Monday, September 30, 2019

NOBLE: Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC)

Dear Valued NOBLE Members,
 
The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) is very pleased to join the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and others in delivering Collaborative Reform Initiative technical assistance to law enforcement agencies across the nation.   

The Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) provides free, customized technical assistance solutions designed to meet the unique needs of state, local, tribal, and campus communities throughout the United States.
  • Tailored, scalable solutions
  • Informed by cutting-edge innovation and evidence-based and promising practices
  • Designed in a collaborative manner with the agency
  • Designed in a collaborative manner with the agency
  • Delivered by subject matter experts from the field
  • No cost to the requesting agency. 
Support and guidance for the field, by the field.  NOBLE's participation includes providing Subject Matter Experts (SME's) to speak on a variety of topics.  Here is a list of topics that we cover through CRI-TAC:
  • Active Shooter Response
  • At-Risk Youth
  • Community Policing/Engagement
  • Crime Analysis
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Data Tracking
  • De-escalation
  • Domestic Violence
  • Drug Crime
  • Gangs
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Gun Violence Reduction and Prevention
  • Human Trafficking
  • Intelligence and Information Sharing
  • Juvenile Justice
  • Mass Casualty Response
  • Mass Demonstration Response
  • Officer Safety and Wellness
  • Partnerships - Prosecution
  • Partnerships - Public Sector
  • Partnerships - Private Sector
  • Policies/Procedures
  • Proactive Policing
  • Schools
  • Shared Service Models
  • Violent Crime
As always, your help and support is greatly appreciated.
 
Cerelyn J. Davis
National President
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) 

Cherwell.org: W. G. Still: The Forgotten American Tchaikovsky

William Grant Still (1895-1978)


Student Newspaper of Oxford University

30th September 2019

By Kurien Parel

Even the most enthusiastic classical music listeners probably have never come across the composer William Grant Still, who was at one time considered among America’s leading composers. A Time cover story in 1940 on Disney’s rendition of the Rite of Spring casually lists Still in the same category as Hindemith and Prokofiev.

According to The Cambridge History of American Music, “No composer plummeted from authentic prominence to an eclipse more total than endured by William Grant Still.”

Referred to by some as “the Dean of Afro-American composers”, was arguably America’s most successful symphonist of his time. His first symphony (1930) was performed by 38 different orchestras in its first 20 years, making it, according to musicologist Edith Borroff, the most popular American symphony until the 1950s. On being shown a recording of the symphony, Sibelius simply remarked: “He has something to say.”

It was therefore not surprising that Still was awarded a commission by the League of Composers for a piece on a patriotic theme during World War II. According to Still, his “thoughts turned to the colored soldiers around the world.” Still himself had served in World War I in the US Navy and would have been cognisant of the particular challenges faced by black soldiers.

He titled his piece ‘In Memoriam, the Colored Soldiers who Died for Democracy’ emphasising the often-overlooked sacrifices of non-white soldiers in the war. The piece is solemn and is based on a black spiritual theme with a fanfare – a blend of Afro-American music with European classical idiom. The piece is not convolute but is, as Olin Downes of the New York Times reviewed it, “with simplicity and feeling”.

The US army at this time was segregated, with black soldiers relegated predominantly to menial roles and inferior facilities, subject to daily slights and injustices. Black American soldiers were at times even required to give up their seats to Nazi prisoners. Still would have been aware of the irony of black soldiers fighting and dying for the ideal of democracy when they themselves were denied basic freedoms. Like much of his music, the purpose of this piece was to dignify the marginalised.

The “In Memoriam” piece was premiered by the New York Philharmonic in 1944 to much critical acclaim. A review in the New Yorker called it “one of the most successful works on war themes commissioned by the League of Composers”. John Briggs of the New York Post wrote: “Mr. Still may well become the American Tchaikovsky.”

