Atlanta Daily World

White House Seeks African-American Students For Its 2013 Internship Program

The White House is currently looking for African-American students for its 2013 White House Initiative’s Year-round Internship Program.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students, the program provides students with an opportunity to learn about African American-focused education policy, communications and outreach at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

Interns will be responsible for collecting and compiling research and data on African American education, institutions and communities, as well as performing data entry and managing the office database.

Interns will also greet and escort visitors to meetings and participate in strategic planning and staff meetings and other Department policy briefings and meetings relevant to the work of the Initiative. Those interested in interning for the White house should also be prepared to respond to constituent inquiries verbally or in writing.

During the internships, students will have the opportunity to attend and possibly lead in the planning and management of meetings, briefings and other special events on the Hill, at the White House and in other federal agencies.

Those interested in applying for the 2013 White House Initiative’s Year-round Internship Program are encouraged to visit www.findinternships.com/2013/04/white-house-initiative-year-round-internship-program.html.

Following the Success of Trinidad James, Rapper Scotty Looks to Take 'New Atlanta' to the Next Level

Trinidad Jame$ exploded to the forefront of music with his infectious hip hop anthem "All Gold Everything" in December. To date the video has around 10 million views and reportedly landed the rapper a $2 million deal with Def Jam. But that was just the tip of the iceberg for a new wave of music being conceived in Atlanta.

Last summer rapper Scotty and newbies like Jame$, RaRa and rap collective Two-9 released mixtapes that took the underground Southern rap scene by surprise. In a mutual support for one another, the musicians coined the term "New Atlanta." It was then that a master plan was conceived to tweak the sound and culture of Atlanta rap.

"All Gold Everything" has been credited with drawing national attention to the New Atlanta movement, but the artists inside the collective insist the foundation was a collaborative effort and Jame$' single was just a snippet of what is to come from the rap rookies.

"From the beginning, it wasn't really about everyone doing music," said Scotty. "It was really about everyone supporting each other. The whole theme and concept behind it is like when Dungeon Family and Outkast were coming up. That was like a movement and all of them were supporting each other. That's kind of how I see New Atlanta. "

Scotty's new mixtape Foreva Atlanta in the Heart (FAITH) will be released for download on April 30. It features production from Soundz, DJ Burn One and B-Nice. Special appearances include Big K.R.I.T., Trinidad Jame$ and Starlito, among others.

Ranked as one of the 10 Atlanta rappers to look out for by Complex Magazine, Scotty is looking to dominate the rap game. He hopes the release of his latest project will silence those who once doubted the capability of Southern rappers.

Born and raised in the city, Scotty first dove into the rap game in middle school. A side hobby he picked up with a childhood friend soon caught the ear of others throughout the neighborhood and motivated the young lyricist to pursue a rap career.

It was on the video set of Jame$' "All Gold Everything" that Scotty became an advocate for the new wave of music being produced in Atlanta. The two rappers began supporting one another's projects and the movement took off from there.

"We all just started to support each other," said Scotty. "We started promoting for each other online and going to each other's shows and I just remember us all getting together and saying we are the new Atlanta."

For years, Atlanta has been at the forefront of urban culture, especially hip hop.

The A saturated the market in 2006 when rappers like Soulja Boy and Dem Franchize Boyz hit the scene. Repetitive lyrics and simple dance moves made snap music, as it was known, irresistible to the masses. Then rappers like Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy cultivated a grittier genre of Atlanta sound known as trap music.

The music was popular, but Atlanta received heavy scrutiny for the raunchy club anthems and bass driven street rap that became synonymous with the city.

"For a minute, Atlanta was getting a bad rap for the music that was coming out," said Scotty. "I used to get real frustrated listening to the radio. Artists weren't really giving what the Atlanta foundation of music was and it would be embarrassing to go to other places and have people talking about the South, saying that we couldn't rap and not really being good at the craft."

Apart from Outkast, the city seemed unable to gain and keep national attention on artists who didn't fit the mold. New Atlanta is the city's attempt to be more inclusive and step away from what is expected.

"Everything started to sound the same," said Lord Kipp, an Atlanta producer who has worked with newcomers like Rich Homie Quan and Migos. "Everyone was talking about the same things and there was a lot of unfriendly competition going on."

Scotty admits that the negative response to Atlanta music encouraged him to tap into more lyrical Southern rap, back to the roots of "Southern funk, slang rap" that was created by Outkast and Goodie Mob. He chose to create more thought provoking music rather than strip club anthems.

