WASHINGTON — Jamison Ross sauntered onstage at the National Museum of Natural History here on Saturday with the solicitous gleam of a casino floor manager, his bulky frame encased in a suit and his face bearing a wide-open smile. Graciously, he initiated a round of applause for his fellow hopefuls in the 25th-annualThelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, and another for the event’s unflappable house band. Then he sat down, picked up a pair of brushes and counted off “Bye Bye Blues,” an uncomplicated song recorded by dozens of American entertainers from the 1930s on.
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As a heroin dealer in Rhode Island, Jose Vasquez made $2,000 a day. He said he had a way with his customers. He took his best clients out for dinner and bought them presents on their birthdays.
Mr. Vasquez is a member of the inaugural class of Defy Ventures, a nonprofit organization that offers a one-year entrepreneurial training and mentorship program to people with criminal backgrounds. On Saturday, Defy held its first sales exposition, and Mr. Vasquez and nine of his classmates presented their start-ups. Guests and about 70 Defy students were asked to vote for the best sales pitch. Mr. Vasquez’s business received the most votes and won a $500 prize.
Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons attends the after party for the Gucci, Cinema Society & the Film Foundation screening of ‘La Dolce Vita’ at the Top of The Standard Hotel on June 1, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
Known around the globe as a hip-hop pioneer, Russell Simmons’ passion for breaking new talent, particularly among urban youth, is well-documented and well-respected. What largely flies under the radar, though, is his patronage of the arts in all forms, from the turntable to the easel, and his belief in the transformative effect that exposure to culture and having artistic outlets can have on the lives of urban youth.
Maud Chifamba, middle, started her studies in accounting September 10 at the University of Zimbabwe. Aged 14, she is the country’s youngest ever university student.
Bounce TV Celebrates First Birthday; Nation’s First-Ever Broadcast Television Network for African Americans Founded By Martin Luther King III, Ambassador Andrew Young
ATLANTA, Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Bounce TV (www.bouncetv.com) — The nation’s first-ever broadcast television network designed for African-American audiences — will turn one on Sept. 26 and its first year on-the-air has been overwhelmingly successful, with accelerated growth and expansion among station groups and distribution, advertisers and viewers alike.
Madu Eneli, an eighth grader from Texas, wrote a guide to academic and personal success for other middle schoolers. (Source: Aya Eneli International)
Students can sometimes find the transition into middle school stressful and challenging, so one eighth grader used his experience to create a road map for success. Madu Eneli, of Harker Heights, Texas, published a book titled, “Am I Ready for Middle School?” Its chapters are dedicated to topics like handling a heavier workload, reaching out for academic help, and navigating the social aspects of lunch and recess.
“I started thinking about writing the book last year after I started seventh grade,” Eneli told Harker Heights Herald. “I don’t think there’s another book like this that speaks to middle school kids.”
“If you are a parent, recognize that it is the most important calling and rewarding challenge you have. What you do every day, what you say and how you act, will do more to shape the future of America than any other factor.”
–Marian Wright Edelman, author, activist and Founder of The Children’s Defense Fund