Bishop Paul S. Morton

Gospel music expands to include new artists, writers, musicians, producers and fans!  This summer, Ujima Magazine interviewed three hot names in the gospel music industry:  Bishop Paul S. Morton, Mary Mary and a new group out of Austin, Texas, No Weapon.  This genre of music called “gospel”, where is it going and what should we expect?

Bishop Paul S. Morton lights up with pride and excitement when describing his own label, The Tehillah Music Group®.  “I started my own record company for two reasons.  One, to have more control over the production of my own music, and number two, to give new artist an opportunity to be discovered.  So often the big labels make it hard for the new artists to get a chance.  My company, based in Florida, seeks out gifted sounds.  They are able to send us their music and it will be heard.”  Bishop Morton’s presence now spans New Orleans, Atlanta and Kissimmee.  “Without the capable assistance of my wife, Pastor Debra B. Morton, it would not be possible to operate across so many areas.  She shares with me in the ministry and it helps cut down the travel.  Look for much more from The Tehillah Music Group, we’ve got big plans for the future!”

Mary Mary

Mary Mary, songwriters and singers, jammed the airways and charts with their national hit, Shackles in 2002.  They’ve stayed on top and never looked back.  “Our careers just took off and we instantly became a hit!  We were so well received it was just amazing,” according to Erica Campbell.   “We were blessed from the beginning and we give God all the glory.”  The sisters went on to release such contemporary greats as Can’t Give Up Now, In the Morning, Wade in the Water, Incredible, The God in Me and Let Go, Let God.”  Their stellar career launched from their local church to BET’s Bobby Jones Gospel Show.   “It has truly been an awesome journey.”  The duo appealed to a new generation of gospel fans, younger and hipper.  Their upbeat tempo and new sounds to old songs gave their audiences something to rock and dance to in the spirit of total worship.  Tina and Erica Campbell decided to move to a new label, signing Mary Mary with music producer Warryn Campbell, husband of Erica Campbell.  Warryn Campbell specializes in gospel and R&B Pop.

DeChard Freeman, Michael Johnson and James Calahan make up the group known as “No Weapon”, another new breed of gospel groups from Austin, Texas.  They have a sound like no other.  Their musical talent allowed them to travel across the nation impacting youth and young adults.  They have shared the stage with many national artist such as Chester D.T. Baldwin, J Moss, Trinity 5:7, and Mali Music just to name a few.  No Weapon is currently working on their second album “Maturity” that is due in December2010.  Prior to their current project, they released a mix tape entitled “Fully Focused”.  The group used tracks that were done by secular artists, and they flipped them to sing praises to their Lord.  Using different sounds, No Weapon is able to reach all types of nationalities hoping to bring them closer to the kingdom.

No Weapon

No Weapon

We are socialized in life that it is better to share your possessions than to not share.  When we didn’t want to share our toys as a child, our parents or guardians would somehow make us feel guilty for this feeling of selfishness.  We carry this mentality into our adult life.  We tend to feel guilty if we want something just for us.  When we buy something nice for us, we feel we must buy something of equal value for our spouse or significant other.  When did it become so wrong for a person to treat themselves to a deserved pleasure without being burdened with guilt?  Single parents seemed to have it the worse.  Your love of your children should not come into question when you do something nice for your self only.  Your significant other, as well as your children, should understand when you request “me time”.  That time should not consist of the time spent alone in traffic going to and from work.  It should not be the time that is spent alone in the kitchen cooking while the family is out doing their own thing.  The time should be scheduled and respected by other members of the household.  Don’t consider “me time” as selfish.  Consider it a time of reevaluation and reorganization.  Use it as time to get your thoughts in order and plan of action together.  “Me time” could be as simple as enjoying an hour of quiet time or a nice leisurely walk through the neighborhood.  Or it could be as lavish as a monthly spa day with all the bells and whistles.  It’s okay to be a bit selfish.  What ever you do, enjoy the time that you spend with that special person.  YOU!

Kai Dupe

I spend a great deal of my time reading.  I read everything.  I read books.  I read online magazines. I read print magazines.  I read newspapers.  I read blogs and I read websites.  And, I read hundreds of emails per week as I subscribe to many newsletters.

This week as I was pouring through my usual stack of messages I noticed something that prompted me to write this piece.  Many people are still using email addresses that are not professional.  I had considered writing on this topic before, but I was certain that it was not needed.  I have changed my mind.

