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In Search Of Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon (1923-2004 an American Photographer was born in New York City. His photographer career started in 1942 taking pictures of crewmen (Merchant Marines) with a Rolleiflex camera
( A gift given by his father ).
There are so many career highlights of this phenomenal photographer:
THE WHOLE TRUTH I Take A Look At The AME Church I ARCHIVE
Great things are happening in the AME Church. Many changes are taking place for the Denomination many have harshly criticized for being undaunted about having ALL BLACK persons on Executive Boards and placed in Key Positions making sound decisions for the Historic AME (African American Episcopal) Church. Undaunted? Certainly.
TALKING POINTS I MEDIA DAY WITH THE CHARLOTTE STING 5/25/05
Reporting By BL Davis 'Media Day'
I accepted the opportunity to interview some of the WNBA Charlotte Sting Players. The invitation came from 5 Fields Enteractive "FANS SPEAK OUT". I arrived in time to meet, greet and eat with area/out of area media pros's and do some run throughs before the televised interview.
My first interview was with Tammy Sutton Brown, who plays center for the Charlotte Sting. My second interview was with Kelly Mazzante. I was able to sit in on interviews with point guard Helen Darling, Head Coach Trudi Lacey and Jia Perkins. Janelle McCarville, came by to talk about her feelings fo being the number one draft pick and the strengths she brings to the team. I was looking forward to seeing Dawn Staley but she is a busy women wearing many hats and she wasn't present.
It really looks like a good upcoming season for the Sting. Games kick off in May and I will be attending as many games as I can. One thing I did gather from the interviews and observations, is that these players love the game. During the off season, many take on coaching roles, playing overseas, and volunteering themselves to good causes. Support the Charlotte Sting this season.
-BL Davis
Tammy Sutton Brown w/ BL Davis
The Charlotte Hornets, A Look Back In Time
OnPointt Online Magazine is taking a look back at the Franchise Team that put Charlotte more on the map! Yes! The Hornets! Haven't said this name in awhile but it's always good to reflect back, give some props. A nostalgic moment if you will. We remember our first franchise team the good, the bad, the ugly and the survival. ~OTHER SIDE OF THE GAME 2007
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April 22, 1987 FOUR TEAMS WERE ADDED TO THE NBA LEAGUE:
Charlotte, Minnesota, Miami, and Orlando.
While many people felt Charlotte would not embrace a NBA team, aside from the fact we are known as College Basketball Country, Charlotte indeed was ready for some NBA action! In the year 1988-1989 Charlotte had a roster filled with some powerful players. Dell Curry, Kurt Rambis, Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues, Kelly Tripucka, Robert Reid and many more players. The owner was the guy Charlotte would come to love to hate George Shinn. Tyvola Road was the road to take, leading you to the Charlotte Coliseum. In 1990 The Hornets picked up Armon Gilliam from Phoenix, loss Rambis to Phoenix, and Charlotte was loving J. R. Reid, the 6-9 rookie who played ball at North Carolina. Reid was a great contriubtor to the team, single, good-looking, and he managed to spend a little downtime in JCSU, courting JCSU student, Pansy, now his wife and mother to two beautiful children. In 1990-1991 Muggsy from B'More (Balitimore), was what many described as lightening quick, great handling of the ball and a team player at 5"3 (Guard).
Charlotte was beginning to get serious attention, we had acquired: Kendall Gill, Alonzo Mourning, and Larry "LJ" "Grandmama" Johnson. LJ found some love up in the QC as well. He married Charlotte native, Celeste (Both Celeste and LJ was featured in Ebony Magazine and other Publications respectively). Nightlife in uptown Charlotte was buzzing with fans, groupies and b'ballers and shot callers. City Fair (uptown hangout) could always attract players from the Charlotte Hornets. Even MJ came to celebrate his birthday, bringing massive stars from across the land. It was a crazy weekend for Jordan. Our very own BL met up (unbeknowingly) with the first round draft pick that weekend the now married David Robinson. The record was improving for the Hornets, Charlotte had some diverse talent and diverse personalities that took a life of their own on and off the court. The Charlotte Hornets was the toast of Charlotte and favorably talked about among Sport's Elite. As you drove from South Charlotte into uptown Charlotte the First Union Building among the beautiful city skyline showcased a mural of LJ, Alonzo Mourning and Mugsy Bogues. Charlotte was embracing the team and the major players.
Trading started to happen, Bogues was gone, Mourning gone, picked up Glenn Rice, LJ gone, pick up Robert Parrish (Celtic Legend, B'Ball Great), and we picked up the colorful Anthony Mason. Nervousness abounded, fans really didn't know what to expect. Rumors began to mix around saying our Bogues, our Johnson and our Mourning was glad to leave the QC. What we took as a snub was really that they were ready to leave the ball club who we would soon send packing! We acquired David Wesley, shooting guard Bobby Phils and we made our way to the Semi-Finals. Paul Silas was brought in as coach, we lost Bobby Phils in a tragic car accident, his uniform was retired jersey No. 13. It was a heartfelt moment. Despite the lost of her husband Kendall Phils went on to do great things in the public, staying in Charlotte with their two young children. As scandal surrounded owner George Shinn, Charlotte refused to fund a new arena for the team unless George Shinn would sell the team. With his refusal, The Charlotte Hornets left Charltote. It was a bittersweet farewell. Enter the Charlotte Bobcats, owner Robert Johnson the First Black Majority owner in major professional team sports.
Thus is a new Chapter... History begins. -BL Davis 2007
THE MALE ROOM PRESENTS I Eddie "Rochester" Anderson At Nostalgic Moments
Eddie Anderson Affectionately known as ROCHESTER was born in 1905. Anderson was born in Oakland California. Little known FACT, his family were performers. Along with his brother Cornelius and another performer, they formed a song and dance act calling themselves THE THREE BLACK ACES.
