WI Web Staff
Nai-Ni Chen, Ahn Trio at Publick Playhouse
Monday, 13 May 2013 15:30 Published in Arts & Entertainment
CHEVERLY, MD— Fusing modern dance with ancient traditions, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company and the Ahn Trio perform the DC-area premiere of "Temptation of the Muses" at the Prince George's Publick Playhouse for the Performing Arts at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 18.
Created and choreographed by Nai-Ni Chen as a collaborative effort with hot composer Kenji Bunch and the stunning young Ahn Trio, the work was inspired by Latif Nazemi's poem that begins, "Let's kiss water, the root of civilization, a word for freedom."
"Temptation" is an electric ballet of contemporary artistry, where the dancers and musicians interact onstage throughout the performance. Brunch describes it as a "struggle for the existence of fluidity and natural beauty in an urban, industrial context."
Nai-Ni Chen is an innovative choreographer and artistic director who uses dance to "find ways to express the dynamic spirit of our changing world." Originally from China, she was a renowned traditional dancer with the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre in Taiwan, from which she also served as a touring cultural ambassador for China. She came to America to seek her own voice in contemporary dance, and her award-winning company based in suburban New York is in its 25th season and has earned global acclaim.
The Ahn Trio is standing chamber music on its head and earning worldwide praise for performances of commissioned works by cutting-edge composers. Comprised of Lucia on piano, Angella on violin, and Maria on cello, The New York Times said the three sisters "have evidently decided to give their aged medium, the piano trio, a kick into the [21st] century". Born in Seoul, Korea, the Ahns were raised in New York and educated at Juilliard.
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company with the Ahn Trio
"Temptation of the Muses" area premiere
Saturday, May 18, 8 pm
Tickets: $20 - $25
Nai-Ni Chen Lecture/Demo
Friday, May 17, 10:15am and 12 noon
Tickets: $5
Nai-Ni Chen Master Class
Saturday, May 18, 10 am
For teachers and advanced students
Class fee: $15
Prince George's Publick Playhouse for the Performing Arts is located at 5445 Landover Road in Cheverly
Box office: 301-277-1710; 301-277-0312 tty
For more information contact Playhouse Assistant Director Jenna Ward, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text45417 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 301-277-1711
The Cleveland, Ohio, man who has become a hero in the rescue of three young women who were held captive for 10 years, visited Ben's Chili Bowl Friday night.
Charles Ramsey, the neighbor who helped free the women -- Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight – who'd been held hostage for a decade by Ariel Castro, was in the District this past weekend to appear on the Rock Newman Show.
A video of Ramsey being interviewed on May 6 after the rescue, has gone viral and inspired mash-up music videos on youtube.com.
"She (Berry) said get me out of here. Who are you? Hurry up...he might be coming back," Ramsey recounted on the Rock Newman Show.
Castro now faces multiple kidnapping and rape charges, and if convicted, could face life in prison.
(Source: WJLA)
Lamell McMorris Named NDAC Chair of the American Red Cross
Saturday, 11 May 2013 20:51 Published in Business
On May 9 human rights activist and public affairs expert Lamell McMorris was appointed Chairman of the National Diversity Advisory Council (NDAC) of the American Red Cross.
Recommended by NDAC Sr. Vice President Floyd W. Pitts, McMoriss was selected for a one-year term.
McMorris is founder and CEO of Perennial Strategy Group, an advisory firm providing government relations and public affairs services to Fortune 500 companies, national non-profits, trade associations, and public-sector clients on a wide range of public-policy issues and corporate matters.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Lamell’s caliber appointed as our new Council Chairperson because he brings to our efforts substantial expertise in working with non-profits and a history of forward thinking,” said Pitts.
McMorris, enthusiastic about his new role said, “My task is to serve as a bridge, to help Pitts in his efforts to connect principles of diversity and inclusion to the mission and business objectives of the American Red Cross.”
Police in Mexico City, Mexico, are investigating the death of Malcolm Shabazz, the grandson of civil rights activist Malcolm X, as a homicide.
Shabazz, 29, died Thursday morning in a Mexico City hospital after suffering an apparent beating, according to a police report.
CNN reported that authorities were called to the scene of an injured man at 3:30 a.m. Thursday one block south of Plaza Garibaldi, a rough but famous patch of Mexico City known for its mariachis.
