education.

Overstreet was officially bestowed the recognition at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Charleston, West Virginia

Chuck Overstreet has been a longtime leader of his community. His influence has been a contributing factor in the lives of his younger brothers, daughters, granddaughter, nieces and nephews. Raised on Charleston’s West Side, Overstreet has been a proud member of the city’s Fire Department for over 14 years. He sings in the church choir, serves as the stand-in church bus driver, is a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and is a former Stonewall Jackson football standout. His courageous actions on a daily basis exemplify the true meaning of being an outstanding citizen and dedicated family man.

Here at 3BAAS, we understand the importance of role models in urban areas and hope that Chuck Overstreet's daily walk will motivate others into action. Congratulations Chuck and know that your work is not going unnoticed!

Folks Who Get It: Douglas Dollarhide Handled His Business, Take Note Kwame Kilpatrick

From Postal Carrier To Revered Black Political Icon

Douglas Dollarhide, whose election as Compton's first black mayor in 1969 symbolized the demographic transformation of what was once a predominantly white area, has died.

Dollarhide, 85, was mayor of Compton from 1969 to 1973, focusing on fighting crime, drug abuse and empowerment. Hip Hop Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick should steal a page from this brother's playbook.

The Oklahoma native and member of numerous community groups was on life support for three years before family chose take him off, said his nephew, Vernon T. Wilson.

He was an unassuming perfectionist who loved to read, quote Shakespeare and listen to Bach and Beethoven. "All he'd ever talk about were things that needed to be done," Wilson said, "not about his accomplishments."

Dollarhide became the first elected black councilman of Compton by 75 votes in 1963. He was elected mayor in 1969, overseeing the construction of a City Hall and a community center that was later named the Dollarhide Neighborhood Center.

A former mailman, Dollarhide was considered a pioneering figure at a time when other cities in southeast Los Angeles County were becoming increasingly black and Latino.

He took office when Compton's population hovered at 76,000 and was about 65% black. City leadership was starting to turn, with several black leaders winning prominent roles on the council and school boards. Businesses, city departments and community clubs were still dominated by whites.

Although he ran for a second term but lost to Doris A. Davis, Compton's first black female mayor. Dollarhide later worked as a real estate agent and mortgage broker.

Dollarhide's wife, Eliza Dollarhide, died in 2007. He is survived by his adopted daughter, Patricia Kiriko.

Congratulations Mayor on a job well done. You've been promoted sir! Source

Folks Who Get It: Warren Brown Is The Martha Stewart Of Pastries

Talk About A Brother With Mad Skills

Cake connoisseur Warren Brown, the African American lawyer-turned-baker who owns a popular D.C. bakery and hosts a Food Network show, has a new book, "CakeLove: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch."

This black man is making me hungry. Big time!

Brown loves developing new recipes and products that are sold through his bakery and café or included in his new cook book, CakeLove. His career path has been anything but normal, and that adds to a lot of the excitement in the sweets he creates.

He completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University in 1993 with a BA in History, and graduate studies at The George Washington University in 1998 with a Juris Doctor and a master's in Public Health.

In 2000 Mr. Brown left his career as a lawyer litigating health care fraud on behalf of the federal government to pursue a dream and start a business. Sensing that people wanted better cake, he founded CakeLove in 2002. With a lot of hard work, positive word-of-mouth advertising, and direct marketing, Mr. Brown has grown his business from a moonlighting project into a thriving retail business.

In 2006 he was recognized for his entrepreneurial passion by the Small Business Administration and given the Small Business Person of the Year award for Washington, DC. In 2005 and 2006 his bakery CakeLove won the best bakery category in the Washington Post's Best Bets readers poll.

Mr. Brown has been recognized for his entrepreneurial spirit and featured by a number of media outlets, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, People Magazine, Southern Living, Black Enterprise, Inc. Magazine, The Washington Post, and many others.

He also owns Love Cafe and hosts "Sugar Rush" on the Food Network.

In his new pastry cookbook, Brown discusses making 50 cakes, including pound, butter and sponge cakes, cupcakes and various glazes, frostings, meringues and fillings. Brown will have samples of confections to tempt your sweet tooth.

