Group
plans
bluesy
debut
BY COURTNHY GAII.LARI)
IHI CHRONIC! I
For those of you who are
tired of hearing and even saying.
"There's nothing to do in Win
ston-Salem." you may finally
exhale. The Winston-Salem Arts
and Entertainment Partnership
(WSAEP) is here to the rescue.
Join the WSAEP on Friday.
Jan. 18, for the "Kickin' the
Downtown Blues" at the Millen
nium Center in downtown Win
sto.n-Salem. Taj Mahal, a leg
endary, Grammy-winning
jazz/blues legend, will perform
on the main floor and multiple
stages will be filled with a vari
ety of local musical acts to
appeal to everyone in the com
munity. Musicians set to appear
include Allison King, the Dirty
Dogs. Shades of Blue and more.
A live auction also will take
place for main event attendees in
the VIP lounge, featuring trips to
major U.S. cities, tickets to sport
ing events and shows, and a
o chance to bid on celebrity mem
orabilia.
Proceeds from the event will
go to help fund future partner
ship events and to the Music
Maker Relief Foundation, which
helps pioneer blues artists who
are struggling.
Virginia Hart, director of
sales and marketing, is thrilled
about the first event and hopes to
draw crowds from all over Win
ston-Salem.
"The Arts & Entertainment
Partnership is so excited about
this event, with such a stellar
group of talent we brought
together and all of the local
groups donating their time and
Photo courtesy of WSAEP
Grammy Award-winning artist Taj Mahal, seated center; will headline the Kickin' the Down
town Blues on Friday; Jan. 18, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Millennium Center.
services. We are so fortunate and
think it will be a really exciting
event!" Hart said.
The partnership was founded
in AprilQtf last year by Mary
Robert, executive director of
WSAEP, who developed the idea
as a way of linking the arts and
entertainment with local busi
nesses in order to build the eco
nomic vitality of the city. Robert,
an Arts Council veteran, wanted
to identify ways to build syner
gies of economic wealth of Win
ston-Salem.
WSAEP wants to make Win
ston-Salem even more of a desti
nation for the arts. Its goal is for
this part of the Piedmont to
develop a multicultural day and
night life that will revive the area
and its residents.
"Past events typically are not
cross-cultural in this town.
There's not a lot of crossover
between Anglos. African Ameri
cans and Hispanics. WSAEP
wants to build an audience of all
races and cultures and create an
opportunity for us all to partici
pate and get to know each other,"
Hart said.
WSAEP will utilize the glass
storefront windows of its Fourth
Street office to showcase a mul
timedia presentation of films and
graphics intended to promote
downtojvn commerce and
become a focal point of what's
going on in the city. Thb>jjroject
is called "Windows on Winston."
The partnership 'is hopeful
that once the group officially
launches, the corps of volun
teers. who go by the name "arts
partners." will be expanded. This
already ethnically'diverse band
of 18-to-30-year-olds will spread
the word about upcoming to-dos
and assist with citywide events.
Arts partners support the
activities of WSAEP and serve
as a training ground for future
leaders of nonprofits.
"WSAEP wants to give the
volunteers an opportunity to
plan, coordinate logistics, strate
gically think - all of these ele
ments being critical for nonprof
it leadership," Hart said.
The volunteers will be avail
able to assist other nonprofit
organizations in the area. But
these dedicated volunteers do
more than stuffing envelopes or
filing. Jennifer Cook, a menjber
of the publicity committee, says
the group is really interested in
doing something meaningful as
well as focusing on being helpful
and taking advantage of min
gling with people with whom
they ordinarily would not get a
chance to interact.
"The volunteer corps of the
partnership want to make a dif
ference in the community,"
Cook said.
"Winston-Salem is alive and
really wanting this kind of
opportunity; people are wanting
to revitalize downtown."
Hart also said that the price
structure - tickets range from $$
$75 - will make it possible for
anybody to attend WSAEP'
events.