Shabazz, who reportedly had been trying to turn his life around, was transported to Mexico City's Balbuena General Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
"He's really just a youngster, a very young man who was just struggling to get his life moving on a forward-looking track," said Abdur-Rashid. "He was always concerned about forging his own path. I'm just sad that things turned out the way they did."
"To all who knew him, he offered kindness, encouragement and hope for a better tomorrow," the Shabazz family said in a statement Friday. "Although his bright light and boundless potential are gone from this life, we are grateful that he now rests in peace in the arms of his grandparents and the safety of God."
"I was saddened, stunned, shocked, to read about the murder of young Malcolm," former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who had taken Shabazz under her wing and with whom he had traveled on a trip to Libya.
"Many of my closest associates have personal memories of their time with him and of his efforts to reach out to them for help," McKinney said. "He was writing a book."
Shabazz is survived by his three year old daughter, Ilyasah, his mother, Qubilah, and his closest aunt, Ilyasah, among others.
Shabazz was living with his grandmother Betty Shabazz, when he set fire to her Yonkers, N.Y. home in 1997. Mrs. Shabazz died from severe burns caused by the fire. Shabazz was just 12-years-old at the time. He eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter and arson and was sentenced to 18 months in a juvenile detention facility.
(Sources: CNN, Newsone)
Thanks for the Positive Coverage!
As a resident of Prince George's County I would like to thank The Washington Informer Newspaper for the coverage of events in and around our county. For years, I've read about the positive events taking place in the District of Columbia in The Informer, and now you are bringing residents of Prince George's County some of that same positive and inspiring news, as well.
I know there's a lot of work to be done in our county, but there are also a lot of good things taking place and they are things we can feel good about. Our county has made great strides over the past few years and if we continue to work hard and keep a positive attitude about ourselves, I think Prince George's County can be the best county in the state of Maryland.
Samuel K. McKnight
Fort Washington, Md.
A Simple Solution to the Redskins Controversy
I loved the photograph of RG III on the front-page of the May 2, 2013 edition. I'm a lifelong Washington Redskins fan and I can't wait for the season to begin. With that having been said, I'd like to add my two cents regarding the ongoing controversy about changing the name of the team.
When I attended the last Super Bowl the Skins were in, 1991, Skins versus the Bills in Minnesota, I noticed a group of Native Americans protesting the name of the team outside the stadium. At first, I didn't see anything wrong, but now I completely understand the Native Americans' objection.
So here is my solution: change the name to the "Washington Warriors" that way we can keep the native American symbols and the fight song, and of course, the burgundy and gold. During the football season if you made a chart of my blood pumping through my body, instead of the colors red and blue, mine would be burgundy and gold!
Johnny Walton
Oxon Hill, Md.
On Sunday, May 12, mothers will be celebrated for their hard work spent raising their children – and some who are not their own – as well as for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of their families. Motherhood is often considered a thankless job, but on Mother's Day, the cards and flowers, and kisses and hugs will contain heartfelt expressions of appreciation for what mothers have done for the ones they love.
Mother's Day is nearly a 100-year-old tradition in the U.S., and it is also celebrated in other parts of the world.
The concept of Mother's Day in the U.S. is said to have been initiated by the author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, Julia Ward Howe, who wanted mothers to come together to protest the killing of their sons who were engaged in the Civil War, and to call for peace.
Over the years, other women adopted Mother's Day-style celebrations, but it wasn't until 1914 when Woodrow Wilson signed into law the national observance, that the second Sunday in May was officially declared Mother's Day.
We want to take time to honor mothers and to express a special word of encouragement to those whose children were lost to senseless violence on our streets, in their schools and in their homes. Bringing a child into the world is most often a joyous occasion, but a mother's job of raising, caring and worrying about her children never ends -- it lasts a lifetime.
Like every U.S. holiday, the economic factors end up making them highly commercialized events. Mother's Day is one of those holidays that reap big bucks for retailers. Gifts are great and many mothers deserve the world if it could be given to them.
But what most mothers' want is quality time and words that simply say "Thank you for being my Mom." That means a whole lot.
Happy Mother's Day.
The nine-story Rana Plaza factory building in Bangladesh that housed nearly 3,000 garment workers collapsed last week making it the worst industrial accident to occur in the South Asian country ever. Over 500 workers are dead and the death toll continues to climb as rescuers work feverishly to aid the hundreds of injured and remove the bodies of others buried beneath the concrete rubbish.