Folks Who Get It: Pat Tobin of Tobin & Associates

We Love You Pat!

Pat Tobin, CEO, president and founder of Tobin and Associates, is a giant in the African American community.

We here at 3BAAS Media Group have the consummate networking public relations powerhouse in prayer as she continues to show strength and courage in the face of a challenging health crisis.

To family, friends, and everyone who knows her, we lift up this incredible spirit. Always with a warm smile, Pat is that one-of-a-kind individual who had her finger on the pulse of everything that was going on in LA.

BREAKING NEWS: PAT MAKES HER TRANSITION

Pat Tobin is a visionary. After humble beginnings on the kitchen table of her small apartment, she has gone on to create a legacy demonstrative of having a plan, working hard, and persevering until success is achieved.

In an industry once dominated by non-Black males, Pat had the fortitude to step into the little-understood world of community, media and public relations and establish a niche business that has withstood the ‘test of time.’

From the Los Angeles Sentinel:

Tobin & Associates has secured it's place as a Black-owned, female run public relations firms capable of delivering a broad range of image-enhancing programs to small and start-up operations, entertainers, non-profit organizations as well as some of the largest and most dominant companies in the world.

“This industry requires nurturing key contacts and relationships,” Tobin said. “knowing your craft and then exceeding your clients’ expectations!”

And that is exactly what Tobin and her professional staff of consultants, staff-support, and contract professionals managed to accomplish over the years, achieving near ‘icon’ status among the clients she has served.

In responding to a question about the reason for so few Black-owned public relations firms, Tobin explained the difficulty of winning clients and helping them understand the value of engaging a specialty firm capable of expanding their image, reputation and sales among ethnic consumers.

“Public Relations is a highly competitive industry and it is hard to win new clients.” Tobin explained. “Many large corporations are expanding their internal community and public relations departments and many do not, or choose not, to see the value of an outside agency.”

Toyota however, the world’s leader in the manufacture and sale of well-built automobiles, in all automotive categories, determined over 20 years ago that a business association with Tobin & Associates was good for their gross sales and profitability.

“In the late 1980’s the Prime Minister of Japan made some derogatory, public remarks about Blacks that, for a time, created a negative backlash among Black towards products manufactured in Japan.” Tobin recalled. “Many of our Black leaders at that time, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ambassador Andrew Young, Rev. Al Sharpton, and others spoke-out against the Prime Minister’s comments, and I determined that the situation created an opportunity for Tobin & Associates.”

After ‘pitching’ to a number of Japanese consumer product providers, Tobin landed a contract with Toyota, and never looked back. From nationally syndicated cable TV personality Tavis Smiley and award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee to Shell Oil and AT&T, Tobin & Associates has likely been involved in countless community and public relations campaigns which have advanced the concept, product, film, book, or other consumer product in the Black community.

Tobin also contributed to the inspiration, establishment, and advancement of the Black-owned public relations firms throughout the United States, as the co-founder of the Black Public Relations Association where she served most recently as immediate past president and board member.

“As I traveled across country I encountered many of us who were performing a broad range of public relations services to their clients.” Tobin described. “It seemed appropriate to establish a networking organization for us to exchange ideas, share views, and work towards the establishment of programs to further develop and advance our industry.”

Tobin admitted that she is grateful for the long list of clients she and her staff have been privileged to serve over the years and acknowledges that winning the contract is only the first step of building a long and mutually beneficial business relationship.

(Photo by Vinnie Ratcliff: Pat, third from left, shares a special moment with celebrities Florence LaRue, Ja’net DuBois, and Sheryl Lee Ralph)

"We continue to strive to help our client’s meet or exceed their objectives in the markets that they serve.” Pat said. “We must execute each task as if were the best opportunity to advance our client’s product, image or community and public relations programs.”

She made special mention of one of her most significant clients, Chairman and CEO Don H. Barden, the Black owner of Fitzgerald’s Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. “Mr. Barden is an extremely successful entrepreneur.” Tobin said in describing her firm’s efforts to publicize their 4th Anniversary Celebration where they recognized the achievements of African Americans. Source

But that's why Pat is so beloved. She has a gift for making people look good, understanding that helping others achieve their goals was an art form that she had mastered.

