To commemorate Black History Month, Black-owned media companies Rolling Out and BlackBookStore.com, in collaboration with publishing giant Penguin Random House, have launched a historic content partnership called #AmplifyBlackStories. Company representatives said the initiative’s mission is to introduce more stories written by Black authors to a diverse group of readers.
“As our content and media partner, Rolling Out has developed a full slate of programming throughout the year,” said Anthony Key, Director of Multicultural Marketing at Penguin Random House. “Our collaboration will allow us to propel the awareness of Black literary excellence and introduce more stories by Black authors to a diverse group of readers.”
#AmplifyBlackStories will give power to the truth and testimonies of a wide array of Black voices through deep-dive discussions and thoughtful insights sharing from the book selections. This collective will include authors across the spectrum of gender identities, multigenerational writers, faith-based thought-leaders, and creatives in the LGBTQIA+ community. The partnership between Rolling Out, BlackBookStore.com, and Penguin Random House will undoubtedly help inject more pivotal Black stories into the American literary canon.
“This partnership and cultural collaboration with Penguin Random House will herald Black creativity and promote cultural understanding by amplifying Black storytelling and Black voices,” said Munson Steed, CEO at Rolling Out. “We are on a mission to celebrate Black authors, both familiar and new, who are helping to tell a more complete cultural story––from social justice and betterment to romance and sci-fi.”
#AmplifyBlackStories kicked off in February with Rolling Out‘s Meet the Author series featuring renowned writer Kevin Powell talking about his long career telling Black stories, including his intriguing journey from reality show pioneer to a congressional candidate.
#AmplifyBlackStories will continue to pay homage to Black authors with a roster of virtual programming throughout the month, including:
The Rolling Out Book Club (February selection is A Promised Land by President Barack Obama)
The Children’s Club (February selection is I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes)
The Sunday Read (authors read favorite excerpts and reveal stories of inspiration)
Black Book Brunch (a virtual sip and dine while uplifting our favorite Black authors and their journeys)
Modern Manual (relevant thought-leadership books, beginning with The Purpose of Power by Alicia Garza)
LiterallySpeaking (smart and layered talks of Black literature and the writing process)
“Our partnership with Penguin Random House demonstrates the importance and impact of connecting culture and commerce,” said Steed. “Giving content creators—our equity partners—opportunities to learn and grow with a Black-owned company produces real economic progress.”
To join the virtual programming for #AmplifyBlackStories, please visit www.rollingout.com and follow Rolling Out on social media channels. Books can be purchased at www.blackbookstore.com.
BLK, the largest dating app made for Black singles, launched a new advertising campaign, Once You Go BLK, to reclaim and reappropriate the antiquated phrase “Once you go Black, you don’t go back”. Instead of “praising” outdated stereotypes of Black people, this initiative embraces the glory of being young, Black, and forging one’s path in life. In order to bring this campaign to life, BLK also partnered with its local network of Black businessowners and creatives.
With over 4 million downloads to-date, the dating app aims to reframe what it means to “go BLK” through empowering messaging about the positive outcomes and implications of being part of both the Black and BLK communities.
This campaign includes original content and video testimonials with BLK users, tailored to acknowledge how real people date, across the Black cultural spectrum. In organizing and executing Once You Go BLK, Austin, TX-local Black businessowners and creatives brought their talents to the strategy and set, such as T&J Hair Designs for hair, honeybeebeats for makeup, a Paola Mathè headscarf design, and Darian Younce as the set stylist.
Once You Go BLK chronicles the journeys of Black singles and how they each take their own distinct approach to dating, from what they look for in a partner and their outlook on both romantic and platonic relationships. This campaign lauds the unlimited potential of the millennial and Gen Z Black community. As these years are incredibly formative in one’s life, Once You Go BLK aims to provide support and celebration for its users as they create their coteries.
“Once You Go BLK embraces the culture of the Black community, while also shedding light on important community topics from state violence to supporting Black-owned businesses,” said Jonathan Kirkland, Head of Marketing & Brand for BLK, “Our ambition for this campaign is to foster more solidarity, from a cultural level, with our users while taking the power away from an ugly adage used against us.”
Global Black Film Festival to Feature Over 65 World Premiere Titles
The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) announced today film nominations in its prestigious juried competition. The Pan African Film Festival is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival. Each year, the PAFF screens more than 200 films made by and/or about people of African descent from around the world. PAFF holds the distinction of being the largest Black History Month event in the country. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has designated PAFF as an official qualifying film festival for live-action and animation short films. The 29th Pan African Film Festival will take place virtually from February 28 to March 14.
This year, the competitions will include over 65 World premiere titles and over 29 US premieres.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 29th Pan African Film Festival will run February 28 – March 14 on-line and on-demand only. The virtual component allows this year’s Festival to reach a global audience. More information can be found at www.paff.org.
