Friday, August 30, 2013

March On: Remembering the March on Washington 50 Years Later


This year will be noted for its' historic landmark moments in the struggle for freedom by African Americans. The year began with the 150th Anniversary of the signing of The Emancipation Proclamation. This week we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.  Young people today are a few generations away from these historic events yet those who came before them have a message to give them.  The Civil Rights Movement was fueled by young people who had courage, tenacity and determination. The story of their struggle for human rights and dignity needs to be told to young people today. They had a vision and a dream that went beyond their own personal aspirations.  Today they send a message that although the battlefield might seem different, the struggle continues. Now the torch will be passed to another generation. And I am praying that they will bring a new vision and dream to our nation.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Doc McStuffins Mobile is Coming to Town!


Disney Jr is hitting the road with the Doc Mobile, a free family event focused on healthy living and well being.   Little ones can bring in their toys for a checkup and learn the ABCs of good health.  As an added treat they can meet members of  The Artemis Medical Society, real live physicians and women of color who will participate in this event.  The Artemis Society was formed by twelve physicians who saw the Doc McStuffins television series as a reflection of themselves and a positive role model for young children. Since then their organization has grown to almost 3,000 women of color representing 39 states. Now part of their aim is to inspire young people to pursue careers in medicine.

As Dr. Myiesha Taylor, Artemis Medical Society co-founder and president explains “As a physician and mother, I’m grateful to Disney Junior for creating meaningful programming,  We credit Doc McStuffins with sparking a movement, now we are organized for a greater purpose and vision.  Artemis is setting the ground work for a more diverse physician workforce.  We want people to know Doc can be on the small or big screen, and she can also be in your communities.”

Catch them in San Antonio, Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Washington, Phoenex and Los Angeles for a complete schedule  visit their website.

The television series, Doc McStuffins has been renewed for a second season starting in September.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Michelle Obama Inspires Hip Hop CD for Healthy Kids




Michelle Obama (Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images)
























First Lady Michelle Obama’s "Let's Move" Campaign has inspired Partnership for a Healthier America and the Hip Hop Public Health Foundation to produce the album, “Songs for a Healthier America,” The Album features hip-hop vets including Ashanti, DMC and Arti Green with 19 songs encouraging young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

The album’s tracks include titles like  “We Like Vegetables,” “U R What You Eat” and “Veggie Luv.”  The first single, “Everybody,” featuring Jordin Sparks, Doug E. Fresh and Dr. Oz, has already been released. As promised, the first lady does make an appearance. She briefly talks about the campaign’s beginnings and why the program has been successful. Find out the facts.

Michelle Obama launched the Lets Move! campaign in 2010.  As she noted on her website, "In the end, as first lady, this isn’t just a policy issue for me. This is a passion. This is my mission. I am determined to work with folks across this country to change the way a generation of kids thinks about food and nutrition."

FLOTUS's new partners share her passion.  “Music is so universal, it’s so powerful, that as an educator I’m always amazed of why it’s not being used more ubiquitously within public health,” Dr. Olajide Williams, founder of Hip Hop Public Health and associate professor of clinical neurology at Columbia University Medical Center, told MSNBC.

Music, he added, has greater representation in the brain than language. It not only enhances memory, but also creates an emotional connection with the themes being delivered.

Everyone can hear the entire album on Sept. 30 via free download on the Partnership for a Healthier America’s website. All this to promote Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign.



Thursday, August 22, 2013

Arthur Ashe Kids' Day


                          Mindless Behavior performs at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day. - Philip Hall/USTA


This Saturday Michelle Obama will be attending Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day along with a host of other celeberities including Serena Williams.  Arthur Ashe Kids Day is the largest single-day, grassroots tennis and entertainment event in the world, with chart-topping performers, celebrities and some of the best tennis players in the game coming together to celebrate the life and values of tennis legend and humanitarian Arthur Ashe. The event takes place the Saturday before the US Open.

Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day features a ticketed Stadium Show and concert inside Arthur Ashe Stadium preceded by a free Grounds Festival on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Ethnic Edibles





Heather McCartney is the designer and founder of Ethnic Edibles®, the
Africa-inspired cookie cutter set, and Coquí Cookies™, the Puerto Rico-inspired cookie cutter set. Her captivation with the decorative and tribal arts of African culture, and the indigenous history of the Taíno led to her desire to replicate them and share them in a fun and educational way.  Heather made her first journey to Africa in 1997.  It was in South Africa that she learned more about the tribal arts of the Ndebele and Zulu nations.  Eager to share her enthusiasm with others, she baked a batch of gingerbread cookies with facial scarifications based upon the many masks and dolls she admired. The unique cultural cookies captured the attention of families, educators, bakers and retailers, and they were soon in demand. This interest propelled her to learn more about traditional symbols of African culture and soon after Ethnic Edibles was born!  To get a set of the cookie cutters visit her website.

A Snowy Day in August: Keats Family Day



This summer the National Museum of American Jewish History at 101 South Independence Mall East Philadelphia, PA19106, phone number (215) 923-3811 is hosting a special exhibition, The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats. 

The story of Peter in The Snowy Day  has been enjoyed  by generations of young people.  The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats is the first major exhibition in this country to pay tribute to award-winning author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats (1916–1983), whose beloved children’s books include Whistle for Willie, Peter’s Chair, and The Snowy Day. The exhibition invites visitors to discover over 80 original works by this groundbreaking American Jewish artist, the first to feature an African-American protagonist in a modern full-color picture book. With works ranging from preliminary sketches to final paintings and collages, the exhibition also offers a reading area for visitors of all ages, drawn from Keats's art and stories.    Celebrate Grandparents Day on September 8.


The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats is organized by The Jewish Museum, New York, from the collection of the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection, The University of Southern Mississippi.  The exhibition was funded at The Jewish Museum through a generous grant from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.  Additional support was provided by the Joseph Alexander Foundation, the Alfred J. Grunebaum Memorial Fund, and the Winnick Family Foundation.