The Urban Spectrum Holiday Gift Giving And Community Event Listing
By Ta'Shia Asanti
One of principles of Kwanzaa, Ujamaa, which is defined as Cooperative Economics, speaks to the importance of communities of color actively participating in the circulation and sustaining of wealth in their own communities.
A study by the Recycling Black Dollars organization in Los Angeles reported that African Americans dollars barely circulate once in their community before leaving for good. African Americans are listed in various consumer guides as one of the top consumer groups in the country, yet African Americans are at the top of the list of the most economically challenged communities in America.
Part of the reasoning for this, according to economists, is that Black wealth primarily benefits other ethnic communities first. Blacks spend their money outside of the Black community. This article will attempt to provide communities of color with information on great gift ideas and business outlets where they can do their holiday shopping, and help sustain businesses owned and managed by people of color. This article will also offer listings of culturally-centered events and activities taking place during the holiday season.Culturally Competent Gift GivingWhile there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying designer and name brand products, it is important that we begin to recognize the inherent beauty and value of products and services crafted, designed, manufactured, and provided by other people of color.
There are many African American owned retail stores, products, and service providers that offer the same quality as other ethnic business owners.The benefits of shopping at home are many. By shopping in our own communities and spending money with our own people, we can develop connections with other Black business owners and partake in the many benefits of cooperative economics.
Gift Ideas for Him or HerSelf-Pampering for her or him – try the NaNina Ra Self-Indulgence Experience.NaNina Ra was founded in 1999 by NaNina Heard, President and CEO, in an effort to utilize the ancient medicinal and homeopathic teachings of her African ancestors to help heal, affirm and rejuvenate people of color and conscience.
NaNina Ra, based in Denver, offers a fragrant assortment of homemade shea butters, salt scrubs, organic perfumes, bubble baths, lotions, hair care products, and body oils crafted with love and social integrity. The Self-Indulgence Experience includes various products from the line such as NaNina’s famous Mango-Tangerine Body Butter & Salt Scrub, the Herbal-Environmental Detox Soak, NaNina’s famous Honey-Oshun Lotion, Kiwi Shampoo, Sage-Lavender Hair Sheen, NaNina Ra Oats, Milk and Herbs Facial Scrub, and NaNina’s own signature perfume called Ta’Shia.Products range in cost from $10 to $54. All products have been tested for shelf life and skin sensitivity.
As one of the premiere spas in Denver, Yaya’s, which is owned and managed by Makisha Boothe, offers scent-sensual signature treatments such as their Chocolate Sugar Foot Scrub & Lunch combination. You can also book a Couple’s Experience and spend a day being pampered while lavishing your significant other with a Yaya facial, nail and foot treatment, full body massage and feet rejuvenation session. This gift is great for men, too! Ask about the spa’s Girlfriend’s Day. Your church, sorority, or cultural group can have Yaya’s all to yourself for non-stop pampering and specialized attention. Proprietor Boothe suggests you book early to avoid the holiday rush.Yaya’s Spa & Salon is located at 130 West 11th Ave. in Denver. Call 303-333-5518 or visit the web site at http://www.yayaspa.com/.
Akente Express at Park Avenue West and Champa in Denver has authentic African art, gifts, fabric, jewelry and perfumed oils. Akente Express is a great place to shop for culturally centered gifts and home decorations. There is something for everyone at Akente Express.
Gifts for Under the Tree or the Kwanzaa AltarMusic is always a wonderful gift. Here are a few selections to choose from:Stevie Wonder’s new A Time to Love has it all--to die for ballads, sexy love songs, dance tunes, and a couple of revolutionary tunes that let listeners know Stevie’s been keeping up with the times. Tracks seven and eight had me hitting the replay button, but true to his legacy, Stevie’s entire album is full of timeless hits.
The Shout Factory has a wonderful library of Doo Wop songs. From the Platters to the Moonglows, you and your family will be sidestepping or slow dragging all night long. Visit http://www.shoutfactory.com/ for more information.
Time Life also has a great new Holiday collection called Body and Soul: Down Home Soul. All the greats are featured on this CD – James Brown, Aretha Franklin, the Staple Singers, Millie Jackson, Otis Redding, and many more. Visit www.timelife.com/home.jsp for more information. Denver singer and guitarist Santemu Aakhu is at it again with a second CD called Love Notes.