Anderson went on to be recognized as Jack Benny's Valet, Rochester. While Anderson was the proverbial butt of the jokes, the life of the show really, this made Eddie "Rochester" Anderson a very wealthy man. Yes the fans of the show laughed at and with Rochester but he had the last laugh to the bank.
The charaters he played really showed the depth in dialog and facial expressions. His timing in the lines were exact and the comebacks made more sense which wasn't suppose to show him in that light. Anderson was simply a delight, a true delight to watch. Anderson died in 1977 but he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in the year 2001.
THE SPIRITUAL CONNECTION I JAKIA LEWIS/CONVERSATION WITH BL DAVIS
JAKIA LEWIS: Tell me about your religious/spiritual background BL.
BL DAVIS: I came from a very religious, a very spiritual family. My grandfather is the Rev. Philip Mixon from South Carolina. He is well respected, a good man, a good provider for his family, loves his family deeply, just a great great man of God. My great-grandmother also gave me a foundation. She passed away in 2000 at the age of 109 years old. What she taught me was to have a personal relationship with God, pray on your knees to him and to not fear death, death was only the beginning of everlasting life. I took what I was taught/told, and through my own experiences in life, I am the person that I am today. I've strayed, made my share of mistakes but when it all went down, I knew how to pray and get right.
JAKIA: OKAY! (laughing) BL DAVIS: Um hm... (laughing). I can say this much, when I was doing my thing my grandpop did not judge me and I love him for that. Don't get me wrong though, while my grandmother and the other ladies of my family had their words, they made sure he got their points of view. When he did his weekly calls to the children out of state, God and grandpop was all over me. JAKIA: Talk to me lady, tell me about it. BL DAVIS: He would ask me how I was doing, I was like good, he asked was there anything I needed, I was like no, he was like well I am checking on you, always praying for you and you know I am always here and if you cannot reach me you know to go to God. Now that is a simple convo.
JAKIA: Very simple but there is a powerful message there. BL DAVIS: Sure is! I would get off the phone and was like you know you need to straighten up. It was at a time in my life where I was spiraling a lil, not a lot. One thing about me, I don't let anything get the best of me for a long period time, that is not good for me. When you have the righteous praying for you too, that is powerful honey. Please believe. I too don't go to church every Sunday but everyday I give God the praise, I talk to him like Iam talking to you, we have conversations, and I listen to his gift of intuition to lead me everyday.
I've seen some things in my life to know there is a God, everylasting life, heaven is real and you can't play God.
JAKIA: Let's talk about the balance. How do you feel about the differences in persons walk with God.
BL DAVIS: First you have to really keep it really real. I feel you need to give God some time and go worship in his house.
I do feel you need to do service to humanity. If you see someone in need, and you can help, do it. Show love not just to
who you know but who you don't know. I also feel you need to give God some time outside of the church. He is a jealous God and you are not to put no other gods before him. You have to observe people, especially if you are trying to be in a relationship with them. Observe their walk along with the talk they are bringing. I really don't judge, we all can slip and fall down but we can get back up. It is all about FOUNDATIONS. You can find a balance if the components are right.
JAKIA: I have friends leading various lifestyles and they always say, Jakia one sin is no great than the other.
BL DAVIS: I too girl but you know here it is, plain SIN NO MORE, REMOVE IT AND THEN YOU TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU GOT IT GOING ON WITH GOD. I don't even entertain all that because it is really their cop out to feel better. When I am wrong,
I have the conscious to keep it real. God don't like what I am doing, I got my conscious and I got to do right. There it is.
JAKIA: There it is but it is a hypocritical world out here. I find disturbing the new christians, the new saved ones.
They are so quick to tell you what you are not doing, very critical.
BL DAVIS: Well that you have to get over.
Why is it so disturbing? They are excited about their walk with God and yeah they do come on really strong but you have to really look at it like this; They may not have had that spiritual base early on like myeslf and like what you have said about yourself. So this is really an exciting time. They want to tell you to act right all the time, and their tolerance level on WHAT IS SIN, is almost zero! (laughing) But it is alright because perfection is soley with the Lord and we are or should be striving to do the same. Still, there is error within all of us. They are just hyped for the Lord, you overlook the lil things, you should know your own walk with God.
JAKIA: I guess I have to find my balance. BL DAVIS: You have to check yourself.
JAKIA: Gospel Music you like? BL DAVIS: I like traditional and contemporary. I like hymns too, there is nothing like hearing that hymn choir. Let me take you back to an old hymn. ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME! What you know about that? I have to have my balance in my spiritual music.
JAKIA: The same, it just depends on my mood but I do like how the gospel music has reached the younger people.
BL DAVIS: You have to be careful with that too. I am an observer Jakia, I listen to what the lyrics say and go from there.
I don't do the dancing like I am in the club when it comes to giving God some praise. That's crazy girl! (laughing)
JAKIA: Dropping any names? BL Davis: No cause I might have to obtain an interview one day.
JAKIA: No relationships can be forced not even with God.
BL DAVIS: That's right, go humble and relaxed, tell God what it is you need, thank him for what he has given and thank him for what he is going to do for you some more. We want respect, love, understanding, honesty, God wants the same.
That is not hard to do.
JAKIA: Very wise words BL, I feel you. BL Davis: Taught well, and life pulled no punches with me. God is good.
JAKIA: Yes he is. Thank you for your time, I really appreciate it. BL DAVIS The Pleasure is mine Jakia, el gusto es mio!
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