All African American artistic team produce THE COLOR PURPLE: the musical
August 20, 2021Thirty-seven plays and musicals were scheduled to open on Broadway during the 2019-20 season. Of course, many of those productions — 16, all told — either didn’t open or were shut down in rehearsals due to the coronavirus pandemic. Out of 37 shows, only four were written by artists of color. Only one was written […]
Mural of Maya Angelou Graces the Gate City
August 13, 2021The watchful author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou returned to Greensboro as a dramatic, captivating mural in a Downtown suite of shared workspaces under construction. Conveying a serious yet loving countenance, the large mural serves “as a sentry for social justice, keeping an inspiring and watchful eye on us to make sure we […]
Movie Review: Snake Eyes
August 6, 2021Snake Eyes is a welcomed opportunity to see a cast of talented Asian actors dazzle. Even in an action franchise film built around a Hasbro toy, they excel. The film is an extension of a franchise started in 2009 with G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, when an elite military unit of special operatives (aka […]
Movie Review: Ailey
July 30, 2021Gifted artists create a spirit so strong it lives on long after they’re gone. That’s the case with legendary choreographer/dancer Alvin Ailey. It’s like he never left. Never passed on. Documentary director Jamila Wignot records the history, evolution and continuation of Ailey’s work during the renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 60th anniversary year. Choreographer […]
Murals at Hairston Middle School
July 30, 2021A heritage of color, achievement and authority in dramatic intergenerational murals brightened and emboldened five hallways and concourses of Hairston Middle School. Under the direction of accomplished muralist Darlene J. McClinton, an artistic team of students from the school and N.C. A&T State University worked diligently over a seven week period to “transform the blank […]
Movie Review: Summer of Soul (… Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
July 16, 2021It was a volatile time. Malcom and Martin had been assassinated in recent years. Civil uprisings and riots had just simmered down. The summer of ’69 was a chance for a much-needed cultural break and reawakening. That happened in Harlem’s Mt. Morris Park, when program director Tony Lawrence created the summer long Harlem Cultural Festival. […]
Greensboro Opera and EMF present: Summertime and the Livin’ is EASIER!
July 8, 2021On July 14, 8 p.m. at Temple Emanuel, 1129 Jefferson Rd.; Greensboro, enjoy a sneak peek of Greensboro Opera’s upcoming production of Porgy & Bess, as well as classic song favorites by Cole Porter, the Gershwins, and more. Featured artists include Angela Renée Simpson, soprano; Robert Anthony Mack, tenor; Richard Hodges, baritone; Ben Blozan, piano; […]
Why St. Lucia might be a traveler’s paradise
June 25, 2021It’s been a rough year. The whole world has spent the better part of the past 12 months isolated and cooped up in their homes. Thanks to cautious measures and vaccinations, people are beginning to be able to emerge from this forced seclusion. The pandemic hit the travel industry hard. International flights especially were throttled […]
High Point Music Instructor Tackles Music Desegregation
June 11, 2021Just a few years ago, Trinity, North Carolina-based musician Chris Thompson was having a hard time finding his passion. Attending N.C. A&T State University, his grades began to slip, and he wasn’t on track to graduate. But then, a mentor stepped in and showed him the power of having a vision. The mentor told him […]
What are social determinants of health?
April 30, 2021Healthcare is just like any other genera of life; it has its catch phrases or cool words. So, being the cool person I am, I want to educate you on some of the latest slang. All of us “cool” people know that when someone texts you “TMI” they are saying that you or they are […]