Rosa Parks lie in honor at Capital Sunday and Monday

In death, Rosa Parks is joining a select few, including presidents and war heroes, accorded a public viewing in the Capitol Rotunda. It's the place where, six years ago, President Clinton and congressional leaders lauded the former seamstress for a simple act of defiance that changed the course of race relations.

Rosa Parks - Honored in Washington, DC

By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - In death, Rosa Parks is joining a select few, including presidents and war heroes, accorded a public viewing in the Capitol Rotunda. It's the place where, six years ago, President Clinton and congressional leaders lauded the former seamstress for a simple act of defiance that changed the course of race relations.

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On Sunday, Parks becomes the first woman to lie in honor in the vast circular room under the Capitol dome.

The House agreed by voice vote Friday that the body of Parks will lie in honor in the Rotunda on Sunday and Monday "so that the citizens of the United States may pay their last respects to this great American." The Senate approved the resolution Thursday night.

Congress has authorized this rite only 29 times since homage was paid to Henry Clay in 1852. Those honored include Abraham Lincoln, Gen. John Pershing, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey and unknown soldiers from the world wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The most recent was President Reagan in June last year.

Parks is one of the few not to be a government official or a member of the military. In 1909 Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the architect who designed Washington, D.C., was commemorated 84 years after his death. In 1998 two Capitol Police officers slain in the line of duty lay in the ornate room 180 feet below the Capitol dome.

Parks, arrested in 1955 after refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Ala., turned to her minister, the Rev. Martin Luther King, for aid. King in turn led a 381-day boycott of the city's bus system that helped initiate the modern civil rights movement.

"This brave, courageous spirit ignited a movement, not just in Montgomery, but a movement that spread like wildfire across the American South and the nation," said Rep. John Lewis (news, bio, voting record), D-Ga., a leader of the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

"The Capitol serves as a beacon of American liberty, freedom and democracy, and Rosa Parks served as the mother of the America we grew to be," House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a joint statement.

Parks, who for many years worked in the office of Rep. John Conyers (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich., was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in ceremonies in the Rotunda in June 1999.

Clinton said he was 9 years old when Parks refused to give up her seat. and he and his friends "couldn't figure out anything we could do since we couldn't even vote. So we began to sit in the back of the bus when we got on."

In 1987, Parks co-founded a nonprofit group, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, to help young people in Detroit, her home since 1957.

According to Conyers' office, a memorial service will be held for Parks at the St. Paul AME Church in Montgomery on Sunday morning.

Her body will then be flown to Washington for viewing in the Capitol on Sunday evening and Monday. President Bush is scheduled to attend memorial services at the Metropolitan AME Church in Washington on Monday, Conyers' office said. The White House said Bush would also go to the Rotunda to pay his respects.

From Monday night until Wednesday morning, Parks will lie in repose at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.

The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., which has restored the bus on which she refused to give up her seat, will truck it to the Wright museum for display.

Aretha Franklin is to sing at the funeral Wednesday at Greater Grace Temple Church in Detroit, said an official with the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute of Self Development.

Officials in Detroit and Montgomery, meanwhile, said the first seats of their buses would be reserved as a tribute to Parks' legacy until her funeral. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick put a black ribbon Thursday on the first passenger seat of one of about 200 buses where seats will be reserved.

"We cannot do enough to pay tribute to someone who has so positively impacted the lives of millions across the world," Kilpatrick said.

Rosa Parks

Civil Rights Pioneer Rosa Parks Dies at 92

DETROIT Oct 24, 2005 — Rosa Lee Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man sparked the modern civil rights movement, died Monday evening. She was 92. Mrs. Parks died at her home during the evening of natural causes, with close friends by her side, said Gregory Reed, an attorney who represented her for the past 15 years.

Mrs. Parks was 42 when she committed an act of defiance in 1955 that was to change the course of American history and earn her the title "mother of the civil rights movement."

At that time, Jim Crow laws in place since the post-Civil War Reconstruction required separation of the races in buses, restaurants and public accommodations throughout the South, while legally sanctioned racial discrimination kept blacks out of many jobs and neighborhoods in the North. The Montgomery, Ala., seamstress, an active member of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was riding on a city bus Dec. 1, 1955, when a white man demanded her seat.

Mrs. Parks refused, despite rules requiring blacks to yield their seats to whites. Two black Montgomery women had been arrested earlier that year on the same charge, but Mrs. Parks was jailed. She also was fined $14. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said he felt a personal tie to the civil rights icon: "She stood up by sitting down. I'm only standing here because of her."

The Rev. Al Sharpton called Mrs. Parks "a gentle woman whose single act changed the most powerful nation in the world. … One of the highlights of my life was meeting and getting to know her." Speaking in 1992, Mrs. Parks said history too often maintains "that my feet were hurting and I didn't know why I refused to stand up when they told me. But the real reason of my not standing up was I felt that I had a right to be treated as any other passenger. We had endured that kind of treatment for too long."