I have been under the impression that most people were aware that your email address should not be something silly such as divagirl69@hotmail.com.  I was wrong.  Back in May, I was part of a panel discussion in San Antonio.  We were speaking young African American males who were preparing for college.

One of the panelists (whose name escapes me) was human resources professional and he verified this idea.  He even went further and informed the group that when his company receives resumes they use the email address as a first filtering mechanism.  Translation: divagirl69@hotmail.com’s resume is promptly deposited into the wastebasket or more apt in this day and age deleted from the inbox.  The audience, which included many adults, was shocked.

Poor little diva girl she never had a chance.  I was not shocked, although I was not aware of this screening process I certainly would not doubt that it occurs.  I assumed this was common knowledge at least among adults.  Here is the solution.  Get yourself a grown man/woman email address.  What does that mean?  Have a professional email address.

Here are examples of email addresses that may land your resume in the trash bin or worse give someone a negative impression of who you are:

Iluv2Write@yahoo.com

mathchamp2002@aol.

dotnetskills@hotmail.com

While these are cute and you may think they are cool.  They are not professional.  Please understand I a not trying to take the fun out of life, so if you must have such an email addresses reserve its use for friends and family.  Do not use them when you are sending messages to potential employers or clients.

Your email address should be something simple. Here are a few simple, clean email addresses based on my name Kai Dupe.

kaidupe@gmail.com

kai.dupe@kaidupe.com

kdupe@yahoo.com

kdupe@kaplan.edu

The most professional is probably your name with the last name being separated by the first name by a period.  And in case you are wondering, the human resources professional from the panel I mentioned earlier shared these exact same sentiments.

If you wish to be taken seriously and protect your brand (how others see you and what you are about), then an email address is something you should choose wisely and represents you in the light you wish to be seen.

Kai Dupé
Inspirational Author & Speaker

Ophelia Rigault

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying about “you should forgive and forget”. Well, when was the last time that you forgot about a hurt someone has caused you? You can forgive – but you are not going to forget. If you forget, you apt to place yourself in a similar situation to be hurt again. What we need to forget – or move away from is the pain of that hurt – we need to “forget” the pollution of that situation.

Forgiveness is something that needs to be learned – it doesn’t, I believe come naturally. We say we have forgiven – but if you can’t even say that person’s name without feeling a pang in your heart – if you grind your teeth when you see a photo of them – if you walk out of the room when others are discussing them – if you are secretly thinking evil thoughts about them – if you can’t pray for them with a pure and open heart – you haven’t forgiven.

Yeah, I know they’ve hurt you? Don’t worry, it’s not up to us to judge. That’s their karma. You don’t have to worry about them. You need to focus on you. Focus on letting go and truly healing your soul. Don’t allow anyone to “steal your joy”.

I thought, I had moved on and let go of the anger for my ex-husband, until a year after our separation – he came to a community function with his new woman. I wasn’t at the function (a good thing) – but the gossip came straight to me. It was like a Tyler Perry movie – with the sad music in the background and all of my eyes were staring at me with pity – people even called me to tell me “how sorry they were for me”.

My heart started pumping with rage and anger. I was right. I was right. I started to think. He did have this other woman in his life. This is why he left. You see I intuitively knew there was someone else. I asked him. He vehemently denied it. I had no proof. I had to make peace with the ending of my marriage. I had to move on and heal. Now I had proof. I WAS RIGHT! I WAS RIGHT!

Well all that old anger – started to come up in me. I wanted to..well…I can’t say what I wanted to do — let’s just say I wouldn’t do it in front of my Mother. I had to face all of my nasty thoughts, my hurt and my pain. I got caught up in the gossip. It was all about him and her. It didn’t take me long to realize, I hadn’t truly forgiven him. The love was gone, but I was still damn angry.

I was weighted down with the energy of him and all that it represented. I felt awful. I came to a point where I had to choose. I had to teach myself the art of forgiveness so that I could move beyond the pain and hurt. Not truly letting go – was keeping my soul mired in pain. It was keeping me stuck.

When I learned to forgive, I opened the door for joy and peace to enter my life and radiate from me to the others around me. I believe that forgiveness is achieved by consciously deciding to let go of the negativity.