Mellow and smooth, the rapper makes what he calls "timeless music" that combines feel-good vibes with a Southern draw and the realism of his life struggles. He's been compared to the likes of Outkast, Goodie Mob and T.I. His music has a classic Southern feel that makes listeners want to drop the top on their old school Chevy on a hot August night.

This new scene of Atlanta music consists of rappers, DJs, singers and producers who are dedicated to spreading a positive energy of unity and creativity through music.

"I think it's cool to see all of these new, young rappers coming together to support one another and put out good music," said King Jamez, an upcoming rapper from North Carolina who moved to Atlanta to attend Clark Atlanta University and pursue a rap career. "Atlanta already has such a big influence on the music scene so to have these artists working together and doing something positive is a great thing."

Social media is currently playing a major role in the rapid growth of the New Atlanta movement.  Twitter, Instagram and other social media site have been lit up with the hastag #NewAtlanta within the last few months.

Eyes are now on Scotty and the young MC will be expected to deliver. A listening party for his FAITH mixtape will be held on April 23 at Stankonia Studios. The event will begin at 8pm.

Scotty is also performing on April 25 at the Masquerade with Starlito and Don Trip. The performance begins at 9pm and general admission is $15.

‘Love and Hip-Hop’ Creator Mona Scott-Young Overcomes Backlash

(AP) — Mona Scott-Young used to wake up in cold sweat at night, wondering if she made the right decision to leave her list of high-profile hip-hop clients to branch off and create reality television shows.

Governor Deal to Keynote at 100 Black Men of Atlanta Benefit Luncheon

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal will be the keynote speaker at 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc.'s Annual Stakeholders & Community Briefing, Wednesday, April 24, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

The luncheon, presented by The Coca-Cola Company, will begin at 11:30 a.m. and spotlight the achievements of the students of the organization's community initiative, "Project Success."

At the event, 100 Black Men of Atlanta Chairman Gregory L. Hawkins, C.E.O. SOAR Hospitality Group, LLC, will pass the gavel to the 15th chairman of the board, Henry A. Kelly, CPA, project executive, Georgia Power Company.

Also participating on program will be, Craig A.Williams, vice president, North America, The McDonald's Division, The Coca-Cola Company; Jason A. Julien, Stinson, Morrison Hecker, LLP, Project Success Phase III Alumnus; the Rev. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church; Kathleen Bertrand, senior V.P. Community and Government Affairs, Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Atlanta City Council President Ceasar C.Mitchell, Esq.

"This year our theme is 'The Power of One,'" said John T. Grant Jr., CEO of 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc. "We are celebrating the accomplishments of the first graduating class of eight in Project Success Phase IV, and we believe the support of just one individual can make a huge difference in the lives of each our youth."

Alexander Greene, Phase IV, college freshman at Stetson University, noted: "This program has helped me understand school better and has taught me life skills that will help once I graduate. Growing up without a father consistently present was taking a toll on my life.

Through this program I found allies and positive role models who gave me opportunities I never would have imagined. Now I understand the power that I hold over my destiny and how I can contribute to the change I want to see in my neighborhood."

Those in attendance will include corporate and non-profit community leaders, officials from city, county and state governments and members of the 100. Tickets are available at $85 each or $850 for a table of 10 and can be purchased online at www.100blackmen-atlanta.org or by calling 404-525-6220.

Proceeds will benefit the Project Success Scholarship Fund, which allows individuals to contribute directly to support the post-secondary expenses of students.

Project Success 100 Scholars Phase IV College Graduates to be recognized at the luncheon are:

DeMarcus Acree, Clayton State University; Dewitt Harris, University of West Georgia; Naomi Jean-Pierre, Howard University; Shanquesia Jones, Johnson & Wales University; Muhammad Lucious, Bethune Cookman University; Brenton McCullough, Atlanta Metropolitan College; Jasmine Moore, Howard University; Douglas Peters, Georgia Southern University; Jamal Releford, University of Georgia; Lesha Simpson, Georgia State University; Antonika Souder, Agnes Scott College; Patrick Lai-Fang, Kenneth Perry Jr., and Malcolm Perry, College of Wooster.

Honorary event chairmen are Michael K. Anderson, president and CEO, Georgia Power Foundation Inc., Nathaniel R. Goldston III, chairman and CEO, Gourmet Services Inc. and Milton J. Little Jr., President, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta.

(Photo: Henry Kelly of Georgia Power is installed as new chairman of the 100 Black Men Of Atlanta.)