Best Narrative Feature Competition
Back of the Moon (South Africa) Director: Angus Gibson
Caged Birds (US) Director: Fredrick Leach
Poppie Nongena (South Africa) Director: Christiaan Olwagen
Red Pill (US) Director: Tonya Pinkins
The Fisherman’s Diary (Cameroon) Director: Enah Johnscott
The Ghost and the House of Truth (Nigeria) Director: Akin Omotoso
The Milkmaid (Nigeria) Director: Desmond Ovbiagele
Best Documentary Competition
City On the Hill (US) Director: Xavier Underwood
Disruptor Conductor (Canada, US) Director: Sharon Lewis
Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra (Australia) Director: Wayne Blair, Nel Minchin
Fresh Guide To Florence with Fab 5 Freddy (Italy, US, UK) Director: David Shulman
Lake Women (Rwanda, Germany) Director: Deve Shema
Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend (US) Director: Ryan Matthew Polomski, Dean Prator
Through the Night (US) Director: Loira Limbal
Uprooted – The Journey of Jazz Dance (Canada, France, UK, US) Director: Khadifa Wong
Best First Feature – Director Competition
Narratives
African America (South Africa, US) Director: Muzi Mthembu
Caged Birds (US) Director: Fredrick Leach
Executive Order (Brazil) Director: Lázaro Ramos
Love Like Winter (US) Director: Artel Great
Shaina (Zimbabwe, South Africa) Director: Beautie Masvaure Alt
“ I am doing a new thing, says the Lord. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. [Isaiah 43:19]. It is right before you. Can you not see it?” I am breaking down strongholds, transforming dark places into light places, so look back, celebrate, but move forward! You cannot be content to sit back and do business as usual. You cannot rest on past victories or be paralyzed by past defeats. You are to move forward in faith personally and corporately. Forward from the past to the future. Forward from indulgence to commitment. Forward from me to we. Forward from brokenness to wholeness. Forward from comfortable to awakened. What’s your “Tell”? Your Song? Your Story? It’s the same one as Joshua and the Israelites – but with some additions. Prophets have been added, like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Kings have joined the story, like David and Solomon. And of course, there’s Me, Jesus, the very center of your identity. So look back, celebrate, but move forward! Because you are people of story. And your stories give your lives context and purpose. Your stories connect you to something beyond the present moment. Your stories bind you to the ancestors and give you glimpses of destinies still beyond the horizon.
I hear the story of the hunter – and Yes, there is good in that story. Yes, there is virtue in that story. Yes, there is hope and wonder and deep gospel truth in that story AND the lion still has a story to tell. Right here, right now, make your own declaration that you will strive to be a people of hunters no more. That you will never stop resisting and working to overthrow the systems that provide for the thriving of some through the oppression of others. That you will never stop working to end the hunt forever. Commit to telling the stories and praying the prayers and singing the songs of the lion. To promise that they will never be forgotten. And to work for the day when the hunt finally is over. Let this celebration be one of new normals, greater territory, higher heights and deeper depths for us by looking back, celebrating, but moving forward.
I tell you, we cannot underestimate the seriousness of these times right now. Our nation is being torn apart by political Armageddon, civil unrest, social violence, an international pandemic, and economic meltdown. I am not a prophetess, but I see patterns in God’s Word, adding: We cannot let the world shut us up, shut us down, shut us out, or shut us in. God created, called, and commissioned us to take our place in this divine intersection. All the days of our life “were written in [his] book before one of them came to be” [Psalm 139:16]. Yes, we have a rendezvous with destiny, and we are God’s people for the moment. Like Esther of old, “We have come to [the kingdom] for such a time as this” [Esther 4:14]—before adding, “Like Israel in the wake of a national, political, and social crisis, we will need men and women like the sons of Issachar “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” [1 Chronicles 12:32].” Therefore, let as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
From Adam to Jesus, from Jesus to us, imagine the decisions that were made. Decisions that effected the entire human race, decisions of life and death, condemnation and reconciliation, the very fabric of life hung in the balance. And here we sit trying to make up our mind whether to move or not. We read and we study and we marvel at the old and new testament saints of what they did, but didn’t Jesus declare that we could do the same as he and even greater works shall we do. Well, we aren’t going to do anything sitting in Haran. All God is waiting on is us. Our blessings are just in reach, lets get out of Haran, lets get out of Cherith, lets look up, pack up cause we about to move up, to a brighter day a more secure future, in the land where God wants us to be. Look back, celebrate, but move forward!
San Francisco Bay Area based Jewelry owner and designer Kimmie Denise is launching the highly anticipated new jewelry items on Sucré Couture, which is scheduled to debut February 13-15, 2021 at www.SucreCouture.com.
The online jewelry collection will feature a wide range of fashionable necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and anklets made from a variety of high-quality, non-tarnish metals, and semi-precious gemstones for women. The craftsmanship, quality, and design of each item in Kimmie’s jewelry collection is beautiful, classic, stylish, and perfect for any occasion.
The fashion jewelry is in high demand and Kimmie plans to expand the line in 2021. Sucré Couture has been featured in British Vogue, Sheen Magazine, and many other fashion style magazines.
