Washington Informer

Erykah Badu Among Performers for Event at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland

The metropolitan D.C., Maryland and Virginia region welcomes back what has become one of the premiere music and arts festival events in the country.

Slated to perform during the highly-anticipated event which takes place Saturday, Aug. 4 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md., are Erykah Badu, Common, Chuck Brown, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Estelle and Eric Roberson.

Since its creation in 2005, the Summer Spirit Festival, which has garnered nationwide popularity, has always featured diverse musical styles that include R&B, alternative R&B, hip hop, Go Go, Soul, Neo Soul; comedy performances; and arts/vendors/crafts.

Past Festivals have featured everyone from Oscar Award winning actress/comedian Mo'Nique; to Grammy award winning singers, Jill Scott and Badu; to up and coming talents such as Estelle, Janelle Monae, Chrisette Michele and B.o.B.; to DC area born and bred artists like Go Go King Chuck Brown.

With an emphasis also on community involvement, the Festival has been acclaimed as an unmistakable one-of-a-kind cultural experience.

Gates and marketplace will open to the public at 3 p. m., Aug. 4. Main stage performances begin 4:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $44 to $125 and go on sale at 10 a.m., Friday, April 20.Tickets are available at the Merriweather Post Box Office, the 9:30 Club Box Office and online at TICKETFLY.com, merriweathermusic.com and 9:30.com.

For more information on the 2012 Summer Spirit Festival, log onto www.cdepresents.com. The 2012 Summer Spirit Festival can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CD-Enterprises-Inc and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CDEPresents (@CDEPresents).

Seat Pleasant Mayor Eugene W. Grant and City Council members Johnie Higgs, Reveral Yeargin, and Gerald Raynor recently joined forces in welcoming the area's latest "Dunkin Donuts" franchise.

The new business, which is owned by Neil Patel and is located across from the Seat Pleasant Addison Metro Station, also attracted representatives from Sen. Barbara Milkulski and Congresswoman Donna Edwards' offices as well as leaders from the Prince George's County Redevelopment Authority and Prince George's Economic Development Corporation. They all mingled with community members a and enjoyed a cup of java and bagel before heading off to work.

"The City of Seat Pleasant is proud to welcome Mr. Neil Patel's Dunkin Donuts into our business community and we thank him for bringing his franchise to our residents," Grant said. "This property sat vacant for almost 12 years. Now people in our community have the option to come in and purchase donuts and coffee for their office, school or community event."

According to the 2010 U. S. Census, Maryland, with an overall unemployment rate of 6.6 percent -- compared to the national rate of 7.9 percent -- is among states with the lowest number of jobless individuals. But the despite a significant influx of new businesses that have opened in Seat Pleasant since Grant became mayor, the city's unemployment rate still hovers at just over 9 percent.

"It is because of huge disparities such as lack of employment opportunities in our community as an elected official I feel it is imperative to seek out businesses and attempt to bring them into our community," Grant said. "There is so much room for businesses to grow here, given our location and customer base, the City of Seat Pleasant is truly A City of Excellence and a great place for businesses to set up shop. We have to keep pushing ahead in order to grow economically and open up opportunities for employment in our own backyards."

Mayor Vincent C. Gray today offered holiday greetings to the District's Jewish and Christian communities as they celebrate Passover and Easter beginning this weekend.

"The next few days will mark two of the highest holidays in the Judeo-Christian tradition, and I wish a blessed and joyous Passover and Easter to the District's Jewish and Christian residents,"Gray said in a statement.  "Passover and Easter not only celebrate specific religious assertions, but they also commemorate themes universal to the human experience: the renewal of life and triumph over death, oppression and injustice.

"As the ancient Israelites hoped for deliverance from Egypt's tyranny and the early Christians anticipated freedom from the Roman Empire's oppression, today District residents of all faith traditions eagerly await full democracy for the nation's capital. Let us embrace the spirit of this season by praying and working for justice and peace at home and around the world."

