Features
- Created on 12 June 2013
Cheerios Ad Daughter Not Affected By Racism, Says Commercial ‘Fun To Make’ (Video)
Grace Colbert, the adorable 6-year-old actress who stars as the daughter in the recent — and unexpectedly controversial — Cheerio’s ad, sat down with her real parents, Janet and Christopher Colbert, for an interview with Thomas Roberts on MSNBC on Tuesday.
The confident little girl has not been negatively affected by the virulent racism that
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- Created on 10 June 2013
Emory's Natasha Trethewey Tapped For Second Term as U.S. Poet Laureate
Natasha Trethewey, Emory University's Robert W. Woodruff Professor of English and Creative Writing and director of the Creative Writing Program, has been appointed to serve a second term as U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. Emory announced Monday the selection made by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.
"The Library and the country are fortunate Natasha Trethewey will continue her work as Poet Laureate," said Billington. "Natasha's first term was a resounding success, and we could not be more thrilled with her plans for the coming year."
Trethewey was also lauded on her second term by Emory's faculty and staff.
"All of us on the Emory campus, along with members of the broader Emory community, are proud and enthusiastically supportive of the work Natasha has done to share the creative power of poetry with the entire nation," said Robin Forman, dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences.
"Throughout this past year, with the increasingly overwhelming demands on her time, Natasha has remained engaged with our students, and with our Creative Writing program, and we look forward to another year of having Emory's commitment to the humanities energized by her work as Poet Laureate."
Trethewey's second term will begin in September. She will follow previous multiyear laureates—such as Kay Ryan, Ted Kooser and Billy Collins—and undertake a signature project: a regular feature on the PBS NewsHour Poetry Series. Trethewey will join NewsHour Senior Correspondent Jeffrey Brown for a series of on-location reports in various cities across the United States to explore several large societal issues, through a focused lens offered by poetry and her own coming-to-the-art.
The Poetry Series, featured on the PBS NewsHour, engages a broad audience through thoughtful, in-depth reports on contemporary poets and poetry.
Trethewey's first term as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry was noteworthy for her "office hours," during which she met with the general public in the Library's Poetry Room—harkening back to a tradition established by her predecessors in the post from 1937 to 1986. For her second year, Trethewey will move beyond the capital to seek out the many ways poetry lives in communities across the country and addresses issues and concerns of Americans.
In that pursuit, she will draw on her own life experiences as a guide — visiting places she feels a personal connection to, such as a domestic violence center, an inner-city school, a prison or juvenile detention center, a nursing home, or places that have suffered natural or man-made disasters. The specific locations will be determined closer to the start of the Poet Laureate's second term. In her travels to cities and towns for the series, Trethewey also intends to hold "Office Hours on the Road" — meeting with members of the general public as she did in the Library.
Trethewey is the author of four poetry collections, including her newest, "Thrall" (2012). Her other collections are "Native Guard" (2006), winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry; "Bellocq's Ophelia" (2002); and "Domestic Work" (2000). She is also the author the nonfiction book "Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast" (2010).
Trethewey is also serving as the Poet Laureate of Mississippi, which holds a four-year term, and will continue in both positions next year. Her other honors include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Study Center, and the Bunting Fellowship Program of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. She is the four-time recipient of the Book Prize from the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters and has twice received the Lillian Smith Award for Poetry. She is also the recipient of the 2008 Mississippi Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts and was named the 2008 Georgia Woman of the Year.
Born in Gulfport, Miss., in 1966, Trethewey earned a bachelor's in English from the University of Georgia, a master's in poetry from Hollins University, and a master of fine arts from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In 2005-2006, she was named the Lehman Brady Joint Chair Professor of Documentary and American Studies at Duke University and the University of North Carolina.
In 2009-2010, she was the James Weldon Johnson Fellow in African American Studies at the Beinecke Library at Yale University.
The Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center fosters and enhances the public's appreciation of literature. To this end, the center administers the endowed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry position, coordinates an annual season of readings, performances, lectures, conferences and symposia, and sponsors high-profile prizes and fellowships for literary writers.
Read more http://news.emory.edu/stories/2013/06/upress_trethewey_laureate_reappointment/index.html
- Created on 10 June 2013
Women of Excellence: Juanita Baranco
Juanita Baranco is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Baranco Automotive Group, which currently includes Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead and smartCenter Buckhead.