Statement Regarding the Passing of International Opera Star Jessye Norman

Jessye Norman

(New York, NY -- September 30, 2019) -- It is with deep sadness and sorrow that we announce the passing of international opera star Jessye Norman, in a statement issued by Norman’s family through the family’s spokesperson, Gwendolyn Quinn.
 
Norman, 74 years old, passed away today, Monday, September 30, 2019, at 7:54 a.m. ET at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital in New York, NY, where she was surrounded by loved ones. The official cause of death was septic shock and multi-organ failure secondary to complications of a spinal cord injury she had sustained in 2015.
 
Norman was the eldest of two remaining siblings, James Norman and Elaine Sturkey, from a total of five children. “We are so proud of Jessye’s musical achievements and the inspiration that she provided to audiences around the world that will continue to be a source of joy. We are equally proud of her humanitarian endeavors addressing matters such as hunger, homelessness, youth development, and arts and culture education.”
 
Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

BroadwayWorld.com: Handel and Haydn Society to Honor the Diversity...

Dr. Zanaida Robles

Broadway World Boston

September 27, 2019

Handel and Haydn Society to Honor the Diversity of its Community with EVERY VOICE

Members of the Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra and Chorus will lift their voices to celebrate the diverse communities that make up the city of Boston at the Every Voice concert for peace and justice. Presented in partnership with the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry and Union United Methodist Church, the free performances will take place at the First Church in Roxbury at 3pm on Saturday, November 2 and at the Union United Methodist Church in the South End at 3pm on Sunday, November 3.

"Music has always had the ability to shine a light on the issues of our times, allowing us to celebrate the positives and reflect on the challenges," said David Snead, President and CEO of the Handel and Haydn Society. "We are thrilled to partner with the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry and Union United Methodist Church, to celebrate the voices of the Jewish and Black communities of Boston, in a moving and joyous performance designed to showcase the healing and unifying power of music."


Every Voice will feature works created by Black and Jewish musicians, including compositions by Harry T Burleigh, an African American composer, arranger, and baritone soloist; Joseph Bolougne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a champion fencer, classical composer, virtuoso violinist, and conductor of the leading symphony orchestra in Paris who was the son of a wealthy married planter and an African slave; Abraham Caceres, a Portuguese-Dutch Jewish composer of the late Baroque period; Giacobbe Cervetto, and Anglo-Italian Baroque musician of Jewish descent and his son, James Cervetto; Bobby McFerrin, a Grammy Award-winning American jazz vocalist and composer; Allan Naplan, composer and executive director of the Arizona MusicFest; Zanaida Robles, conductor, composer, educator, vocalist, and fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion in music education and performance; Salamone Rossi, an Italian/Jewish composer of the late Renaissance/early Baroque period; Ignatius Sancho, a British composer of African descent; and Jonathan Woody, whose new work Nigra Sum Sed Formosa had its world premiere by the Handel and Haydn Society with Castle of Our Skins in April 2019.

TNTribune.com: 2019 Colour of Music Festival “Petit” Nashville Début Nov. 6-9

Anyango Yarbo-Davenport


September 26, 2019

NASHVILLE, TN — The Colour of Music Festival announces the Nashville, TN début of Colour of Music Festival ‘Petit’ November 6-9, 2019 at multiple noted venues throughout downtown Nashville, a five-day festival featuring black classical artists and scholars from France, Britain, Colombia, the Caribbean, and the United States performing organ, piano, vocal, chamber and orchestral works showcasing the impact and historical significance of black classical composers and performers on American and world culture.

Since 2013, the Colour of Music Festival has brought classically trained black musicians together to offer the public an opportunity to experience the talent of prodigiously gifted classical principals, composers, and performers of African descent share their musical talents, knowledge, and inspiration.

Few classical music enthusiasts are aware of the tremendous contributions of Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, an African-French composer, and contemporary of Mozart, whose opera and classical masterpieces equaled or far exceeded those of his 18th century contemporaries. Though highly recognized overseas, his contributions have gathered little notice in the U.S. Today thousands of tremendously talented black classical principals, composers, and performers have few opportunities to grace concert stages of major American orchestras.