"We are really looking to
make sure people have access to
all or most of the events," Hart
said.
In February, WSAEP plans
to hold a public announcement
of the group in a grand opening
at its Fourth Street location.
If you are interested in learn
ing about WSAEP or becoming
an arts partner, call 777-8685.
Martin
from page AS
Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
She has also interviewed former
President Bill Clinton, Secretary
of Education Rod Paige and for
mer presidential candidate Sen.
Bill Bradley.
"Cheryl's departure brings
sadness to me, my fellow pan
elists and countless viewers,"
said Clarence Page of the Chica
go Tribune and a regular pan
elist on the show. "In the years
that stie has hosted LEAD
STORY.' she has enlivened it
with her warmth, intelligence,
good humor and elegantly
engaging stage presence. Cheryl
has helped to give Americans a
view of the news that they have
not been able to get anywhere
else. I am going to miss the con
tribution she has made to news
and public affairs at BET. I"
extend to her my best wishes
and my hope that We television
viewers will be seeing her again
soon." .
George Curry, a "LEAD
STORY" panelist and also the
editor-in-chief of the NNPA
News Service and BlackPres
sUSA.com. said. "Cheryl Mar
tin is the consummate profes
sional. She is involved in and
cares about everything from the'
quality of the guests invited to
appear on "LEAD STORY.' to
the type of footage that will he
used to illustrate a story. She is a
first-class journalist in every
respect and I am going to miss
her."
"During the nearly five-and
a-half years that she hosted
?LEAD STORY.' Cheryl was
"the straw that stirs the drink'
for this unique news analysis
program." said DeWayne Wick
ham. columnist at USA Today
and the Gannett News Service.
"A polished professional, she
"challenged herself - as much as
. she pushed the show's panel of
journalists - to"*make 'LEAD
STORY' a high-quality televi
sion news show. The success of
her efforts can he found in the
respect and credibility that
'LEAD STORY' has amassed
under her leadership." Wickham
is the sole remaining member of
the original panel of journalists
of "LEAD STORY." The show
premiered on BET on Sept. 28.
1991.
Martin joined BET in 1992
as an anchor, reporter and pro
ducer. From 1992 to 1996, she
anchored the daily Newsbriefs
segments on the network, and
since 1997 she served as news
anchor and occasional host of
"BET TONIGHT."
A versatile journalist. Martin
has reported and produced sev
eral noteworthy documentaries.
"Passage to Democracy" chron
icles Martin's visit to South
Africa to cover the historic first
all-race elections, and "The
Legacy: Dreaming and Living
Success" profiles three success
ful African Americans and the
parents who inspired them to
excel. Martin's "Mission in the
Hood" provided a look at ini
tiatives by black inner-city
churches to curb "violence and
strengthen the family.
Before joining BET in Octo
ber 1992, Martin worked as a
reporter and producer ,for the
HBC-owned station (WRC-TV)
and the ABC affiliate (WJLA
TV) in Washinghw. Martin
received a bachelor's degree in
l '
speech and a master's degree in
broadcast journalism from
Northwestern University. She
was elected to the Mortar Board
Senior Honorary and Kappa
Alpha Pi Junior Honorary soci
eties. In 1997, Martin was
among the first Northwestern
alumni inducted into the Medill
School of Journalism's Hall of
Achievement for excellence in
journalism. Martin is also a
member of the National Associ
ation of Black Journalists.
Firms /
from page AH '
eminent, industry and advocacy
groups. They add significant
expertise with the African
American community to our
core team - expertise that would
be hard to find anywhere else."
"We are excited to have two
? such experienced firms join the
Army team. The talents and
insights that Walls and Caraway
will brjng to the team will he
invaluable." said Ray
DeThorne. E.V.P.. account
director for the U.S. Army busi
ness at Leo Burnett.