Even with her present battle with cancer, Pat is fighting the way she always has. With class, humor and fierce determination.

Thank you for a job well done Pat Tobin. Stay strong and keep inspiring the rest of us to be the best we can be.

Folks Who Get It: White Rocker David Cook Tears Up Jackson's Billie Jean On American Idol

Though Chris Cornell was acknowledged to be the source of David Cook's "Billie Jean" rearrangement on last week's American Idol, another band has come out demanding Cook (pictured) credit their cover of "Eleanor Rigby."

Doxology, a rock-soul group out of Seattle (who happen to be pals with last season's runner-up Blake Lewis), claim that on March 11 Cook performed their version of the Beatles' classic — which has been available on the band's myspace page and iTunes since January 2007 — without crediting them.

In a statement issued to the press on Saturday, lead vocalist Luke McPherson contends, "When given the opportunity to speak up and reveal where the arrangement came from, David Cook did not. His silence on the issue implies that the arrangement is his own. It is not." The band is careful to note that they are fans of the show and they are not seeking royalties (which they would have earned off of iTunes sales had their name been mentioned on air). Their impetus: "We just want David Cook and American Idol to do the right thing and acknowledge these facts. It's that simple." Whether Cook was actually aware of their version is still unclear as representatives for Fox could not be reached for comment over the weekend.

FOLKS WHO GET IT: ACTOR, DIRECTOR IVAN DIXON WAS "NOTHING BUT A MAN"

(Dixon with Diana Sands in an episode of the ABC-TV show "The Fugitive")

Actor Ivan Dixon, who brought the problems and promise of contemporary blacks to life in the film "Nothing But a Man" and portrayed the levelheaded POW Kinchloe in TV's "Hogan's Heroes," has died. He was 76.

Dixon died last Sunday at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte after a hemorrhage, said his daughter, Doris Nomathande Dixon of Charlotte. He had suffered complications from kidney failure, she said.

In the script for the landmark 1964 film "Nothing but a Man," actor Ivan Dixon saw something familiar in the character Duff Anderson. Duff was a railroad worker in love with Josie, a schoolteacher and minister's daughter who lived in an Alabama town. The story of Duff's attempts to live with dignity and to love, despite racial injustice, was an honest depiction of black life in America, Dixon said. The character, which Dixon later called the most important role he portrayed, resonated in a way that others did not.

"That was me," Dixon once said of Duff. "I had lived every moment. . . . I was reliving my whole life on film."

Dixon, who also played Sgt. James Kinchloe on the popular television series "Hogan's Heroes," and went on to a long career as a director of episodic television shows and feature films, including "The Spook Who Sat by the Door."

The cause of Dixon's death was a brain hemorrhage, a complication of kidney disease, said his daughter, Doris Nomathande Dixon.

Longtime friend and colleague Sidney Poitier said Dixon has left his mark on American film, television and theater.

"As a fellow actor, one had to be on one's toes, otherwise he was quite likely to walk away with the scene," Poitier said in a statement released to The Times.

"Nothing but a Man," which also starred jazz singing great Abbey Lincoln as Josie, was written by two white documentary filmmakers who spent time in the South in the 1960s before penning the script. Long after its initial release, Dixon continued to see the movie as an example of film's potential to more accurately reflect black life. He encouraged the making of more honest films.



"Even among black directors today -- and I'm not saying these guys haven't done good work -- there is more concern with making movies that make money, that titillate and get people to the box office," he told Newsday in 1993. "And I think that is the kind of horror of black American life, that we have accepted that struggle for the dollar instead of struggling for humanity. For honor."

Born in New York on April 6, 1931, Dixon began acting at Lincoln Academy, an African American boarding school in Gaston County, N.C. At North Carolina Central University, he majored in theater and graduated in 1954, the same year he married theater student Berlie Ray. The couple later had four children. In addition to his wife and daughter, Dixon is survived by son Alan Kimara Dixon of Oakland. Two other sons died.