Santemu brings traditional R&B sounds together with jazz, percussion, and folk music to create a unique sound for her audience. She writes her own lyrics, too. My favorite songs on the Love Notes CD are "Cowry Shells," "Straight From the Heart," and "Still Could Be Right."For Hip-Hop lovers, Public Enemy just dropped their new album, the first in several years. It’s called New Whirl Odor. Don’t let the title fool you, they’re still the nation’s hardest rap group and this album certainly lives up to their legacy of delivering cutting edge, thought-provoking lyrics. It hit the streets Nov. 1. Check it out at your local neighborhood record store.
Great Book Gifts Any library that doesn’t have a copy of these books is not complete. Yellow Black: The First Twenty-one Years of a Poet’s Life, a memoir by literary icon, Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti, is one of my number one picks for Black literature. This book will change your life! Available at http://www.thirdworldpress.com/.
Where the Apple Falls by nationally celebrated poet and editor Samiya Bashir, is a warm-spirited yet powerful collection of poetry and prose perfect for evenings by the fire or over coffee. Bashir’s poems make you think! Available at http://www.redbonepress.com/.
Need a little spice in your life? Laurinda D. Brown’s Walk Like A Man combines erotica and fiction to deliver a book full of sensual and sexual short stories. This book is not for the faint of heart or those who don’t have an open mind to diverse expressions of sexuality. I call Walk Like a Man adult bedtime stories. For ordering information, call 757-660-8104.
Need great conversation material? Check out Akil Houston’s Beyond Black Face: Africana Images in U.S. Media. Akil is the son of a Denver activist and domestic violence program director. In Beyond Black Face, Houston writes about radio, TV, and film media outlets and offers thought-provoking essays on the careers of media giants such as Oprah Winfrey. The book is published by Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company in Iowa and it comes with a CD-Rom.
Holiday EventsLooking for great places to hang out during the holidays? Check out one or all of the below events.A Holiday Jazz Party will be Sunday, Dec. 11 from 4 to 8 p.m. Hosted by Hampton & Tuskegee Alumni, the event will be held at the Walker Fine Arts Gallery, 300 West 11th Ave. in Denver, http://www.walkerfineart.com/. Tickets are $40 in advance and space is limited. The event will offer food, wine and live music by Ron Ivory and Friends. Visit http://www.walkerfineart.com/ for more information call Winston Walker at 303-469-0941.
Shadow Theatre Company presents Emergence-See!, written and performed by Daniel Beaty. A slave ship rises ghostlike out of the water beside the Statue of Liberty and New Yorkers are abuzz at the vision. This occurs on the day that a poetry slam is being held, and by the time Beaty is through he has touched on reparations, ethnic identity, street vendors, and dozens of other topics. Four performances only at the DU Newman. Performances are Dec. 1-4.
For those of you not familiar with this show, Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum by Cleo Parker Robinson, is a wonderful celebration of winter festivities around the world. The play begins Dec. 3 and runs weekends at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in the Space Theatre. Using the code word DRUM, patrons may purchase one ticket at full price for $35, and a second ticket at half-price, $17.50. Visit the Denver Center for Performing Arts web site for listings of plays and theatre events at www.denvercenter.org/home.cfm.
Nightlife Agenda
By Fritz Hahn, Rhome Anderson and David Malitz
washingtonpost.com Staff Writers Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Thursday, Dec. 8
The 12th anniversary of Club Heaven's weekly '80s Dance Party gives us another chance to point out a lovely piece of irony: The event has been running longer than the decade it celebrates! A favorite of bachelorettes, clubbers recapturing their youth and folks who've watched waaaaay too much VH1, the Thursday-night '80spalooza has been providing its customers with a reliable source of Madonna, Prince and Duran Duran as well as costume contests and theme nights. Innovation has never been the objective; Show up two weeks in a row and you're likely to hear the same songs and see many of the same faces, but the '80s Dance Party has the formula down pat. Check it out tonight, beginning at 9; arrive early for drink specials and stick around to sing all your favorite songs from all your favorite John Hughes films.
Venus and Serena Williams are in town to raise money for charity by sparring at the MCI Center, delighting the young and old alike with their athleticism and the wattage of their star power. It's only right that our local nightlife tries to get a piece of the celebrity action. Yuca is the spot tonight for what promoters call "the Grand Finale of the Williams Sisters' Charity Tour."