Her arrest triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system organized by a then little-known Baptist minister, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who later earned the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. Let’s keep Mrs. Parks family in prayer.

From the Belle Report - 10/25/05

"The Gospel" Press Release - October 7th In Movies Everywhere

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Erma Byrd(323) 965-5551

Gospel Superstars Shine Brightly In Upcoming Contemporary Spiritual Drama From Rainforest Films (Los Angeles, CA - June 2005) Principal photography has wrapped on The Gospel, a contemporary drama about love and redemption set in the world of gospel music and the African-American church. Starring Boris Kodjoe (Showtime’s Soul Food, Love & Basketball) and Idris Elba (HBO’s The Wire) the film is written and directed by Rob Hardy and produced by Will Packer and Executive Producer Holly Davis-Carter.

Shot entirely on location in Atlanta, The Gospel also stars Nona Gaye (Ali, The Matrix). Tamyra (American Idol, Boston Public), Clifton Powell (Ray, Woman Thou Art Loosed), Omar Gooding (Baby Boy) and Keisha Knight Pulliam (The Cosby Show) co-star, joined by gospel superstars Donnie McClurkin and Hezekiah Walker, who make their feature debuts. Log on to www.gospelmovie.com to view the trailer.

The Gospel features original music by urban gospel music perform/producer, Kirk Franklin and performances by some of the biggest names in the genre, including Yolanda Adams, Martha Munizzi and Delores Winans affectionately known to many as Mom Winans. Gospel music fans can also look for a soundtrack to accompany the film, some time in the fall. “We were able to assemble this amazing cast because our actors and heavyweights in the gospel industry like Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams read the story and said it felt genuine to them – that it was a drama about faith that they could relate to,” says film writer/director Rob Hardy, who likens it to the biblical story of the prodigal son with elements loosely based on his own life.

Fellow producer, Will Packer, a longtime collaborator and friend of Hardy’s says the two of them, together with the film’s executive producers Holly Davis-Carter and Fred Hammond, shared the desire to bring a dramatic, faith-based film to the screen. ‘This is a labor of love for us because we believe in the values espoused in this film,” says Packer, a southerner who was raised in a church with predominantly African Americans. “Because no matter what trials and tribulations you go through, with faith you can overcome them if you lean on that higher power,” Packer concludes.

And its’ that message, says Davis-Carter a veteran Hollywood talent manager turned producer that motivated her to help them get this film made. “We believe there’s a need for more stories about morality, redemption, faith, hope and recovery,” she says. “Those values are what this film’s all about and what people will respond to very deeply.”

Set against the backdrop of modern day Atlanta, The Gospel stars Boris Kodjoe as a hot R&B recording artist who’s at the top of his career, yet estranged from his family who are southern Christian leaders in his hometown church. When Kodjoe’s character, David, learns that his father (Clifton Powell), the Bishop of their church is ill and near death, he returns home. There he is forced to face demons from his past that strike at the very core of his being. He discovers that his childhood rival (Idris Elba) is poised to become his father’s successor at the church and has married his cousin (Nona Gaye) as well. While being met with hostility from family members, he also discovers disloyalty within the music empire he is building – all while struggling to make peace with his family, God and himself – in The Gospel.

About Rainforest Films
Rainforest Films was founded in 1994 by Rob Hardy and Will Packer. Their first film was the critically lauded Chocolate City. Their second feature, made in 2000, was the independent drama, “Trois” which went on to become the fastest growing African-America film to reach the million-dollar mark. Trois landed Rainforest Films at the #34 spot of Top 500 Film Distributors and the film a spot in Daily Variety’s top 50 Highest grossing Independent Films of the Year. Next Rainforest released Pandora’s Box, which garnered critical acclaim and solid box office revenues. Then, the successful release of the feature drama Lockdown, starring Richard T. Jones, Gabrielle Casseus and Master P. earned Rainforest inclusion by The Hollywood Reporter in their story about the “New Establishment” of Black Power Brokers in Hollywood.

The Gospel - the movie in theaters October 7th

This movie is a must see...

Order your tickets online...

Check out the link that will give you more information:
http://www.gospelmovie.com/site.htm

IAM Magazine - Latest Issue - includes Photography by: The Photolady - Paulette Singleton

Do you subscribe to IAM Magazine? Well, why not subscribe today: http://www.iammag.com

Check out the current issue that includes photography by the Photolady: Paulette Singleton.

Ms. Singleton is a member of the VAGAG - Virginia Gospel Announcer's Guild. She has photographed most of the biggest names in the gospel industry. She recently posted a special photo tribute in the Loving Memory of Dr. Kenneth LeVar Riddle.

