FAMILY UNITYLET'S BE HONEST. Now that July 4h is over, we've gone back to our lives and won't probably see our relatives again until Thanksgiving. That's totally OK for you because you won't have to see that crazy cousin or silly aunt until another five months anyways. But what does this say about us as a whole? THE TRUTH IS there seems to be a lack of family unity. Families tend to gather for weddings, funerals and holidays, but other than that, there is no intentionality. I remember hearing stories of families that hosted Sunday dinners at Grandma’s just because. Everyone would gather and watch television, play cards and tell stories. It seems as though we have gotten away from this. WE ARE ALWAYS TOO BUSY. We have businesses to tend to, families to care for, lives to live. Don’t get so caught up in your everyday life and forget about those who truly care for you. When the money fades, the children grow up and if you lose everything, your family is the most consistent factor that will never change. They’ll always share your name, root for you and want the best of you. AND FOR THOSE who may not experience that type of love, God places substitutes to come in and care for you. Let’s get back to spending time with our family without reservation or excuses. Work will always be there, our children will still enjoy themselves and time is never wasted when it’s spent with the ones you love. -Twanda McBride
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Journey Behind the Big ScreenIn my pursuit of becoming a writer and director, I moved to Orlando in May; to attend the University of Central Florida. I was accepted into the university’s masters level film program. On June 4th I accomplished the first of many goals, that was the first day on my first film production. Jason Gregory, a film graduate student at the University of Central Florida, created a TV show titled Waking Up White. The production for the TV pilot took place from June 4th to June 11th in Orlando and several of surrounding cities. Waking Up White is the story of a Black family feeling unsure about their recent move to suburbia. After several setbacks, they wake up in a new house and as a white family. They now must decide; do they continue with their new lives as a white family or return to their lives as the black family they’ve always known. I may not be real fan of the show’s premise; It could easily turn into a show meant to fuel white peoples love to consume or “be black,” but knowing Jason I have faith in him. The first day of production was filled with joy, excitement, and anxiety; but on that day I learned a very important lesson about group morale and performance. After meeting many members of the crew for the first time my anxiety disappeared. Everyone was nice and easy to get along with. Which is a great quality to have for a crew. Life on set can be chaotic sometimes due to the various departments having to accomplish their individual goals, all within a small window of time and limited space. As an Art Production Assistant, I mainly handled set design and reconstruction. There were several times during production where I was performing by task at the same time as the lighting and camera teams. Those departments handle various equipment and they routinely bring in or remove large pieces of equipment to create the best shot for the scene. The crew’s disposition helped us avoid disaster on set. Jason himself attributed this to the crew enjoying working alongside one another. By the third day of production, the 8 am call time started to take its toll on some members of the crew. Jason and the other producers wisely did not schedule any filming on Thursday June 7th. This gave the crew a much-needed rest day before the toughest part of our filming schedule. A Friday with two filming locations; a Saturday where we are filming outside in 94-degree temperature; and a Sunday featuring a 3 am call time. The final day was Monday June 11th, which was a relatively light day of shooting. It featured three beautiful houses, including one that was in the movie Rosewood (1997). It was difficult because the crew was slightly fatigued and the somber realization that this was the last time we would see each other all together, loomed over us all day. I learned many things from my experience: set terminology, many set procedures, scheduling to account for workload and weather, and maximizing time and lighting available. The biggest lesson I learned from working on set however is that department heads are extremely valuable. As a director your main job is to monitor what is being captured by the camera. Focusing on how the story is progressing and what is being communicated through the lens. Having knowledge of different lighting, sound, grip, set design, and camera tricks is helpful; but you will not have time to monitor those areas and do your job all at once. That is why having competent department heads is important. Being able to hire effective and competent department heads helps keep a director focused on the actors and the story. In fact, it is a sign of good leadership if you can delegate and communicate to those department heads. Proper communication will keep everyone on the same page, so that your vision has the best chance of being translated seamlessly from paper to screen. Working on Jason’s TV Pilot was a truly eye-opening experience. I am thankful for the opportunity and all the great people I met on set. I would like to give a special thanks to First Assistant Director and my friend Alejandro Watson, she helped me learn so much and was always available to talk if I had questions. Just another example of having great people in leadership positions on set. I will take every lesson I learned and use them in my future projects and films. Thank You, DeAllen If you're anything like me, you'll wait until tomorrow to purchase those last-minute goodies on sale for dad. However, there is no need to worry. Pinterest has the best ides to draw inspiration for D.I.Y. gifts for dad. You don't have to spend a ton of money to impress him. Check out these affordable, convenient gifts that you won't cost a penny, but will last a lifetime. D A D D Y & D A U G H T E R D A T E B O O K Just grab a old notebook and come up with ideas for you and dad to do. Whether's it's enjoying ice cream at your favorite desert place or doing karaoke in the living-room, this is your time to get creative for dad! D A D D Y P O E M This is your moment to sit behind a computer desk and type up a heartfelt a sonnet or a haiku. Write what you love about him and why you feel like he's the greatest dad in the world. I'm sure he'll enjoy reading your heart. Just print it and frame it and watch his heart melt with this simple gift. D A D D Y J A R S Find an unused mason jar around the house and put some of dad's favorite activities in it. Take him fishing, hiking in the back yard, or maybe even camping. Whatever you choose, make sure it's the manliest, muddiest, most competitive activity you can think of. Trust me, he'll thank you for that. S H A R P I E D A D M U G Nothing says I Love You like a good 'ole fashion homemade mug. You can write all types of things that dad loves on it. Whether it's his favorite team, favorite quotes, or a picture of his heart's dearest memories, dad will love this. Who knows? He might even shed a tear for once. F R E E W A T C H When I say free, I mean free. Order a watch for dad from this website and the only thing you have to pay for is shipping and handling. A little wrist candy never hurts anyone, not even dad. https://ineffablewatches.com/collections/mens-watches/products/apollo P H O T O B L O C K S OK, OK you got me. The beautiful girl on this cube may not look like you, but this is a clever idea. Take some baby pictures (or current ones), add a little glue and stick them to the cube. You can play games with it or save it as a treasured masterpiece. Either way, dad will love it because it reflects all sides of him, literally. D I Y B E A R D O I L No need to sweat this if you're not good at making concoctions because Etsy has your back. Follow the instructions below and dad's beard will be stylin' and profilin'. https://www.everythingetsy.com/2015/05/diy-beard-oil-gifts-for-himfree-printable-label/ Because your dad is a super awesome guy, I'm sure he'll love whatever gifts you choose for him. Choose to celebrate the men in your lives. Be safe and have an amazing Father's Day! -Kristal Alston Jonathan Baptiste & The Urban IntellectualsJonathan Baptiste is a senior at the University of North Florida by day, but outside of the classroom he is so much more. A teacher, creator, a man influence. He is all that we envision the walking art of Jazz to be. With multiple awards and recognition, this Orlando native has impacted the music world in more ways than we can count. Jonathan Baptiste gave Emerging Black the exclusive on his connection with music and community. Here is what the young, gifted musician had to say.