Maestro Chelsea Tipton, II will serve as guest conductor to lead the Masterwork performance and Anyango Yarbo-Davenport will lead an all-female Colour of Music Festival Virtuosi.

John Malveaux: Wikipedia.org: Rosenwald Schools were built for African-Americans


John Malveaux of 
writes:

Happy Roshanah 
I salute the Jewish philanthropist Julius Rosenwald.  "Rosenwald School was any of the more than five thousand schools, shops, and teacher homes in the United States that were built primarily for the education of African-American children in the South during the early twentieth century. The project was the product of the partnership of Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish-American clothier who became part-owner and president of Sears, Roebuck and Company and the African American leader, educator, and philanthropist, Booker T. Washington, who was president of Tuskegee Institute."  (Wikipedia.org)

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Eric Conway: Opening Night at Theatre Morgan!














Dr. Eric Conway writes:

Last night, Theatre Morgan opened their 2019-2020 Season with Tennessee Williams’ first success: THE GLASS MENAGERIE. This is an opportunity for Morgan’s enthusiastic Theatre community to truly enjoy a great American classic. I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed the production — from start to finish.

The story itself is so very engaging. Set during the years of The Depression - a time when families depended on each other just to make it through the day. The dialogue is as witty as it is poignant. I have not seen The Glass Menagerie in over twenty-five years. The entire evening was somewhat nostalgic for me to see again. Theatre Arts faculty member Reginald Phoenix gave clear direction to his cast members who each made their respective characters come alive. This is simply good theatre!

If you get the opportunity, please come out and support Theatre Morgan and the Fine and Performing Arts Department.

See attached some photos from the show as well as the flyer again for specific showtimes.

EC
--
We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle
***************************
Eric Conway, D.M.A.
Fine and Performing Arts Department, Chair
Morgan State University

John Malveaux: Distinguished speaker series at CSU-DH featuring Dr. Cornel West


John Malveaux of 
writes:

September 27, 2019 attended Dymally Institute distinguished speaker series at CSU-Dominguez Hill featuring Dr. Cornel West. Dr. West continued his criticism of President Obama by pronouncing NOT ONE Wall street banker went to jail doing the 8 years of the Obama administration. I am not sure about Dr. West political analysis, but i am sure of his insight into music. A fundamental understanding of Dr. West perspective on humanity and finding your purpose in life is found in spoken words on jazz recordings of "Choices" and "Hannibal" by composer/trumpeter Terence Howard.  Five-Time Grammy award winner Terence Blanchard was recently selected as the first Black composer at the Metropolitan Opera in 136 years for music of “Fire Shut Up in My Bones”. See pic of Dr. Thomas Parham, CSU Dominguez Hill University President, Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Anthony Samad (Mervyn Dymally Institute Executive Director), Christian Jackson (President ASI student government)

Friday, September 27, 2019

The American Black Film Festival Announces 2020 Dates and Opens Submissions


THE AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2020 DATES AND CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS 
 
ABFF Returns to Miami Beach June 17-21, 2020 with Presenting Sponsor, The Greater Miami Conventions & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB)
 
Los Angeles, CA, September 27, 2019 – The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) announced its 24th annual Festival will return to Miami June 17-21, 2020. Since its inception in 1997, ABFF has been a platform for emerging artists and a pipeline for showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Submissions for the 2020 Festival are now open in four categories: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Web Series, World Showcase and Social Impact Showcase. Winners will be awarded at the Festival’s Best of ABFF Awards presentation on Saturday, June 20.

ABFF will continue its tradition of curating a program that unites storytellers of color, as well as creating unique experiences for attendees with more than seventy events including celebrity conversations, panels, master classes, spotlight screenings, community partnerships and hospitality lounges. Filmmakers also have the opportunity to connect with some of the most influential film and television professionals in the industry during the five-day event.  