She and her husband, Gregory Baranco, founded the first Baranco car dealership in the metropolitan Atlanta area in 1978. Mrs. Baranco, along with her husband and former Ambassador Andrew Young, opened Mercedes Benz of Buckhead in Atlanta in June 2003.
Baranco earned her Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctorate degrees from Louisiana State University.
An active business leader, Baranco has been featured on several occasions in Georgia Trend magazine's annual list of the "100 Most Influential Georgians." She also has an impressive legal pedigree, having once served as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia.
She has received numerous awards for her business and community activities, including recognition by the Dow Jones Company for entrepreneurial excellence and the first Trumpet Award recipient for entrepreneurial excellence. In 2001 she was inducted into the Georgia State University Business Hall of Fame.
Baranco serves on several boards and is Chairman of the Board at Clark Atlanta University.
Accomplished and fascinating women like Baranco are among 50 who will be honored by The Atlanta Daily World as "Women of Excellence" at an awards ceremony on Thursday, June 20 at 200 Peachtree from 3pm- 6pm. The public is invited to come to the event and meet them.
To purchase tickets to the event, call Michelle Gipson at 404-761-1114 ext. 11 or visit http://www.atlantadailyworld.com/upcoming-events and click on the "Women of Excellence" icon.
- Created on 10 June 2013
The Art of Thrifting - Transform Garage Sale Finds Into Treasure
It’s heating up outside. The warmer weather brings opportunities to enjoy many activities including baseball, picnics, beach time and, of course, garage sales. People are purging what they no longer need or want, and it’s the ideal opportunity to turn their trash into your treasure.
With the explosive popularity of TV shows about unearthing historic memorabilia and valuable pieces of Americana, searching for knick-knacks and artifacts that make one-of-a-kind home decor has become a more popular pastime. But how do you know the difference between treasure and trash?
Larry Singleton, decor manager at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc., is an expert when it comes to collecting historic relics. Singleton and his family have been collecting for more than 40 years, providing real American artifacts, memorabilia and signage to the more than 600 Cracker Barrel locations nationwide.
He recommends treasure-seekers to search for items that appeal to their interests, such as vintage advertisements, folk art or toys.
“When you have a personal interest in the item you’re seeking, the hunt becomes that much more fun,” he said.
He also says it’s important to do your research.
“Familiarize yourself with what makes a piece authentic and what might indicate a reproduction,” he said. “Research and learn as much as you can before you shop. Watch TV shows, search on the Internet and visit local collectors’ stores. Discovering what’s valuable and knowing what’s currently in demand helps guide you in making that ‘big discovery.’”
He also suggests keeping your phone handy to conduct on-the-spot research on similar items to compare prices and make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Singleton said it’s also important to find out the story behind each item.
“While some items might have plenty of monetary value, other historic relics might be valuable simply because of the story they tell,” he said.
Perhaps you’re not looking for treasures to sell but to take home. Historic artifacts and memorabilia can also yield pieces of decor that are more than just pretty but also serve as conversation pieces when guests visit your home.
From outdated odds and ends to forgotten furniture, there is a wealth of worthy items just waiting to be found, re-imagined and re-purposed. Here are a couple of tips on turning garage sale bargains into treasure:
Pretty in paint
Rusty metal, chipped paint and colors from another decade are all common sights for the garage sale shopper. But when you look beyond these imperfections – and at their spray paint potential – you’ll soon find some diamonds in the rough.
Metal products such as tables, chairs, garden tools or even watering cans can receive an easy and instant update with spray paint, which is available in a variety of colors and finishes. Some offer rust protection. Others dry in less than 10 minutes so you won’t have to worry about grass, leaves or other particles getting stuck in your fresh coat of paint.
Turn bland wood chairs, dusty and drab dressers or awful accessories into amazing furniture or accents with bold or bright and basic hues.
New uses for old things
The key to finding items at garage sales is to look at how they can be used in new and different ways. Don’t view that dusty, broken typewriter or vintage camera as mechanical pieces you have to fix, but rather as interesting design elements to be admired on bookshelves and mantels.