In my case, it was daily asking my Divine to help me to “let it go”. I would spend time in meditation and ask my Gods/Goddesses to help me to cut cords. I used my energy healing training to release my blockages. As I focused on healing, my heart became light and filled with love. I came to a point where, I was grateful he in my life and that he was now out of my life. I could now pray for him  with a Christ/Buddha type of love. I had forgiven him.

When you focus on the hurt, you relive it. You perpetuate a connection to the person who caused you the pain, giving that person power over you. You become mired in that bad experience and tied to the negative energy that person emits. When you choose not to forgive, you become weighed down with burdens of resentment and anger. You become stuck in one spot, instead of moving forward and living your authentic life to the fullest.

If you are honest with yourself, you will realize that maybe it’s difficult to severe the link with someone who has hurt you – because it means you will finally have to move on and let go. It’s a scary thing – but you can do it – I did and so can you. It’s so rewarding when you let go and forgive. I found my self again. I rediscovered Ophelia.

Whether from habit or from not knowing how to forgive, many of us hang on to that pain, believing we cannot get past it. I invite you to try this simple technique for bringing the art of spiritual forgiveness into your life.

Take a few deep breaths in and out to calm your thoughts and still your mind for a moment – focus on the person and what they did to you. Describe it? Where do you feel it in your body? Write it down.

Now, focus on something real positive – like the birth of a child – when someone truly offered you forgiveness – a precious moment. Describe it. How does it feel? Where do you feel it in your body? Write it down.

Now look at the two situations – and ask yourself, which one feels better? Which emotions do I want to continue to live with? That’s it. It’s up to you now to choose which path you want to walk down on. The path of forgiveness and pain or the path of forgiving and freedom?

To help you on your journey please click here for a free forgiveness meditation.

You have the power within you to forgive or not to forgive. It will take time for certain hurts to go away, but with continued practise you will see how much good YOU can bring into your world and the world of those around you.

Forgiving is actually entering the safest place with your Divine. In this sacred place, you are clearing this spiritual pollution of your pain, you are making way for an abundant flow of love, light and joy into the very depths of your heart and soul.

Remember, the soul loves to forgive!

Namaste,
Ophelia

www.dare2badiva.com

President Barack Obama

The National Urban League held its 100^th  Conference in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC.  With record registrations, Washington welcomed over 4,000 guests and celebrities.  The central highlight of the conference was a dynamic presentation on education by President Barack Obama. President Obama spoke about the need for higher education – for more affordability and for higher achievement.  He mentioned that in a single generation, America has gone from 1^st to 12^th in the world as far as academic achievement is concerned – but that it is not too late to turn that tide around.  He stressed the role of the community college in this turnaround, and the need to continue supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  

There was something for all conference delegates, including a special commissioned Centennial Exhibit Hall, a Career Fair, Celebration Concerts, Workshops, A Day of Service, a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen:  “Black Angels Over Tuskegee,” a first time College Fair and much more.  As guests gathered from all over the world, luminaries were concentrated in one place:  past national urban league presidents, giants from the civil rights’ movement, stars from the entertainment industry, giants from the sports’ arena and influential political figures. 

photo by Naomi Richard

Among the crowd we saw Reverend Jesse Jackson, Reverend Al Sharpton, Vernon E. Jordan, NAACP CEO Benjamin Jealous, Governor Tim Kaine, Chairman Michael Steele, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ambassador Andrew Young, Congressman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), BET President and CEO Debra Lee, Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Princeton University Professor Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Maya Angelou, U. S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ronald Kirk, CNN Anchor and Special Correspondent Soledad O’Brien, BET’s Emmy Award Winning Broadcaster Ed Gordon, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Sonia Sanchez, Boxer Laila Ali, Actress Angela Bassett, Greater Dallas Urban League President and CEO Dr. Beverly Mitchell-Brooks, Ambassador Susan E. Rice, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Alfre Woodward to name a few.  The attendance list was equal to the historic celebration.

photo by Naomi Richard

The Centennial Celebration addressed questions like do we still need organizations like the Urban League?  Has the dream been realized?  How should we react to injustice in the 21^st century?   The crowd certainly agreed that the struggle for equality continues, and there is still a need for the Urban League “Movement”.  Families still struggle to obtain home ownership, and students are still struggling to obtain a quality education.  Small and minority owned businesses are still seeking to survive, and employees are still reaching for equal pay for equal work in the workplace.