The American Black Film Festival has been helmed a “top Festival” by reputable media outlets, including One of the Coolest Festivals in the World by MovieMake Magazine10 Best Film Festivals by USA TodayTop 100 Events in Miami by BizBash Magazine and One of the Best Events Around the World by PROHBTD. The Festival’s dynamic program continues to evolve and next year, it will expand to include the John Singleton Award for Best First Feature Film, one of ABFF founding advisory board members; and “ABFF Fit,” the Festival’s new health and wellness initiative.

The 2019 Festival featured a slate of diverse films including: Jury Award winner for Best Director and Best Narrative Feature “Jezebel” written and directed by Numa Perrier; Audience Award winner for Best Narrative Feature “All In,” directed by Ibrahim Yilla and produced by Kia Freeman, Gregory Freeman, Tressa Azarel Smallwood, and Audrea Topps-Harjo;  Jury Award winner for Best Web Series “Little Apple” written and directed by Riley S. Wilson; Jury Award winner for Best Screenplay “Strive,” written by Piper Dellums and Sha-Risse Smith; and Jury Award winner for Best Documentary “One Child Left Behind: The Untold Atlanta Cheating Scandal,” directed by Jodi Gomes. 
 
In 2020, participants will compete for the following awards:
 
Jury Award - Best Narrative Feature  
Jury Award - Best Director, Narrative Feature 
Jury Award - Best Screenplay, Narrative Feature     
Jury Award - Best Actor, Narrative Feature              
John Singleton Award - Best First Feature
Jury Award - Best Documentary Film
Jury Award - Best Web Series

Submission deadline information below:  
 
Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature
Early Submission Deadline                              December 31, 2019
Regular Submission Deadline                          February 1, 2020
 
Web Series
Regular Submission Deadline                          January 31, 2020
 
World Showcase and Social Impact Showcase
Regular Submission Deadline                          January 24, 2020 
 
For complete submission criteria and eligibility, visit www.abff.com/submissions.  Festival passes are also on sale now at www.abff.com.

ABFF SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter              @ABFF
Facebook          American Black Film Festival
Instagram         @AmericanBlackFilmFestival
YouTube           American Black Film Festival
Hashtags           #ABFF20, #WeAreABFF
 

ABOUT ABFF: 
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to empowering black artists and showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Committed to the belief that diverse artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, ABFF founder & CEO Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to strengthen the black filmmaking community by encouraging resource sharing, education and artistic collaboration. He ultimately envisioned it as a cornerstone of diversity in Hollywood. Since its inception, the ABFF has been a platform for emerging black artists, having premiered the early work and showcasing the talent of many of today’s most successful actors, producers, writers, directors and stand-up comedians. Today, the festival is the pre-eminent pipeline for black artists in front of and behind the camera and has significantly expanded the range of talent working in Hollywood. For more information, please visit http://www.abff.com/.

Larry Irving first African American to be inducted into Internet Hall of Fame

Larry Irving
(Jared Soares)

Irving recognized by the Internet Society for his pioneering work identifying and addressing the digital divide 

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA – September 27, 2019 – Today, Larry Irving becomes the first African American to be part of the elite ranks of notable individuals inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame. He joins internet luminaries, such as Vint Cerf, Marc Andreessen and Tim Berners-Lee, honored for their significant contributions to the advancement of the global internet. The Internet Hall of Fame is inducting Irving, who is widely credited with coining the term “digital divide”, for his impact on increasing internet access among unserved and underserved populations. The digital divide has been and continues to be referenced by virtually every governmental, corporate, philanthropic and non-profit organizations across the planet that is concerned about increasing access to the internet and improving user competence in navigating the web.

Irving served for almost seven years as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), where he was a principal advisor to President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown on domestic and international telecommunications and information technology issues. 