After graduating from college, Dixon continued his studies at Case Western Reserve University and Karamu House in Cleveland, and at American Theatre Wing in New York City. Dixon began his career in theater. He performed in a 1957 production of "The Cave Dwellers," and played the role of Joseph Asagai, a Nigerian student, in the original 1959 Broadway production of "A Raisin in the Sun" and in the 1961 film version, both of which starred Poitier.

In "The Defiant Ones" and other films, Dixon worked as a stunt double for Poitier but then earned roles in his own right. His other movie credits include the film version of George Gershwin's opera "Porgy and Bess" in 1959, "A Patch of Blue" in 1965 and the 1976 film "Car Wash."

Dixon, who also directed scores of television shows, began his acting career in the late 1950s. He appeared on Broadway in William Saroyan's 1957 "The Cave Dwellers" and in playwright Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking 1959 drama of black life, "A Raisin in the Sun." In the latter, he played a Nigerian student visiting the United States, a role he repeated in the film version.

In 1960, after Dixon and his family moved to Altadena, he found work in Hollywood, appearing in episodes of numerous television shows, including "The Twilight Zone," "Perry Mason" and "The Outer Limits."

"Hogan's Heroes" ran from 1965 until 1971, but Dixon "didn't really enjoy being that character," he said of Kinchloe in a 2000 Daily Variety article. He left after five seasons.

Dixon turned his attention to directing, beginning with an episode of "The Bill Cosby Show" in 1970. In the years that followed, he directed numerous episodes of television shows, including "The Waltons," "The Rockford Files," "Magnum, P.I." and "Snoops."

In 1973, Dixon directed and produced with Sam Greenlee the controversial feature film "The Spook Who Sat by the Door." Based on the book by Greenlee, the film tells the story of an African American working for the CIA as a covert operative who takes what he learns to the black community and uses it in a revolt against the government and those in power.

The distributor was so troubled by the content that the movie was pulled from theaters. "I think a lot of people misunderstood 'Spook,' " Dixon had said. "It was a fantasy, and I said everything I ever wanted to say about race in it."

Aside from his work as a director and actor, Dixon was proud of the many contributions he made to help African Americans advance in acting and production, his daughter said. In the early 1980s at the Directors Guild of America, he helped form a committee to address minority concerns.

Friend and actor Hal Williams said Dixon was "just a champion and a fighter and all in a very, very positive way." The role Dixon played in confronting disparity and injustice "is almost like a tribute to 'Nothing but a Man,' the movie he's famous for," Williams said.

FOLKS WHO GET IT: MARIAH CAREY IS A RICH, TALENTED, CHART-TOPPING SISTAH READY TO TAKE OUT THE BEATLES

Carey Will Soon Tie Record for No. 1 Sngles With The Fab Four

Move over, Beatles. Mariah Carey is in the house. With her silky voice and genuis songwriting abilities, this sistah will tie the legendary British band for having the most chart-topping hits.

"Touch My Body," the hip-hop diva's newest single, on her latest album "E=MC2" will give her 18 No. 1 singles, knotting her with the group more in the headlines recently for the crazy divorce drama between Paul McCarthey and Heather Mills $48.7 million divorce settlement than incredible songs like "Let It Be" and "Yellow Submarine."

The anticipated follow-up to her last cd (which was slammin') is due to hit stores later this month.



The 37-year-old biracial songstress from Long Island is currently tied with Elvis Presley for second place for top singles.

Carey, the best-selling female singer of all time, showed off her new hit and slimmed-down body on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, sporting stilettos and a micro-miniskirt.

In an interview with Allure magazine, Carey joked that she doesn't need steroids to stay in top shape, but she does have some tricks to keep her voice sharp. Carey said she sometimes sleeps in the steam room of her Tribeca penthouse, claiming it keeps her vocal cords lubricated.

She said she imported a personal trainer from St. Barts to help her trim off an estimated 30 pounds from her 5-foot-9 frame.

"This trainer has actually helped me reshape my arms. That's where I gained most of my weight: upper body," she said. "With this whole steroid crap, that's crazy. I'm almost on the verge where I'd be too muscular if I was going to do a thing like that."