On a spiritual note, Bishop Paul S. Morton, Pastor Debra Morton and the Award-Winning group Mary Mary lifted the spirits by challenging the audience to believe in their dreams, and to believe they could soar above problems, racial injustice, discrimination, and conflict.  Stirring the audience with the song, It’s the God in Me, as accomplished ministers and singers, Mary Mary challenged the crowd to keep the faith, keep striving for excellence and to stay firm in their mission.

photo by Naomi Richard

The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy. Today, there are more than 100 local affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide.

Photograph: Hope Green

At first greeting to a packed audience at the University of Texas, Austin on Monday, August 9th, the President Barack Obama stated that you [Texas] didn’t believe we could take the Whitehouse, but here we are.  Then someone from the audience yelled “YES WE DID!”  The President properly apologized and said “I stand corrected… when people in ‘Washington’ didn’t believe,”  and at that the building erupted in laughter.

Photograph: Hope Green

Now off to a great start President Obama also spoke about lowering the cost of education.  The President told of a conversation he had with other officials “Why worry so much about education, what about  finances?” Obama said he told them that education IS a financial issue.  I have known research to show that people with greater amounts of education consistently earn more than those that don’t seek higher education.  President Obama also stated that a world class education is a pre-requisite for prosperity, and that a highschool diploma is just not going to be enough in the very near future.

Photograph: Hope Green

Photograph: Hope Green

Hope Green is a photojournalist located in Austin, Texas. She has her own photography company Hope Green Photography. She can be reached at hopewrites@gmail.com or her website http://hgreenphoto.com. She is also a  Field Reporter and Photographer with Ujima Magazine.

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By taking the pledge, you are making a commitment to support your community.  Ujima Magazine is asking that you take the pledge and with a $5.00 donation, you will receive a Ujima wristband with the pledge printed on it. These funds will help Ujima Magazine continue its work in the community by promoting positive people and ideals in our community. You will wear the wristband to remind yourself of your commitment to your community.

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Ujima sat down with Jennifer Graham of Rawbella to introduce you to  living healthier with raw foods.  It’s a new conversation with an old history.

The Raw Food movement or the concept of eating “raw” came from foodies believing the best way to eat is from food that comes from the earth in their purest, rawest form. “When food is processed you take the nutritional value out of it,” stated Graham. When you heat it above 118 degrees you remove the nutrients, the minerals and all of the value from the food. For example, if you cook a pot of Greens, which is healthy compared to fast food, it is even healthier and detoxifying to eat it in its raw form.  Graham stated, “It may sound gross but you can do a lot to it to keep it in the raw form and make it taste good.”

Rawbella came about because Graham decided she wanted to be healthier and she started doing research about eating. She found that eating this way gave her energy, vitality and more life. Eating this way allowed her to lose 80 pounds. She is more fit now than she has ever been. “I turned the clock back on myself,” stated Graham.  Three years ago, she was 240 pounds. After journaling her experience on YouTube, Graham stated, “I started getting emails three to four times a day asking questions so I started my business Rawbella.”  Graham provides consultation by helping others find their energy and balance.

What caught Grahams eye about Raw Food? She remembered being 9 years old and going on a diet. We get messages early on about how we should look. She would remember writing down her calories. Over her lifetime she had been on several diets. But she did not want to be on a diet, she felt it was just counting, counting, counting.  She likes to eat and diets felt like deprivation and too much work.  “ I wanted to still enjoy food but I wanted a life and energy,” stated Graham. During her research she kept coming across raw foods. What really got her hooked was finding a community in Austin. It became a hobby. She then started creating recipes, attending Meetups and it became apart of her life. Graham will not fool anyone by saying it is more cost effective and less time consuming.  She states, “You will pay more on the front end of the process but it is an investment into your family.”  You will have to chop up things and find new recipes. But you will avoid what will happen on the back end like missing work, being overweight, tired and depressed. Graham stated, “ This is health care.”

Graham considers herself a vegetarian and encourages others to find the balance that works for their lifestyle. She is not a hundred percent raw because she has to have a social life and interact with people who may not be into the movement. A lot of the food we eat is acidic and acid is where disease lives.  So talking with others about balance she may say you can have the chicken but you need to have a big salad for balance.  Detoxifying is a very important concept with eating raw foods. It helps to eliminate what our body does not need to store.

