Arts & Lifestyle
Of Interest ...
Senators introduce resolutions
_ praising N.C. racing company
U.S. Senators Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) and Richard
Burr (R-NC) last week introduced a resolution 'con
gratulating Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports
for winning the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Championship. Hendrick Motorsports is. based in
Concord.
"I am proud to congratulate Jimmie Johnson and
Hendrick Motorsports on this historic win." said
Hagan. "This was their fourth straight Sprint Cup
Championship victory, and they have certainly repre
sented the best of North Carolina's deep NASCAR tra
dition. I wish them the best of luck for the remaining
season and look forward to continuing to watch a
North Carolina NASCAR legend."
The resolution also commends the Jimmie Johnson
Foundation, which is dedicated to helping children,
families, and communities in need in North Carolina
and around the country. The Foundation began its
work in 2006.
R. Kelly to tell his story in
book published by Tavis Smiley
Controversial R&B singer R. Kelly, Robert
Sylvester Kelly, has announced that he-will publish his
memoir with Smiley-Books. a company , founded by
social commentator and talk show host Tavis Smiley.
According to SmileyBooks, in his memoir, which
Kelly will pen with
David Ritz. the
singer will detail
the agony of losing
his mother: discuss
his creative genius;
and talk about the
child pornography
charges that still
haunt him today
even though he was
found not guilty of
the charges in 2008.
"I'm writing
this book as Robert,
not R. Kelly," the
singer says. "I'm
tired of being mis
Photo by A Turner
Tavis Smiley with R. Kelly.
understood. I will
show you the tears, fears and sweat. I will open my
heart and reveal the good in my life as well as all the
drama. 1 want to tell it like it is."
Kelly's book, which is still untitled and slated for
release in early 201 1, joins a SmileyBooks roster that
includes the latest offering from Cornel West. "Brother
West: Living and Loving Out Loud. A Memoir." as
well as Jeff Johnson's "Everything I'm Not Made Me
Everything I Am." Other SmileyBooks authors include
Henry Louis Gates Jr., Tom Burrell, Sophia Nelson
and Iyanla Vanzant.
"We are thrilled to be the conduit through which R.
Kelly will tell his own story," said Smiley. "He has
earned the right to tell his story his own way."
Buju Banton facing drug charge
MIAMI (AP) - Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton
is facing a drug charge in Florida.
Banton. whose real name is Mark Anthony Myrie,
has been in U.S. federal custody in Miami since last
Thursday.
Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman
David Melenkevitz said Sunday that Banton was
arrested on a charge of conspiracy to possess with
intent to distribute more than five kilograms of
cocaine. The charge stems from a DEA case in Tampa.
An e-mail to Banton's independent record label
was not immediately returned Sunday.
Banton's ninth album, "Rasta Got Soul," is nomi
nated for a Grammy. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation launched an online petition
protesting the nomination, saying some of Banton's
earlier lyrics have advocated violence against gay peo
ple.
Committee formed to find
new Arts Council leader
The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth
County has appointed a 17-member committee com
prised of current and former board members and com
munity leaders to begin the search for a successor to
President and CEO Milton
Rhodes, who has headed the
Council since October 2004.
He told The Arts Council
Board earlier this year of his
intention to retire in the fall of
2010. The search committee is
co-chaired by Peggy Joines and
Dara Folan, both former Arts
Council Board Chairs. The com
mittee has retained Martin
Godwin of The McAulay firm to
assist in a national search for
Rhodes
Rhodes successor.
Rhodes said he has made no decision about what
comes next, but noted that he and his wife, Mattie,
intend to stay in Winston-Salem.
"It has been my special privilege to have two
opportunities to live and work in Winston-Salem," said
Rhodes. "I met my wife Mattie here, and we started
our family in Winston-Salem. After we moved away,
we maintained ties with Winston-Salem and kept in
touch with friends, friends who continued to enrich our
lives and who welcomed us back warmly when I came
back to head The Arts Council in 2004. However,
when I returned, there was an understanding that my
work with The Arts Council would be for a period of
years."
School to have birthday party for its namesake
CHRONICLE si \H REPOR]
The local, acclaimed charter
school named for the legendary
author, historian, journalist and
social analyst Dr. Carter G.
Woodson will hold a celebra
tion on Saturday, Dec. 19 - the
day that Woodson was born 134
years ago.
The public is , invited to
attend the free celebration,
which starts at 3 p.m. in the
School's gymnatorium, 437
Goldfloss St. Attendees are
encouraged to don their Sunday
best as students pay homage to
the father of Black History
Month with a culturally
inspired afternoon pf music, -
dance.' art and fellowship.