Here's where we play amateur oddsmakers on whether or not the Amazonian siblings will actually show up. The fact that Serena loves attention (and clubs) works in our favor, as does the possibility of other local athletes being present. Think of the photo ops! Wasn't one of them briefly seeing Lavar Arrington? Some WPGC-FM involvement also lends legitimacy for the promotional possibilities. We'll tentatively give a thumbs-up. At the very least you'll be able to enjoy the sounds of jazz saxophonist and Jill Scott labelmate Mike Phillips, who's performing after 9 p.m. Get the hookup action from eVIPlist.com or FlowInsiders.com.,'Thursday, Dec. 8 The 12th anniversary of Club Heaven\'s weekly \'80s Dance Party gives us another chance to point out a lovely piece of irony: The event has been running longer than the decade it celebrates! A favorite of bachelorettes, clubbers recapturing their youth and folks who\'ve watched waaaaay...','Fritz Hahn, Rhome Anderson and David Malitz') ;
document.
It's holiday season, so many venues and performers are getting into the spirit of the season by putting together benefit shows. One area staple is the annual Santa Jam, now in its ninth year at the State Theatre. The concert always features many top veterans of the local music scene and this year is no different; Bluesman Linwood Taylor, members of bar band stalwarts the Nighthawks and 14-time WAMMIE winner Mary Ann Redmond will be among the performers. The show is a benefit for homeless women and children and victims of domestic violence, and an unwrapped children's gift gets you in, although extra donations will be accepted.
Eastern European ex-pats and truly adventurous music fans will want to check out the new East Euro Night at Eyebar, a chance to hear Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and other dance tunes from the eastern bloc while sipping vodka or a cold Russian beer. DJs George (Romania) and Vinny (Ukraine) are spinning "the hottest East Euro and house music" in the lounge's upstairs room, while DJ Pat sticks to the usual radio-friendly hip-hop and Top-40 on the main level. Get on the guest list at www.RedSkiesParty.com, then arrive between 9 and 10 for a free shooter and a free drink for ladies. All-night drink specials include $6 martinis and $4 Belvedere drinks (it's Polish, after all).
Friday, Dec. 9
Just in time to provide a bit of tropical escapism from wintery weather, Yerba Buena is back at the Black Cat. Touching on modern Latin dancefloor rhythms like reggaeton while still steeped in classic cumbia, son and Afrobeat, Yerba Buena shows go over well with fans of Ozomatli or Los Amigos Invisibles -- i.e., those for whom a concert is a participatory dance event and not a spectator sport.
We will admit up front that we don't really "get" free jazz. Something about the lack of a discernable melody or rhythm that just sort of throws us off. But the genre has some super-devoted fans and they will no doubt be at Twins Jazz this weekend for its Free Jazz Festival. Saxophonist David Bond is the featured performer on both nights, and critics' fave Marshall Allen and members of the Sun Ra Arkestra will also be on hand. If you're looking to impress an uber-intellectual this weekend, this might be your best bet.
Saturday, Dec. 10
There are kids growing up in the D.C. area right now who might not know modern rock radio giant WHFS ever existed, let alone that it was one of the best stations in the country. The once-influential station officially went off the air at the beginning of this year, but it's still kicking around online, and its annual Nutcracker shows live on, albeit in a much smaller form. It will be a "Classic Cracker" at Rams Head Live featuring '80s radio staples the Psychedelic Furs and the Violent Femmes (but no Cracker). We have a sneaking suspicion that the Furs might play "Pretty in Pink" and the Femmes might break out "Blister in the Sun." Call it a hunch. The show is 18 and over, but come on -- that's like the same thing as making a Dashboard Confessional show 21 and under.
An event that's fun for families and young professionals alike, the annual Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade features at least 50 fantastically decorated boats cruising around Annapolis, through the harbor, along the Naval Academy, down Spa Creek and around Eastport. The display lasts from 6 to 8, and afterwards, we'll suggest two courses of action. Many nautical buffs will join the ships' captains and crew members in Eastport at such boat-friendly hangouts as the Boatyard Bar and Grill (where both beers and rum drinks arrive in pint glasses) and the delightfully divey Davis' Pub. If you'd rather stick to the tried and true, a number of Irish pubs and traditional saloons await. The bars right on the City Dock will probably be packed, so slip down to Galway Bay, a delightful Celtic spot on relatively quiet Maryland Avenue, or head for West Street, where the Rams Head Tavern and Sean Donlon await.