Currently shacking up with a Jack Russell terrier named J.J., and said she's too busy to settle down with a man. (yeah right!) "I mean, I have three personal assistants just to keep up with my schedule. It's not that difficult to become exhausted."

BY BILL HUTCHINSON [DAILY NEWS]

Folks Who Get It: New R&B Sensation Ledisi

Fat, Black And Ugly? Ledisi's Proving The Naysayers Wrong - Big Time!

The title of Ledisi's breakthrough album "Lost & Found" is also an apt description for her career path.

With her chocolate skin, full figure and dreadlocked hair, she recalls being told consistently that she didn't have the "look" necessary to be a star.

In addition, while her groove could be cast as being more old school R&B, she also sang with jazz inflections that left some confused about how to categorize her, or to market her.

Just before recording the disc -- which has earned her a Grammy nomination for best new artist as well as best R&B album -- the singer who slightly resembles Star Jones felt as if she was floundering. Although Ledisi had released two critically acclaimed albums independently and worked on Broadway, she remained an underground buzz act, unable to garner much mainstream attention.

Fed up, Ledisi -- who declines to give her age -- was about to quit the business until she met a friend and producer who encouraged her to give her recording career one more try. So she took a leap of faith -- and was rewarded. Story continues at CNN, meanwhile check her out here:

Shawn & Shane Ward Are Two Folks Who Definitely Get It!

African American Detroit natives, Shawn & Shane Ward

They're the dynamic duo behind the red hot shoe companies Detny and Shane & Shawn. Leslie C. Alessandro, editor of Black Girls Rule! gives us the full story on these two young, talented entrepreneurs.

BGR: When did the two of you decide that you wanted to become shoe designers?

Shane: The idea of becoming shoe designers actually crept up on us. I don’t think that either one of us thought about doing this as a profession. We both went to the University of Michigan and when I graduated out of the design and art school, I actually was going to take a job at General Motors.

Actually, a buddy of mine that graduated a year before me he actually took a job at Adidas and called me up to see if I wanted to interview. I went to interview with Adidas in Portland, Oregon and they offered me a job on the spot. So that’s how we got into shoes.

BGR: How did you go about the decision to design women’s shoes over men?

Shawn: It was more of a gradual process. Shane was designing shoes for Adidas and while he was there, I was studying mechanical engineering and was an engineer at Chrysler working on auto-motives. When we finally teamed up in 2001, we were still designing for other companies. We were designing athletic shoes for Reebok, Converse, Fubu and Fila We were designing men’s and women’s athletic shoes. When we decided to start Detny in 2003, we were thinking of doing all men's because...

Continue>>>

Folks Who Get It: GMA's Robin Roberts Has African Americans And The Internet Cheering Her On!

ABC’s Good Morning America Anchor Is Making Black Folks Proud As She Stands Up To Cancer

Robin Roberts, 47, let cameras film her as she made the decision to shave her head on camera. Roberts has been losing her hair due to chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. In her own words:

"It was devastating and draining. And as so many who have traveled this path before me had encouraged, as hard as it was, I knew what I had to do. I shaved it all off. You know everyone tells you to shave your head preemptively. To go ahead and do it before it starts falling out and I thought, no, not me, that’s not going to be me, because some chemotherapy patients don’t lose their hair. But let me tell you, I’ve joined that choir. That’s a bit of advice I now preach, because when it starts to fall out, phew, that’s rough. To wear a wig or not to wear a wig is a very personal decision for everyone who goes through this. This is my work, and I love my job, being part of your morning each day, but I never want to distract you from the story I’m reporting.

Source: ROBIN ROBERTS SHAVES HEAD ON T.V. [concrete loop]

Because I lost my father to cancer almost a year ago, everytime I hear that someone else is dealing with this bitch of a disease, I can help but feel connected to them. Keep your head up Robin. You got even more love coming your way then you could ever imagine.

My folks would have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary November 29th and everybody, especially my mother, is dealing with this incredible loss the best way we can. Love em while they're here family. You never know when it's your turn.

Folks Who Get It: California's First Black Congressman Augustus Hawkins Goes On To Higher Office

The Honorable Hawkins Lived To Be 100 Years Old!