“Focus on the digital divide unquestionably has contributed to the growth and development of the internet as new and diverse populations have come online because of efforts to bridge the divide,” commented Chris Lewis, President and CEO at Public Knowledge. “The reports Larry commissioned as NTIA Administrator were the first, and remain some of the most notable and impactful, analyses of consumer access to the internet. In his introduction to a 1999 report, Larry was among the first to note that ‘[t]he divide between those with access to new technologies and those without is now one of America's leading economic and civil rights issues.’ That formulation has been repeated numerous times by others in the intervening two decades both inside and outside the United States, and it laid a foundation for examining emerging technologies, specifically algorithmic decision-making and artificial intelligence.”

Clayton Banks, Co-Founder and CEO of Silicon Harlem, noted, “Certainly others in the Clinton-Gore administration did important work, but Larry was the most visible and effective administration official, other than Al Gore, in developing and communicating internet policies. Larry led the focus on the digital divide and has remained steadfast in his concern about the issue and the impact of lack of connectivity for half the planet’s population for the past quarter century.”

Irving was a member of the Obama-Biden transition team in 2008-2009 and was one of the architects of that administration’s early technology initiatives, including their broadband technology initiative (BTOP) that focused on connecting community anchor institutions to broadband networks to assist consumer access and connectivity. He also helped craft the Obama-Biden administration's broadband “mapping” strategy, designed to determine the presence and quality of broadband in discrete communities, particularly in rural and exurban communities.

After leaving government, Irving assisted and consulted with tech companies seeking to address the digital divide, including working with AOL to develop strategies for increasing online subscribership among minority audiences. He also assisted Cisco open markets in Bulgaria and Romania by crafting programs in conjunction with the U.S. Embassies and Ambassadors to discuss the importance of internet connectivity. Additionally, Irving worked with the Global Internet Policy Initiative (GIPI) and assisted the program’s efforts to bridge the digital divide, including by aiding their work in India.

For his enduring efforts to help close the digital divide, Irving was:
·        Presented with the James Madison Award, the American Library Association’s highest honor
·        Honored by minority and civil rights groups:
·        Congressional Black Caucus Technology Champion
·        Minority Media Telecommunications Council Everett Parker Award
·        National Association of Minorities in Communications Mickey Leland Humanitarian Award
·        Rainbow Push Coalition Trailblazer Award
·        Honored by community organizations: 
·        Silicon Harlem Charles B. Rangel Award
·        Indigenous Broadcast Center of Anchorage, Alaska
·        Honored by the consumer advocacy group Alliance for Public Technology with the Susan Hadden Award 
·        Honored by the National Association of Telecommunications Professionals
·        Named one of the “50 most influential people in the year of the Internet” (1995) by Newsweek Magazine, which dubbed Irving “the Net’s Conscience”

Irving was born in a public housing project in Brooklyn, NY, raised in a working-class family in Queens, NY, and earned an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, as well as a law degree from Stanford University.

Larry Irving will be honored at the Internet Hall of Fame 2019 Induction Ceremony on September 27, 2019 in San Jose, Costa Rica. The ceremony can be viewed via livestream:  https://livestream.com/internetsociety/ihof2019. More details on the 2019 Internet Hall of Fame inductees, including their biographies and photos, can be found at www.internethalloffame.org. You can follow the Internet Hall of Fame on Facebook and on Twitter at @Internet_HOF (#ihof2019).

# # #

About the Irving Group
The Irving Group is a consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., providing strategic advice and assistance to international telecommunications and information technology companies, foundations and non-profit organizations. Larry Irving launched the company in October 1999.

About the Internet Hall of Fame
The Internet Hall of Fame (www.internethalloffame.org) is a recognition program and virtual museum that celebrates the living history of the internet and the individuals whose extraordinary contributions have made the internet, its worldwide availability and use, and its transformative nature, possible. The Internet Hall of Fame was launched by the Internet Society in 2012.

For more information, contact:
Gabriella Brotherton
302-304-0034

Lara Downes: "For Love of You" is #1 on Billboard Classical Chart!