The change has impacted Grahams life in a fantastic way. She feels she has gained confidence and a real desire to have other people feel as good as she does. She feels this especially with our Black community because our food choices and eating habits are culturally engrained. She does hear people say “girl I need my meat,” she laughs. She encourages everyone to do a least one meatless meal. Look at food as energy. We need to fuel our body with energy to do things.  You don’t have to become a vegetarian but maybe try the Green Smoothie.

Graham recommends you start with the mind if you are interested in transitioning. It is not a punishment. It starts with loving yourself. “God loves me, if I don’t love me, I’m saying he is wrong,” stated Graham. You have to get in the mindset of taking care of yourself.  Language is also important because you have to say to yourself that you owe it to yourself and it is important for you do to it. This comes in handy when you are buying organic food, blueberries and nuts that are a bit more expensive.

If you are interested in joining her Meetup group she ask that people bring a dish to share with other attendees. The group interacts and talks about the dishes and how to make different recipes. The meetings are about being around like-minded people for support. Her last meeting she had 23 people that RSVP.  It is a fun and informational time.

For more information you can visit Rawbella.com or you can email Jennifer@rawbella.com. She is available for presentations. For the full article visit our website.

Photograph: Courtesy of the Walter Hawkin's Family

Article Submitted by Gospel Reporter Naomi Richard

Bishop Walter Lee Hawkins, Presiding Prelate of Love Fellowship Pastors, left this earth in grand style on July 23, 2010.  The family chose Oakland’s historic 3,000 seat Paramount Theatre to host the moving celebration of a life well lived.  The lines wrapped around blocks with fans and friends waiting to enter for a final glimpse of Bishop Hawkins and to pay their final tribute.  Guests travelled from all over the world to support the family and to participate in the service.   As the crowd entered the auditorium, the sense of a great loss was felt as well as a spirit of thanksgiving for the life of Walter Hawkins.  The auditorium’s main floor was filled by the Clergy, the Love Center Family, VIP Guests and the Hawkins’ Family.

Photograph: Naomi Richard

Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, Sr., Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bridgeport, Connecticut, officiated the celebration.  Special performances included Bryon Cage, Kurt Carr, The Love Center Choir, Jonathan DeBose, Edwin Hawkins, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, Lady Tramaine Hawkins-Richardson, Karen Clark-Sheard, Melvin Williams, BeBe Winans, Marvin Winans, Ted Winn and Kathy Taylor.  In attendance were Yolanda Adams, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Donald Lawrence, Bobby Jones, Bishop Paul Morton, Tye Tribbett, Judith McAllister, Teresa Hairston, Don Jackson, Bishop Carlton Pearson, Bishop George Dallas McKinney, Bishop David Copeland and Pastor Claudette Copeland to name a few.

Photograph: Naomi Richard

Each artist that performed sang one of Hawkins songs during the pre-musical evening.  Hits like, He’s That Kind of Friend, Oh Happy Day, Going Up Yonder, Never Alone, Changed, When the Battle is Over, I’m Going Away, and many more.  According to performer Donnie McClurkin, “Bishop Hawkins meant everything to me.  He was the foundation in gospel music 35 years.  He set the standard in gospel music.  We all need to pray for the Love Center church family, they’ve suffered a tremendous loss.”

Photograph: Naomi Richard

Marvin Winans spoke with Ujima Magazine, “Bishop Hawkins taught us that we can achieve anything.  Their music went past gospel and crossed over to other charts, yet he stayed true to his roots.  I had to be here to celebrate his life.”

Photograph: Naomi Richard

Reverend Jesse Jackson told Ujima, “The Jackson family defined R&B music, the Hawkins’ defined Gospel for our generation.   Walter transformed the previous sounds of gospel into a new expression.  His songs lifted people up.”  In his remarks during the funeral, Rev. Jackson described Hawkins’ love for the City of Oakland, and how he encouraged all religious leaders to come together in a spirit of unity to restore their city.

Hawkins was born May 18, 1949 in Oakland, CA. Reared in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) denomination, While studying for his master’s of divinity degree from the University of California at Berkeley, Hawkins recorded his first LP “Do Your Best” in 1972. An October 1972 Billboard magazine reviewer wrote, “Walter Hawkins is a pianist of enviable accomplishments while his vocal prowess is in no way disputable. He’s gathered around him an exceptional crew of sidemen and vocalists and the total effect is completely invigorating.”

Photograph: Naomi Richard

Photograph: Naomi Richard