California's first Black congressman Augustus Hawkins died Saturday at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md., of symptoms related to old age. A life-long Democrat, the extremely fair-skinned icon from Louisiana represented South Los Angeles for more than half a century, first starting off in the state Legislature in 1935 and then getting elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1962.

Black politicians called Hawkins an inspiration and mentor. "It was Gus Hawkins who gave us the credibility," said Rep. Diane Watson, D-Los Angeles. "It was Gus Hawkins who gave us the ideas. . . . He has left a sterling legacy." Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, who holds Hawkins' former seat, said in a statement that he was "the author of some of the most significant legislation ever passed in the House . . . particularly in the areas of education and labor. He cared about poor and working people."

Hawkins sponsored the equal employment section of the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act that created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He helped create the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971. Hawkins also co-wrote the Humphrey-Hawkins Act of 1978 that was designed to reduce unemployment and inflation.

Hawkins retired in 1990 and lived in the Washington, D.C., area. He was director of the Hawkins Family Memorial Foundation of Educational Research and Development, which he founded in 1969 to give college scholarships to young women in his district.

Hawkins' first wife, Pegga Adeline Smith, a concert singer, died in 1966. His second wife, Elsie, whom he married in 1977, died two months ago.

You've been promoted Congressman. Job well done!

Folks Who Get It: Stan Is The Man, Whether Merrill Lynch Kicks The Black Man To The Curb Or Not

Don't Trip, Stan O'Neal Will Get Paid At Least $159 Million For Making White Folks (And A Few Of Us) Rich

Merrill Lynch’s directors may be weighing E. Stanley O’Neal’s future, but one thing is already guaranteed: the company’s chairman and chief executive is entitled to $30 million in retirement benefits as well as $129 million in stock and option holdings. That would be on top of the roughly $160 million he took home in his nearly five years on the job.

O'Neal, 56, joined Merrill in 1986 and has been CEO for nearly five years. He is the highest-ranking African American on Wall Street, and the first African American to run a major investment bank.

Under O’Neal, Merrill moved aggressively into lucrative businesses like the packaging of subprime mortgages and other complex debt securities. Last year, Mr. O’Neal’s $46.4 million pay package made him Wall Street’s second-highest paid chief executive, behind Lloyd C. Blankfein of Goldman Sachs, who was paid $54.3 million, according to Equilar research.

But those big bets appeared to go bust this week. Merrill announced an $8.4 billion write-down, raising questions about whether Mr. O’Neal will keep his job. It is unclear whether Mr. O’Neal will resign. But his $159 million exit package may not look all that egregious when compared with those of other executives. At Pfizer, for example, Henry A. McKinnell Jr. collected a $200 million exit package last year. At Morgan Stanley, Phillip J. Purcell walked out with $114 million in 2005. At Merrill, Mr. O’Neal works without a severance contract and would be expected to forfeit any unvested options. But the Merrill proxy says the compensation committee has “discretion” to award severance benefits.

Mr. O’Neal would walk away with an even bigger pay package if he left after a merger — a potential $274 million payout. That made the Wachovia offer personally lucrative. On Wall Street, of course, bad news can be transformed into good with the same type of alchemy that changed subprime mortgages into investment-grade securities. Even as Mr. O’Neal came under fire yesterday, investors bid up Merrill’s stock by $5.19. That gave Mr. O’Neal a paper gain of $16 million.

New York Times /ERIC DASH

Folks Who Get It: Los Angeles Mourns The Loss Of Everyone's Favorite Black Man, Muhammad Nassardeen

Rest In Peace Muhammad! Job Well Done

I just heard the horrible news that Recycling Black Dollars founder Muhammad Nassardeen, 54, passed away yesterday. To say I'm stunned over the death of this bigger than life person I called a real friend is an understatement. My sources are telling me that Muhammad was in his office taking care of business and when his assistant Jacque Bee came back in to talk with him minutes later, he was slumped over, apparently from a fatal heart attack. He was 52 and leaves behind a loving wife and five children.

The quintessential all-around business magnate, Muhammad was a successful entrepreneur and networking connoisseur. He founded RBD Communications to consolidate and channel Black business and Black brilliance into one concentrated monolithic force in order for the whole to shine in ways the individuals could not.