Surrounded by business and congressional leaders, President Barack Obama

signs the "Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act " Thursday, April 5,

during a White House ceremony. The measure includes key initiatives

President Obama proposed last fall to help small businesses and startups

grow and create jobs,

Aural alchemist David Krakauer, co-conspirators hip-hop beatmaster Socalled and legendary funk and jazz trombonist Fred Wesley (of James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic fame) have teamed up to create the masterful collaboration of Abraham Inc. –  a genre-clasing mix of klezmer, funk and hip hop that has been taking audiences by storm.

The group is poised to prove its mettle again when they make their debut performance in D.C. with a hand-clapping, hip shaking, head bouncing dance parfty, slated for 8 p.m., May 3 at the Strathmore's Music Center stage.

Julliard-trained clarinetist Krakauer founded Abraham Inc. in 2006 with Socalled and Fred Wesley. By embracing myriad genres, the group is "connected with something deep, mysterious, and timeless...as ancient as the sound of the Shofar...yet as modern as the...young hipsters at downtown venues" (Jazziz). The band released its debut album, Tweet Tweet, in 2010.

Krakauer is praised internationally for his "prodigious chops" (The New Yorker) and "soulfulness and electrifying showiness" (The New York Times). He is one of the world's leading exponents of Eastern European Jewish klezmer, plus a major voice in classical music and avant-garde improvisation.

Virtuoso Fred Wesley is renowned for his work with James Brown, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins and the Count Basie Orchestra. Multitalented Canadian hip-hop renegade Socalled is chiefly an accordionist and beat architect, and brings unparalleled versatility to the group with his skills as a pianist, composer, arranger, rapper, photographer, filmmaker and producer.

The trio will perform with rapper C-Rayz Walz, guitarists Sheryl Bailey and Allen Watsky, bassist Jerome Harris, trumpeter Freddie Hendrix, percussionist Michael Sarin, and saxophonist Brandon Wright.

Orchestra and Orchestra Tier accommodations for the event will be sold as unassigned General Admission tickets for standing and dancing. The Promenade, Grand Tier and Upper Tier levels will be assigned seating.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

The spring edition of "The Red Tent Symposium for Women" returns with even more interactive and inclusive and interactive workshops, lectures and a special Pre-Tent Pampering Session. 

The Symposium's motto is "Problem-Solving Outside of the Framework." The two-day exchange, which takes place in the District of Columbia April 13-15, focuses on the needs of women and will also include storytelling, panel discussions and a pop-up marketplace.

Based on the novel, "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant, the red tent symbolizes a sacred and safe space where women can exchange ideas and insights.

According to Symposium creator Risikat "Kat" Okedeyi, "The red tent symbolizes exchange. It isn't a conference, but a genuine healing experience in a safe and sacred space."

Okedeyi added that, "I want women to get past that idea that gathering in this way requires perfect hair, make-up, a smart looking outfit and a stiff handshake. We are about comfort and ease, embraces and honesty. In the tent the teacher/student/leader/follower are purposely blurred so that as women we can recognize our full potential."

For more details please visit www.entertheredtent.com. Interested parties can also email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call at 301.684.8911.

A coalition of African-American clergy is behind the launch of a new faith-based voting initiative, "The Empowerment Movement," which endeavors to get one million people across the country registered to vote on Easter Sunday.

The Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, pastor of the Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, Md., has been named president of the organization. Its mission in the massive undertaking --which came to fruition when Bryant met with Baltimore-area ministers to discuss highunemployment and restrictive voter ID laws -- challenges every black church in the United States to register 20 people on April 8.

"In 1965, Rev. Martin Luther King, a Baptist, Rev. Joseph Lowery, a United Methodist, and Andy Young, a Disciples of Christ preacher, walked out of an AME Church and marched together in Selma for voting rights," Bryant said in an interview, that also alludes to the several denominations that support the Empowerment Movement.

The non-partisan effort has the backing of the AME , AME Zion, Cogic, Progressive, Bible Way, Full Gospel, CME, and United Covenant churches, to name a few.  Political supporters include Rep. Elijah Cummings, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, NAACP and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.