Just because it's the season for giving doesn't mean you can't receive a little bit in the process. Kegs For Kids is an annual party that benefits Toys For Tots, and this year the organizers are taking over the Hawk and Dove from 8 to close. A $20 donation at the door gets you all-you-can-drink Budweiser Select drafts until 11. The only downside we can see is the questionable inclusion of local band Los Pimpos -- as bad as their name suggests -- who start playing upstairs at 10:30. You might want to use Kegs For Kids as your pre-game event, doing a good deed and having a few drinks before moving on to spend the witching hour somewhere else.
If you ask us, the perfect venue for a rockin' Man In Black cover band like Cold Hard Cash would be a local correctional facility, but we'd settle for a rowdy little roadhouse like JV's, too, where customers sip cheap longnecks, smoke Marlboros and listen to traditional country and rockabilly. Catch Cold Hard Cash -- featuring Rob Petrie of local bluegrass standouts the Dixie Cannonballs -- from 5 to 8 tonight for free at JVs, or, if you must, pay $8 to see them on Tuesday at the smoke-free, atmosphere-free Jammin' Java.
It's been a good couple of months for area indie-pop fans. Swedish buzz band Love Is All came to DC9 last month, and tonight we get Austin, Tex., quintet Voxtrot at the Warehouse Next Door. The Smiths are a major influence on this band's debut EP, especially on a song like "The Start of Something," where singer Ramesh Srivastava croons like a less-flamboyant Morrissey (could there be a more flamboyant Morrissey?) and the guitars jingle and jangle all the way. This is the definition of toe-tapping music and it should make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside on a cold (almost) winter's eve. Make sure to get there in time to catch openers the Antiques, who know a thing or two about jangly pop themselves.
Free Jazz Festival at Twins Jazz (See Friday listing)Sunday, Dec. 11
Why wait until Dec. 25 to celebrate Hanukkah? Professionals in the City is getting a jump on the holiday tonight with its annual Hanukkah bash, held at the Barking Dog in Bethesda. Besides dancing and plenty of mingling, the party includes free appetizers and one free cocktail per person. Doll yourself up in "dressy casual" before heading out, though. Tickets are $10 in advance from prosinthecity.com or $20 at the door, and guests are asked to bring an unopened toy, which will be donated to local children.
Memphis hip-hop artists Three 6 Mafia try to "Tear Da Club Up" tonight at the Crossroads, bringing durrty beats in support of recent album "The Most Known Unknown" and the inescapable radio hit "Still Fly." Problem is, that song relies on verses from guests like Young Buck and Eightball, while the remix features Slim Thug, Project Pat and Trick Daddy. Still, you'll almost certainly hear "Ridin' Spinners" and "Sippin' on Some Syrup" at this show, hosted by WPGC-FM's Rane. Fans of the Crossroads' usual Dancehall Sundays need not be disappointed, as Dem Franchize Boyz perform live in another part of the club.
Indie rock bands aren't the only exciting contributions that the UK is making to the modern music landscape. If you put the book down as the popularity of drum 'n' bass began to wane, you might want to gather some new study materials because there's been an explosion out of London that melds jazz fusion, soul and forward thinking electronic music. Sometimes it's called nu-jazz or broken beat, but the essential elements are ruthlessly danceable beats, jazzy arrangements and soulful vocals. London-by-way-of-New Zealand producer and keyboardist Mark de Clive-Lowe has become one of the cornerstones of this movement, along with acts like New Sector Movements and Bugz in the Attic. To whet Washington's appetite for these flavors, he'll be doing a DJ set at 14th Street restaurant and lounge Jin tonight, accompanied by singer Bembe Segue. Her totally unique style is as innovative as the beats.
Wednesday, Dec. 14
You couldn't be a hard rock fan in the Maryland suburbs in the late '80s and early '90s without knowing at least one Kix song. The Hagerstown quintet found MTV success and a huge number of local fans with AC/DC-style rockers like "Blow My Fuse" and the somber power ballad "Don't Close Your Eyes," which actually gave the band a taste of top-20 success, going to number 11 on the Billboard chart and staking a regular spot on "Headbanger's Ball." Kix broke up in 1995, but reunites annually for a couple of shows, including tonight's big concert at the State Theatre. Sure, you may look back at those pictures of your teenage self with long hair and black t-shirts and think, "Man, I can't believe I was ever into that stuff." But when you hear the chorus of "Cold Blood," you'll be singing along with Steve Whitman, just like you did at Ritchie Coliseum back in the day.
courtesy of www.washingtonpost.com www.urbanspectrum.net
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The daughter of former slaves was born Sarah Breedlove in 1867. Life and responsibilities were thrust on Madame Walker very early, she was orphaned at five, married by the time she was fourteen, a mother by 20 and left a widowed washerwoman soon after.