L I V E M U S I C A T T H E J A X J A Z Z F E S TYou can see Jonathan Baptiste & The Urban Intellectuals LIVE at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival this Saturday on May 26, 2018 at 3pm on the Breezy Stage on Main Street. The Jazz Fest will be going all weekend long in your downtown area. Bring your lawn chair, a nice cold beverage, and your favorite snacks and indulge in music galore! Until then, check out this awesome video, which is just a little taste of the weekend to come! -Kristal Alston Emerging Black Gets Personal With Dr. Kamanski R. Jordan-Williams, Jacksonville's Promising New Doctor In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, The African American Mental Health Initiative (AMMHI) will be hosting their 4th Annual Mental Health Walk. This family, fun-filled event will take place at the Bob Hayes Track Field from 9-1p. Come and kick off the morning with a few laps around the field. Enjoy sack races, Double Dutch contest, and face painting, bouncing houses, Village Talk, music and more. If you want more information on health and wellness, healthcare professionals will be onsite to answer your questions and concerns. There will be blood pressure screenings and massage therapists, just to name a few. Also, you can come and hangout with vendors in the area to learn more about what Jacksonville has to offer. The Founder, Ann Marlow and staff will see you there. Bring your children, friends, families and neighbors because this will be a good time. Remember, “It TAKES a village to raise a Child.” For more information about the event, please click on the link below. https://www.facebook.com/events/2100230796879763/ Ashley’s World, a new web series, debuted online in February 2018. This series follows the journey of Ashley, a single Mother from the Bronx, who struggles to pursue her lifelong dream as an actress. With a rebellious teenage daughter and an overbearing Mother, Ashley must find a way to navigate through the day’s challenges. Taking place in the New York City Projects, these bite-sized webisodes explore themes of parenthood, racism, dating and the recreational use of marijuana. Ashley’s daily routines lands in her in the path of some interesting characters including a snobby Actress named Katelyn and her daughter’s mischievous boyfriend Andre, to name a few. Ashley, like most single Mothers, wants to provide for her family but she faces the choice to either chase her destiny or remain stuck in reality. Janelle Stein, who plays the role of Ashley herself, and Domingo Martin, wanted to create an authentic series that pays homage to resilient women of color and artists. “This is an important story that showcases a modern family unlike any other web series or television show”, says executive producer Janelle Stein. “Though the story is fictional, it is inspired by real circumstances in my life. It is reflective of many individuals in the urban community, the performing arts realm and young single mothers. Though we don’t often see some of these stories and characters, they do exist. We want to make sure they have a voice.” Season 1 is just not enough. Stein says that season two of Ashley’s World is currently in pre-production which will give more depth, layers and drama. If you'd like to watch Season 1 of Ashley’s World, click on www.AshleysWorldTheSeries.com If you just can't get enough of the series, follow the cast on social media. INSTAGRAM@ASHLEYSWORLDTHESERIES TWITTER@ASHLEYSWORLDNY FACEBOOK.COM/SHOOTFORTHEMOONPRODUCTIONS
Mother's Day is HERE...As we are rapidly approaching Mother’s Day, consider showing honor and respect to not only your mothers, but to women everywhere. Mother’s Day was not just intended to celebrate our natural Mothers. There are different types of Mothers including Stepmothers, Foster Mothers, Grandmothers, Godmothers, Surrogate Mothers, and even women who have stepped in and fulfilled the role as a Mother. So next time you reach out to your friend or wife or co-worker to wish them a Happy Mother’s Day, reach out to the young single woman in the grocery store, because she may bear a child one day. Wish your elderly neighbor a Happy Mother’s Day because she may have lost her child a few years back. Honor YOUR Mother...Lastly, honor your Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, Grandparents, and all women with daily phone calls and quality time. Tell her that you love, appreciate and value her for who she is in your life. As a very intelligent individual once said, “give them their flowers while they’re alive.”
TO ALL WOMEN, MOTHERS, SISTERS, GRANDPARENTS, STUDENTS, LEADERS AND WORLD-CHANGERS, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, Twanda McBride *Emerging Black does not own rights to this image |
Emerging Black
Kristal Alston is native of Jacksonville who enjoys blogging, traveling and meeting new people. Archives
July 2018
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