Lara Downes writes that her new CD For Love of You: Clara and Robert Schumann is Billboards's #1 Traditional Classical Album for the week of September 28, 2019.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Chicago Sinfonietta: See It Live---Beethoven's Most Famous Work Oct. 5 & 7




LIMITED SPACE LEFT!

Our Associate Board's signature season-opening fundraiser is coming up soon! Join us pre-concert for a reception of "earthly" delights, including take-home "seed bombs" from Plant Chicago, a rare plant installation from Plantier, and much more! Plus, enter our raffle to win roundtrip tickets from Southwest Airlines!

Blackpast.org: Please Join Us at our Reception Fundraiser in Seattle Oct. 26, 4 PM


Adolf Badin

You are invited to spend a Saturday afternoon with BlackPast

At the Swedish Club
1920 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Saturday, October 26, 2019
From 4:00 PM until 6:30 PM
Reception, Hors d’oeuvres & Presentation
 Master of Ceremonies,
KING-5’S JOYCE TAYLOR
Speaker
ORLANDO ASHFORD
on the subject of
“My International Journey”
 Ticket per person $100.00
Purchase tickets at Eventbrite.com
If you cannot attend, please donate at BlackPast.org/donate.
Pictured: ADOLF BADIN who served as an advisor to four Swedish monarchs from 1768 to 1818. Learn more about Badin at the reception or at BlackPast.org.


Our Contact Information
Blackpast.org
4616 25th Ave NE
Box 222

Seattle, WA 98105
206-985-8553

Eric Conway: Theatre Morgan opens with Glass Menagerie Fri., Sept. 27, 2019, 7:30 PM!



Dr. Eric Conway writes:

Hello All,

I am excited to share with you Theatre Morgan’s first production of the season:  Tennessee Williams' most popular play, The Glass Menagerie.   Williams' play has been critically reviewed and awarded over the years, representing the best that American playwrights have to offer.  The play is directed by Theatre Arts faculty member, Reginald Phoenix.  If you are available, please try to attend one of the eight performances planned - see flyer attached with all performances listed.  Hope to see you at the theatre!

Eric
--
We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle
***************************
Eric Conway, D.M.A.
Fine and Performing Arts Department, Chair
Morgan State University

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

ChicagoPhilharmonic.org: Chicago Phil Chamber at City Winery presents Queens of Jazz

Adrienne Walker

Chicago Philharmonic

Sunday, October 27, 2019, noon

City Winery Chicago (1200 W Randolph)

Adrienne Walker soprano
Carmen Kassinger violin
Lisa Fako violin
Monica Reilly viola
Margaret Daly cello

Enjoy an unforgettable brunch experience with Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Sarah Vaughan and the great ladies of jazz thanks to irreverent flair of the Chicago Phil Chamber musicians and the elegant style of soprano Adrienne Walker.

Walker makes her triumphant return to Chicago from her starring role as Nala in Broadway’s The Lion King to join the string quartet in bringing to life classic standards from a golden age. Revel the timeless songs of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Same Cooke, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington and more, as well as Ravel’s ravishing, jazz-influenced String Quartet.


Performance time approximately 1 hour

Spector Travel Nominated by USA Today as Nation’s Best Ancestry/Genealogy Tour Operator


Spector Travel has been nominated by USA Today as one of the nation's best Ancestry/Genealogy Tour Operators . 

WE NEED YOUR VOTE!

Voting starts today Sept. 23, 2019. You can vote daily until the polls close on Oct 20, 2019. We are so grateful for everyone's support, please go vote for us today!

Jeremiah Lawson: Ricardo Gallen records complete Sonatas of Leo Brouwer on IBS

Leo Brouwer

Leo Brouwer Guitar Sonatas
Ricardo Gallen
IBS Classics

Jeremiah Lawson writes:

I only found out about this in the last month or so and wanted to pass it along, since I love Brouwer's work.  It's only just been released in the last few months.   



This is a big deal release for classical guitarists because so far as I can tell no one has recorded all of Brouwer's guitar sonatas like this before.  It's a gorgeous recording.