Her involvement in the hair industry began quite simply because she was trying to stop her own hair from falling out. Her concoction worked so well she shared it with friends. From this very humble beginning was founded a multimillion dollar industry. Not only did she become the first Black woman millionaire, she was probably one of the most famous African-American female business owners of the pre-World War II era.
Walker prided herself as "the Negro entrepreneur" whose goal it was to develop and employ African Americans in every aspect of her product manufacturing and distribution. She also expressed concern with non-minority owned hair products that used harsh chemicals that harmed Black hair.
Some of her products included: Wonderful Hair Grower, Vegetable Shampoo Soap and Glossine.
courtesy of www. afro.com
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THE UGLY FACTS: African Americans need the Healthy Marriage Initiative 
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
There are far too many children in the Black community born to unwed mothers, and if the new African American Healthy Marriage Initiative can reduce these numbers, then it could be a blessing to the entire country. Research tells us that the ideal way to raise children is to have two parents. A father in the home makes a difference in how children perform in school, relate to other children or feel about themselves. These statistics point to the crisis in the Black community:*Sixty-eight percent of African-American births are to unmarried women, compared to 29 percent for Whites and 44 percent for Hispanics.*Sixty-two percent of African-American households are headed by a single parent, compared to 27 percent for Whites and 35 percent for Hispanics.*Forty-two percent of African-American adults are married, compared to 61 percent of Whites and 59 percent of Hispanics. *There is a 12 percent divorce rate for African-American couples, compared to 10 percent for Whites and 7 percent for Hispanics. The AAHMI is a component of President Bush's ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative and, more specifically, promotes a culturally competent strategy for fostering healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, improving child well-being and strengthening families within the African-American community. There are three parts to the program: education and communication, enhancement of partnerships and identifying resources.
Critics who claim that the Healthy Marriage Initiative will force low-income women into abusive marriages don't understand the program. No one will be forced to do anything. This is a voluntary program that emphasizes education, with the expectation that once women and men realize they have an obligation to raise children in a better environment, they will want to join the program.
Research by the Heritage Foundation has shown that "the decline of marriage is a prominent cause of child poverty, welfare dependence and many other social problems." The foundation also reported that the primary target groups for the healthy marriage programs would be couples unmarried at the time of a child's birth, or young, at-risk couples prior to a child's conception. The foundation says that "the rate of domestic abuse in these groups is extremely low -- around 2 percent." Supporting this fact is the Fragile Families Survey conducted by a team of researchers at Princeton University's Center for Research on Child Wellbeing and Columbia University's Social Indicators Survey Center. The study is based on a nationally representative sample of parents, both married and unmarried, at the time of a child's birth.
The survey revealed that:*Most out-of-wedlock births occur among young adult women, not teenagers in high school. The median age for women having children out of wedlock is 22. *Roughly half of unmarried mothers were co-habiting with the child's father at the time of the baby's birth. *Nearly 75 percent were romantically involved with the father at the time of the child's birth. *Very few unmarried fathers had drug or alcohol problems. *About 98 percent of fathers had been employed during the prior year. *Overall, the median annual income of the unmarried fathers was $17,500. *Most of the unmarried couples had a strong interest in marriage: Approximately 73 percent of mothers and 88 percent of fathers believed that they had at least a 50-50 chance of marrying each other in the future.
With these statistics in mind, it is gratifying to note that many churches in the Black community already have strong programs geared not only toward marriage counseling but also toward holding young married couples together. Many are quite successful in convincing young couples in their churches to prolong having children until they are married. This is a wonderful start.
As these institutions and others learn more about the new African American Health Marriage Initiative, they will be able to expand their programs and reach out to young unmarried mothers who can use all of the help they can get.
For info, contact David Lett, Region III regional administrator, 150 S. Independence Mall West, Suite 864, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106-3499, 215-861-4000 (for Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) or the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade S.W., Washington, D.C. 20447.
for more news and articles about black american current events vist www.afro.com
Submitted by: Shelle' - **Note also check out http://www.economicempire.com/
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