Radio personality, businessman, activist, mentor, and family man, Nassardeen also held seminars, such as the one involving Miller Entrepreneurs Series, in order “to make sure that our Black business owners are prepared to do business. We want to teach our people to do business the right way.”

The large bearded teddy bear with the warm smile also hosted monthly breakfast networking sessions on the first Tuesdays of every month, and a similar one on the third or fourth Thursday evenings of the month. These were designed to maximize opportunities for Blacks to exchange business cards, fliers, names and business information.

Muhamad Nassardeen had been doing this type of work over the past 18 years. If you ever heard him and Kitty Davis Walker on Stevie Wonder's local station KJLH, or on the Christian station KTYM, you know how special this Scorpio was. At the upcoming 2007 Positive Side Awards, Nassardeen's major annual event honoring standout individuals and named for some of the heroes of the community, there will clearly be someone missing.

This is a loss to Black LA and the nation. Much love to his family and loved ones. As more details are revealed, we will bring them to you. If you would like to leave well wishes and condolences here, we will forward them on to the family.

Folks Who Get It: DaDa Footwear's Lavetta Willis Wants You Wearing Her Shoes... NOW!

As a former college basketball star, Lavetta Willis, 35, knew she could compete with the tall timber on the court. But now she’s also managed to elbow her DaDa Footwear into the game with the “big guys” of the multi-billion-dollar athletic-shoe industry – and she’s camped in the lane!

The 1998 start-up, with 2004 revenues reaching between 30 and 40 million dollars, is quite a success story for anyone, let alone a young, black, single mom. As an electrical-engineering and law-school graduate, Lavetta was already a triple career threat. But from the moment she began selling a line of hats to fellow students at Loyola Law School , entrepreneurship compelled her even more. She even designed her own lines of apparel. In the mid-‘90s, Lavetta and two partners established DaDa hats and t-shirts to target the urban market. Their DaDa Supreme line did well but required something else, she felt, to legitimize itself as an “athletic performance” brand.

So Lavetta established another company, with an additional partner, just to work the DaDa Footwear angle. But she didn’t have a road map. “There were no urban brands at the time that had done footwear – we were the first,” she says. Hard work was Lavetta’s currency. She and her partners massaged their connections to find a capable factory that would handle manufacturing. They conducted street-level marketing campaigns. Lavetta outhustled later competition from other established urban brands, such as Fubu and outlasted shoe-chain buyers until they bought her wares.

Within a couple of years, Los Angeles based DaDa reached the tipping point. NBA stars and rap artists alike now wear and show off the brand. DaDa has become a multi-million-dollar company. And it’s no joke to mention DaDa in the same breath with “Nike” and “Reebok.” “We’re the No. 1 shoe brand in East Bay stores in the basketball segment right now,” Lavetta boasts. “Nike can’t say that.”

It’s also helped create word-of-mouth when consumers see DaDa shoes on the likes of NBA stars such as Latrell Sprewell and the now-retired Karl Malone, rappers including Snoop Dog and Dr. Dre, and actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and David Arquette. DaDa has even been shooting some national TV commercials lately. But Lavetta doesn’t plan to forsake grassroots marketing. “At the end of the day,” she says, “the stuff that we started the company with still works.”

Luciano Pavarotti And James Brown Are Both In Heaven Now Singing "This Is A Man's World"

Italian Soul Brother Luciano Pavarotti Is Dead at 71

Pavarotti, who underwent surgery in New York for pancreatic cancer in 2006, passed away at his home in Modena, Italy today. We will miss this incredible talent!

What, Black folks can't be into opera???

The bearded Italian tenor, who sold more than 100 million records, had a clarion lyric voice that made him a pop icon and the most famous opera singer since Enrico Caruso.

King of tenors from the late 1960s through the 1990s, Pavarotti was the original overweight lover. He popularized opera more than any other singer through recordings that made him the best-selling classical artist ever, consistently selling out concerts in parks and stadiums around the world.

You have been promoted Mr. Pavarotti. Job well done!

More on Luciano Pavarotti>>>