There seems to be enough blame to go around in what has become the country's third garment district tragedy in the last six months. Just five months ago, 112 workers were killed in a garment factory fire. The incident led to more promises that improved safety standards would be followed or licenses would be pulled from factory owners who failed to comply.
Yet, in this most recent tragedy, there seems to be enough blame to go around to those who were clearly more concerned about financial gain over the loss of human capital. Fingers are being pointed at the building's owner and engineers who reportedly were aware of the dangerous structural conditions existing in the factory but failed to act. The mayor, who gave short shrift to the severity of the accident, was suspended while the government seeks to fend off accusations that its failure to enforce stricter safety standards played a part in the recent accident
None of the punitive actions, however, will replace the lives of mothers, fathers and possibly children who worked under these unsafe and onerous conditions just to eke out a living in a country where wages are the lowest in the world. And who's benefitting from their labor? Consumers in Europe and the U.S. who purchase clothing from retailers that produce their products in Bangladesh factories.
An article in The Guardian reported: "About 3.6 million people work in Bangladesh's garment industry, making it the world's second-largest clothing exporter after China. Some earn just $38 a month, conditions Pope Francis on Wednesday likened to slave labour."
This is yet another case that calls for greater action among U.S. workers to demand equitable pay and safety protections for all low-wage workers around the world. And, U.S. companies that manufacture products in Bangladesh, as well as other small countries, must stop giving lip service but push government to apply sanctions to those persons and countries that continue to exploit their workers.
Books that Promote Spiritual, Mental, Physical Well-Being
Thursday, 09 May 2013 20:30 Published in Health
BLESSED HEALTH
By Dr. Melody McCloud and Angela Ebron
Blessed Health offers African-American women the medical information and inspirational motivation they need to achieve total health -- a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Many Black women will go to church all day every Sunday but won't take one day out of the year to get a Pap test and mammogram done. Dr. Melody McCloud and Angela Ebron urge women not to wait until a health emergency happens before turning to their faith and their physicians. You can achieve optimal health by arming yourself with medical knowledge and a strong spiritual base. Research has proven that a well-nurtured spiritual self can help to replenish, rejuvenate, and safeguard your physical self.
FAITH, HEALTH, and HEALING IN AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE
Edited by Stephanie Y. Mitchem, Emilie M. Townes
This book offers a better understanding of the varieties of religiously-based approaches to healing and alternative models of healing and health found in Black communities in the United States. Contributors address the communal aspects of faith and health and explore the contexts in which individuals make choices about their health, the roles that institutions play in shaping these decisions, and the practices individuals engage in seeking better health or coping with the health they have. By paying attention to the role of faith, spirit, and health, this book offers a fuller sense of the varieties of ways Black health and health care are perceived and addressed from an inter-religious perspective.
STANDING IN THE NEED OF PRAYER: A CELEBRATION OF BLACK PRAYER
By The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
In this remarkable book, striking photographs and powerful prayers drawn from the unparalleled collections of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture span the broad spectrum of black religious traditions during the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. From the plaintive Yoruba prayer to "Look after us,/Look after our children" and the humble opening prayer of the Qur'ân to "Guide us on the right path" to W. E. B. Du Bois's prideful prayer to "Let [Thy children] grow in the capacity for worthy work...and may they in the end prove worthy of their great heritage," this extraordinary volume reflects the struggle, despair, determination, and triumph of the black experience through the ages. Drawing from faiths as diverse as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Vodou, the book also includes prayers from some of history's most powerful voices, among them Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
GIFTED HANDS
By Ben Carson
Ben Carson, M.D., works medical miracles. Today, he's one of the most celebrated neurosurgeons in the world. In Gifted Hands, he tells of his inspiring odyssey from his childhood in inner-city Detroit to his position as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital at age 33. Ben Carson is a role model for anyone who attempts the seemingly impossible as he takes you into the operating room where he has saved countless lives. Filled with fascinating case histories, this is the dramatic and intimate story of Ben Carson's struggle to beat the odds -- and of the faith and genius that make him one of the greatest life-givers of the century.