'The Caraway Group wel
comes the opportunity to help
build awareness about the new
Army and the incredible oppor
tunities it has to offer for today's
young men and women, particu
larly now," said Yolanda Car
away. president of The Caraway
Group. is* events of Septem
ber llth have made it more
important than ever to support
and showcase our military
forces."
"We are truly honored that
the U.S. Army Recruiting Com
mand has added our agency to a
team that includes the Caraway
Group," said Loft Walls, presi-Q
dent of Walls Communications.
"The combined capabilities of
our firms will ensure (hat the
Army's compelling messages
are conveyed to all Americans
during these critical times."
Based in Washington. D C
Walls Communications Inc. was
established in 1993. The
African-American-owned firm
provides crisis communications.
public relations and media rela
tions services to a wide range of
clients, including AT&T. Burger
King. Denny's. Freddie Mac.
Nike. National Council on Dis
ability, NAACP. National Urban
League and Shell Oil.
The Caraway Group is a
woman, minority-owned com
munications and event manage
ment-consulting firm with
offices in Washington. D.C., and
Los Angeles, Calif. For more
than a deca'de, The Caraway
Group has provided strategic
and effective communications
and event counsel to clients in
the corporate, political, enter
tainment and nonprofit sectors.
Yolanda H. Caraway has nearly
20 years of policy-making, proj
ect management and national
and international political expe
rience.
Mother WIT is
awarded grants
totaling $83,000
Program provides clothes distribution,
referrals, support sessions for area families
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONIC! E
<
The Mother WIT Family
Development Center has been
awarded a $40,000 grant by
the Mary Babcock Reynolds
Foundation and a $43,000
grant by the Winston-Salem
Foundation, Lee Faye Mack,
executive director of Mother
WIT, said.
According to Mack, the
$40,000 grant will be used
initiate a new position of fam
ily resource advocate, who
will also convene and coordi
nate activities of the Family
Resources Council. With this
council Mother WIT plans to
develop grassroots leaders.
The grant from the Mary
Babcock Reynolds Founda
tion will give Mother WIT
additional resources to con
tinue board development and
fiscal infrastructure.
According to Mack, the
$43,000 grant will be used to
initiate a new position of
associate director and to
increase the organization's
administrative capacity.
"Our organization has
grown tremendously during
the last two years," Mack
said. "The grant from the
Winston-Salem Foundation
will give us additional
resources to continue to serve
families within Forsyth Coun
ty who face issues of infant
mortality, homelessness, child
welfare and WorkFirst. The
funds are made available from
the Carl W. and Annie M.
Mack
Harris Endowment.
Mother WIT Inc. (Wisdom
In Training) Family Develop
"ment Center serves families
who need love, peace, wis
dom, understanding, hope and
survival skills in transitioning
from social systems such as
welfare, welfare to work,
homelessness and unemploy
ment.
Mother wll was rounded
in 1998 and ha? served many
families throughout Forsyth
County. Through mobilizing
community .resources, part
nering with human service
organizations and community
residents. Mother WIT is
encouraging families to move
on with their lives. Services
are provided with an on-site
clothes distribution center,
monthly support group ses
sions, home visits to those in
need referred to Mother WIT.
outreach within the communi
ty, and referrals. Ann Daniels
is chairperson of the board of
directors. Lee Faye Mack is
founder.
a
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If you:
\ are 21 to 50 years of age
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COMMUNITY MEETING
Accountants
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Calligraphers Librarians
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Dental Hygienists
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Market Analysts
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Fashion Models
Business Owners & Professionals
to organize a Black Consortium
Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2002
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
East Winston Heritage Center
Lawyers Doctors Nurses
Medical Technicians .
Free Lance Writers
journalists
Business 4 Office Managers
Marketing/Sales Consultants
Pharmacists /
Social Workers
Counselors
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, Graphic Artists
Promotion Directors
Publishers
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Employment Managers
For details and information
contact Miriam McCarter
Special Occasions Books 724-0334
I