The Carter G. Woodson
School Male Chorus. -Jazz
Band, Concert Band, String
Orchestra, Dance Team.
Cheerleading Squad and
Drummers are slated to per
form .
The' eVtftit will culminate
with a cake-cutting ceremony
and a brief discussion of the life
and work of Dr. Woodson, who
died in 1950. The son of former
slaves, Woodson was already
thoroughly self-educated when
he enrolled in high school at the
age of 20, receiving his diplo
ma in just two years. He went
On to earn a B.A. from the
University of Chicago and a
Ph.D. in history from Harvard,
where he was just the second
African-American to earn such
a degree.
From Brown Collection
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
He taught briefly and held
educational administrative
posts at several schools, includ
ing West Virginia State
College, where he founded and
became president of Associated
Publishers. Woodson estab
lished the Association for the
Study of Negro Life and
History and its scholarly publi
cation, "The Journal of Negro
History," which, under his
direction, remained an impor
tant historical periodical for
more than three decades. The
author of more than 30 books,
he founded Negro History
Week, which later evolved into
Black History Month.
For mure information about
the event, call 336-723-6838.
The Color Purple
NCDOT Photo
The eye-catching flowers along this portion of U.S. 220 and Holden Road in Guilford
County took home an honor in the N.C. Department of Transportation's 20th annu
al Wildflower Awards contest. Sponsored by the The Garden Club of North Carolina
Inc., the awards recognize NCDOT staffers who plant and care for the wildflowers to
enhance the overall appearance and environmental quality of the state's highways.
The Guilford County flowers, cared for by NCDOT Division 7, won first-place in the
Central Region. A section of 1-40 at U.S. 421 in Forsyth County received an honor
able mention in the William D. Johnson Daylily category. The flowers are maintained
by NCDOT Division 9.
The next
Diddy?
New A&T course geared for
future hip hop music producers
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
North Carolina A&T State University
will take students deep into the world of hip
hop music production with a new course
that "Will "br offered in the 2010 spring
scmcMcr.
Students will find
the elective,
"Computational Hip
Hop & Object
Oriented Design" in
their course catalog
early next year.
Taught by Dr. Gerry
Dozier, the course
will focus on the
design principles of
the popular music
Dozier
form and the object-oriented software,
which are closely related.
Students will work in small groups and
will be required to engineer the design of the
Aggie Hip-Hop Box - a modification of Sun
Microsystems' Groove Box; produce at least
one student hip hop artist; and use modified
versions of the Hip-Hop Box to develop a
number of song prototypes for their student
artists to perform.
Student groups that produce the top five
songs will be invited to have those songs
professionally produced by a local recording
studio.
Submitted Photo
The talented Maximus Merril.
Kid from
Lewisville
wins guitar
competition
CHRONIC! E si\i F REPOW
A young man from Lewisville has
won the first-place award for elemen
tary school-aged children in the
Music Academy of North Carolina's
5th Annual Guitar Festival, The
Academy is based in Greensboro.
Maximus Merril took, home the
honor during the three-day competi
tion that began on Nov. 13. He was
among more than 40 students repre
senting 25 cities and 12 states that
participated in the competition,
which also featured masterclasses led
by faculty and guest clinicians.
The winners performed at First
Presbyterian Church of Greensboro
on the last day of the competition.
Sunday. Nov. 15.
Austin Delossantos was the only
other Forsyth County winner. He
placed third in the middle school cat
egory. Competitions were also held
for high school and college students.
File Photo
A local woman auditions for the tournament last year.
Auditions scheduled for
MEAC Tournament talent
CHRONICLE STAFF REPOM
Area residents will again have the chance
to shine at the next MEAC Basketball
Tournament, slated for March 8-13, 2010
at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial
Coliseum.
The Conference will come to town early
to hold auditions for singers to perform the
national anthem before games and to show
case their talents during half-time shows.
Auditions will take place on Saturday,
Jan. 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hanes
Hosiery Community Center, 501 Reynolds
Blvd. MEAC at Center Court offers enter
tainers. including choirs and musicians, of
all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to
showcase their talents before a crowd of
thousands at a major Division I basketball
event.
Auditions for national anthem perform
ers will be from 9-11 a.m. National anthem
performers will have up to two minutes to
perform an a cappella version of the song.
Halftime performers are scheduled to audi
tion from 1-3 p.m. and will have up to four
minutes to present their acts in front of a
panel of judges.
Those who audition should possess a
positive attitude, creative technique and
style and display a high level of showman
ship and energy, according to MEAC offi
cials. Although auditions are free and open
to the public, space is limited, so applicants
are encouraged to be on time and be pre
pared to perform at the time of arrival.
Participant waiver forms can be found at
MEAChoops.com and MEACsports.com.