#1 Cause of Stress among Americans is Job Pressure, which is described as disharmony between co-workers, bosses, or work overload:
77 The percentage of people who regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress
50 The percentage of Americans who cited Irritability or anger among the psychological effects experienced as a result of stress
61 The percentage of college students who pray at least weekly; 28 the percent of college students who pray daily.
2 to 3 The number of additional years added to the lives of those who attend regular (at least weekly) religious services.
79 The percent of U.S. adults that believe spiritual faith can help the and others recover from illness, injury, or disease
Data provided by the 2012 American Psychological Association, American Institute of Stress Study
Dr. Clive O. Callender on Spiritual Health, Physical Well-Being
Thursday, 09 May 2013 19:54 Published in Health
Dr. Clive O. Callender on Spiritual Health and Physical Well-Being
To me my whole life has been full of miracles because for example when I was 15 I contracted tuberculosis and I was in the hospital for 18 months. I had surgery and they took out half of my right lung. At that time tuberculosis was like the AIDS of today. There was no treatment for it so it was really not much hope for me living a longer life than maybe 2 to 5 years and so miraculously the consequence with medical developments and the surgery I had and God's blessing, here I am some 60 years later I'm still living and thriving. I did go to Africa as a missionary doctor in 1970 and 1971 so that my impossible dreams have all come true. So I can say that every aspect of my life has been impacted by my spirituality and my belief.
Everything I've done since I was 7 revolved around spirituality and becoming a physician and eventually, I became a medical missionary or surgeon. So there is nothing that I've done in my career -- and this year represents 50 years as a physician -- that was not impacted by my spirituality and my belief that Jesus Christ came to the world to save the world. Everything I do as a consequence with all the patients I see, with all of the surgeries I perform with everything, is impacted by that.
It's God who does the healing and I am his instrument and so I am a physician who assists in the healing process. So now I think one of the interesting experiences I've had along these lines didn't necessarily increase my spirituality, but did validate what I live for as a transplant surgeon. I do and did liver and kidney transplants and we had a patient about 25 or 30 years ago who had end-stage liver disease. This patient had such a severe hepatitis caused by a viral illness that we felt that he was incurable and so we thought about the consequence of a transplant. Unfortunately, the viral disease was so overwhelming and he was a religious person and so the officers of his church came and anointed him and laid hands on him and this is not an uncommon practice at Howard University but we decided that there was nothing else we could do for him.
Now you have to keep in mind this patient was on a respirator and a ventilator and we considered him almost brain dead and we believed that there wasn't anything else we could do. So what we did thereafter was to begin to decrease our treatment as we do with patients to allow them to die. As we withdrew our treatment, he kept getting better. Then within a week to 10 days he walked out of the hospital. It was a very exciting thing for me to run into him on the Metro and share the experience that God had saved him and blessed his life when we could do nothing for him.
One of the important things that I realized in my career is that I should not be proselytizing to my patients and so I have always respected whatever my patient's faith is. Whether or not they choose to have a Bible in the bed with them, I still pray for them. I don't necessarily pray with them unless they ask me to do so, but, it has been something that I have recognized is an important part of the health process. That's what my daily prayer sessions are about, what I should do next, how I should operate, if I'm operating in a difficult spot, I pray that God helps me and shows me the way.
I have always recognized that from Imhotep, the first physician, to all of the African antiquities and Egyptian's religion, spirituality all were a part of healing. It wasn't until the European advent that spirituality was actually taken out of the realm of healing, so it is appropriate, for example, that Howard University and the Hospital for the last 150 years to bring spirituality back through the recognition of holistic medicine. The body, mind, and spirit have to be together in order for you to be well.
There is no health without a union of the body, the mind, and the spirit. When I define health or wellness, I define it as an unobstructed journey to fulfill your life's goal. In order to achieve balance you have to have the body, mind and spirit must function together as one. I recognize that among physicians there are divisions – where medical doctors and physicians are called allopathic physicians, those who work with the natural elements are called naturopathic. In order to have the practice of holistic medicine we have to have all of those elements together.
I believe that there is a place for the natural and a place for the supernatural, as well as a place for what is garden-variety medicine. But life and death is in the hand of God and so I try to do my very best job. I wasn't always that wise -- my first 10 years I wasn't that smart and sometimes thought that I had the power. I learned that what I needed to do was my very best and that's what I teach all my students. After you've done the very best you can, put it in the hands of the Lord.
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