You may have seen her work on the website of gospel artist such as Tye Tribette, God's Image, Gospel Fruits, Evangelist Ruby Holland, Joy B. Moore and published work in Gospel Today Magazine, The Belle Report and the Richmond Free Press newspaper... just to name a few. You will see more of her work in the very near future.

Thanks for stopping by our blog and come back for more updates.

Be sure to check out the website: Saints In Praise Photography: http://www.saintsinpraise.com

Inducted into the Broadcasters Hall of Fame - 2005

Congratulations to Sheilah Belle from Saints In Praise Photography: Photolady

Inducted into the Broadcasters Hall of Fame, over the weekend, from left to right
Sheilah Belle, Lee Michaels and Tracy Morgan

By Sheilah Belle

Akron, OH – The Broadcasters Hall of Fame inducted sixteen men and women into its prestigious organization over the weekend. The list included pioneers in the business like David Wagenvoord, who has purchased more than ten radio stations across the country to Margaret Linton Lanier, known to many as a civil and equal rights advocate and pioneer in the forefront of airing and publicizing matters and accomplishments that are truly too numerous to expound upon.

The induction was held at the Cathedral Banquet Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, just minutes south of Cleveland, Ohio. Several hundred attended the event including inductee, Tracy Morgan and her entourage from Washington, D.C. and family members of Lee Michaels from Baltimore, MD.

Other inductees included, Ode Aduma, Andre Bernier, Betty Crano, Tim Daugherty, Bob Hagan, David D. LaMoreaux, Pastor David Lombardi, Maurice Moore, Sr., Jerry Revish, Matt Strans and Sheilah Belle.

Henry Dunn, Vice President of the organization said, “We are extremely honored with those being inducted this year and are looking forward to adding their name and picture to our exhibit which is currently on display in Akron.”

The "Broadcasters Hall of Fame", Akron, Ohio, was originally founded in October 1982 by C. S. "Doc" Williams, as the " Radio Hall of Fame The names and by-laws were changed in 1990 to include television and to become a national industry wide non-profit organization incorporated with a registered logo.

The purpose of the Broadcasters Hall of Fame is to memorialize the Golden Age of broadcasting and to promote furtherance of the art of broadcasting. This encompasses recognizing and honoring those persons who have made notable contributions to the broadcasting industry. To that end, exhibit of broadcasting memorabilia, past and present was created.

To be eligible for induction into the Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the candidate (living deceased, retired or active) must have made a significant contribution to the radio or television industry as a performer, station owner, manager, producer or other distinguished personnel. Inductees must have 15 or more years tenure.

Congratulations to all of the 2005 inductees.

21ST ANNUAL STELLAR GOSPEL MUSIC AWARDS RETURNS TO NASHVILLE IN 2006

– Landmark Celebration of Gospel’s Finest Lands at the Legendary – Grand Old Opry Theater on January 21st

MEDIA CONTACT:
JL Media Relations
A. Jalila Larsuel
626.398.5028
JLMediapr@aol.com
After a 3-year period in the late 90’s, gospel music’s most glorious event returns to Nashville, TN January in 2006. The 21st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards will once again grace the stage of the historic Grand Old Opry on January 21. For the past 2 years, this star-studded celebration has been held in Houston, Texas, but increasing needs for a bigger and a more production friendly facility eventually led to one of the music industry’s most famous venues.
"I am extremely excited about the opportunity we have once again to produce the Stellar Awards in Nashville at the Grand Old Opry, which is one of the best production facilities in the country for major award shows like the Stellar Awards,” explains Don Jackson, CEO of Central City Productions. “I am also most appreciative of the fine support we received from the City of Houston Texas, which was the home for the Stellar Awards for the past two years. The community of Houston was a tremendous fan of the Stellar Awards; however we needed a better production facility in which to produce our show. The Grand Old Opry production venue in Nashville provides us with the top of the line facilities which will enable us to continue the high production quality that Gospel Music deserves."
Gospel artists CeCe Winans, Vicki Winans and Israel will serve as co-hosts for the 2006 awards ceremony. Nominees and performers will be announced in November at the annual press conference which will be held in Nashville, TN. More information on the press conference’s date, location will be announced in the near future.

ABOUT CENTRAL CITY PRODUCTIONS
The Chicago-based Central City Productions, Inc. (CCP) produces the Stellar Gospel Music Awards. It has been 20 years since the first awards show was taped at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago, and the Stellar Awards has now become the premier Gospel event that recognizes and honors African American artists. This one of a kind award show has showcased top Gospel artists and many television and film stars.
The Stellar Gospel Music Awards show is executive produced by Don Jackson, produced by Barbara Wilson for Central City Productions. Founded in 1970 by Don Jackson, Chicago-based Central City Productions is a distributor of original programming to television and cable networks. Please visit www.stellarawards.com for more information.

Women's Weekend - Sister to Sister

Posted courtesy of Saints In Praise Photography

Photolady - Paulette Singleton