Even old books can add a level of sophistication to your home. Grab a handful in coordinating colors to stack on a dresser or end table for instant eye appeal. Buy an old ladder and prop it against the wall to drape blankets. You can even spray paint an old coffee mug rack to create a fabulous jewelry organizer to hang all your favorite accessories. The possibilities are endless.
(Photo: Yard sales and garage sales are great locales for picking up items that can be sold or repurposed for home. The key is doing a little research. Courtesy of TheWellOrganizedWoman.com)
- Created on 10 June 2013
Atlanta's Real Men Cook Father's Day Celebration to Feature Performance by 'R&B Divas' KeKe Wyatt
Continuing what has become a Father's Day tradition for many families, thousands of people will come together to celebrate strong Black men for the 24th annual Real Men Cook for Charity Atlanta (RMC Atlanta). The celebration will take place from 3 – 6 p.m. Sunday, June 16, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Ballroom Building C (265 Andrew Young Blvd NW).
In addition to an opportunity to sample an assortment of dishes prepared by more than 100 professional and self-proclaimed master chefs, RMC Atlanta attendees will be treated to performances by singer and co-star of TV One's R&B Divas, KeKe Wyatt, and singer and songwriter, Tony Tatum.
Popular V-103 mid-day radio personality, Egypt Sherrod, WAOK's Derrick Boazman, Demetria McKinney, singer and actress (Rickey Smiley TV Show) and Tom Jones of WSB TV 2, will serve as guest hosts. Honorary chairs include Judge Glenda Hatchett and Shannon A. Brown, Sr. VP/Chief HR Diversity Officer of Fed Ex Express, Valerie Jackson, Chairman of Jackmont Hospitality Inc., Rev. Marvin Moss and Cascade United Methodist Church. Cooks will include: Atlanta City Council president Ceasar Mitchell; Roger Bobb, CEO, Bobbcat Films and Chef Ed Harris, season four winner of the Food Network's "Chopped,"
This year the charity event will benefit Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters, The Apex Museum, Real Men Charities and the Maynard Jackson Youth Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching students the skills and principles of leadership, critical thinking, entrepreneurship, community service, and career preparation.
"Real Men Cook allows us to uplift Black men while we raise money for our charity partners to continue their good work," said RMC Atlanta event manager, Diane Larche´. "We all know that what we cook matters, so teaching healthy eating to at-risk families strengthens our community.
"The Apex Museum is the keeper of our precious history, and we all know the impact that Maynard Jackson's leadership had on Atlanta and the Black community internationally. It is so fitting for RMC Atlanta to give a portion of the proceeds of our event to a foundation preparing youth today to become leaders of tomorrow," Larche´added.
The RMC Health Pavilion, sponsored in part by Humana, will feature healthy foods, blood pressure screenings, health information on diabetes from the American Diabetes Association, heart disease from the American Heart Association and prostate cancer along with healthy cooking demonstrations.
RMC Atlanta 2013 sponsors are: FedEx, WSB TV Family 2 Family Project, Humana, Delta Air Lines, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, American Family Insurance, Georgia Power Foundation, Arby's Foundation, Jackmont Hospitality/T. G. I. Friday's, Waffle House,American Signature Furniture, Media partners are the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Rolling Out, V103 FM and WAOK AM, Atlanta Inquirer, Atlanta Voice, Atlanta Daily World and Urban Lux Magazine.
"Real Men Cook for Charity presents this event in several cities to lift up strong fathers and other real men who care for the community, while also raising money for local charities," said Kevin Ashford, spokesman for Real Men Cook Atlanta. "We're convinced that Atlanta is the best because of our loyal following year after year."
Tickets can be purchased from the information desk at Underground Atlanta, Apex Museum, Berean Christian Store (Atlanta), Nancy's Pizza (Midtown and Buckhead), Rick's Barber & Beauty (SW Atlanta), Medu Bookstore (Greenbriar Mall), Who's Got Soul Southern Cafe (Dekalb & Lawrenceville), Eye Connection Optical (Stone Mountain), Jerk Palace (Riverdale), Jan's Flowers and Gifts (Fayetteville) and East Coast Seafood (East Atlanta), and online at www.ticketannex.com. Advance Tickets are $20 and Adults $10 for Children under 12 ($5 more at the door).
Tickets can also be purchased at ticket outlets throughout online at www.ticketannex.com.
For more information visit www.realmencook.com