Sucré Couture celebrates 10 years in the jewelry industry and to celebrate their anniversary in business, customers who take the “Sucré Girl” quiz and make a purchase of three or more items, will receive 20% off their order. To find out if you are a “Sucré Girl”, visit www.SucreCouture.com.
Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick, a practicing surgeon and person living with sickle cell disease, has a message for Black America: When the time comes, please get vaccinated!
As an essential health care worker, educator, father and person at high risk, Dr. Frederick decided to lead by example by producing a public service announcement (PSA) on the importance of getting the coronavirus vaccine.
He was among the first to get a vaccine shot at Howard University Hospital, and he hopes his message will encourage others to do the same. Watch the PSA here.
“The coronavirus pandemic is having a significant impact on communities of color, and that narrative won’t change until we take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from exposure,” said Dr. Frederick. “The vaccines that are coming to market are safe and have been proven to be more than 90% effective. However, we can’t get to the other side of this pandemic without you. Wear a mask, keep your social distance, wash your hands and, when the time comes, get vaccinated.”
Dr. Frederick has been on the frontlines of the pandemic in a variety of ways, including making the tough decision to close the University in March, spearheading efforts to set up COVID-19 testing sites in urban communities, co-chairing the Mayor Muriel Bowser’s ReOpen DC subcommittee to address equity and vulnerable populations, and actively speaking out to encourage more vaccine trial participation and now, vaccination participation.
Nationally, African-Americans are almost three times as likely to die of COVID-19 as Whites according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
African-Americans have comprised 75% of the COVID-19-related deaths in Washington, D.C., while making up only 46% of the city’s population. Public health officials and academics are pointing to underlying health conditions for the severity of the virus in vulnerable populations.
The PSA, produced in partnership with Howard University’s television station, WHUT-TV; Howard University Hospital; and the Office of University Communications, features several essential health care workers sharing their personal reasons for getting the vaccine. As each person steps up to be vaccinated, they express their why: for family, to protect fellow co-workers, and in honor of those who’ve lost their lives.
“I understand there is a lot of hesitancy in minority communities across the country when it comes to healthcare, but this is not an American experiment on Black people. The vaccine is a worldwide cure to end a global pandemic and set us on a path back to normalcy,” said Howard University Hospital CEO Anita Jenkins, who is featured in the PSA getting her shot. “We want the public to know that we trust the science, we’re leading by example and taking the vaccine will help us end this pandemic and the tragic loss of life.”
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.
From Monday’s national Martin Luther King Day and, now, Wednesday’s inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, our country remains woefully divided ….
On 6 January, even as they hid from the mob laying siege to the Capitol, the chasms between our lawmakers reflected those in our society: they were split into mask wearers and mask refusers, those who saw a domestic terror attack and those who saw a patriotic protest, those who feared for the very future of America and those who refused to condemn the president who had incited the violence. Many terrified lawmakers sought comfort in their faith. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester was heard praying for her colleagues and for all those who were trying to protect them from the marauding thugs. Some of those thugs were carrying signs bearing Christian symbols and phrases.
The motto of our democracy, once admired the world over, is ‘In God We Trust’. How tragic, then, that the tensions that have been threatening to overwhelm us for so long exploded in an assault on the seat of the power of the people. Where, you may ask, is our belief in the God in whom we trust now?
Many faith leaders are grappling with how to convey the message of Jesus Christ in these turbulent times. But before we can even begin to rise again, we must overcome a major obstacle in our path – a divided gospel.
The Capitol Riot was led by White supremacists whose racist ideology is deeply embedded in how the assailants understand God, practise Christianity, and see humanity, and has been for centuries. The leaders of the White Evangelical Church of America, whose members have twice voted overwhelmingly for Trump, have often been shockingly silent while that president has fanned the flames of hate among their own believers. That same Church must now be responsible for speaking out to counter White extremist mob violence and terrorism: ‘If your brother is in a fault, let those of you who are spiritual restore him.’ (Galatians 6:1). Only then will the White Evangelical Church be able to play the vital role we need it to play in healing America’s soul.
For their part, Black Christian church leaders have sometimes struggled to find the words to calm and comfort their angry, frightened congregations, worried that their lives do not matter to those sworn to protect them. Black Christian leaders must now also preach forgiveness and love.
I’m not saying that this will be easy. But, in the midst of so much resentment, fear, and hurt, when I sit still with myself and ask, “What does God require me to do in this moment?”, the answer is always the same: love thy neighbor as yourself. Even if they disagree with you. Even if you find their behavior despicable.
Our fear of the ‘other’ cannot be allowed to win out over this call to love. Jesus chose his words carefully so that they would count the most when we are angry and terrified. His message of love counts the most when we are tempted to turn inwards but should instead be reaching out.
American Christians, whether they live in Black, Brown, or White skin, all believe in the same Jesus. We all share the core values of love and peace. I stand in the hope that Christianity and its love for all humankind – ‘neither Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free’ – can truly be one of the tools to make our country whole. I pray that our Black and White Christian Churches will now work together to find common ground; they must model the path to unity so that every American citizen can aspire to follow it.
The starting place on that journey is not race but our shared humanity. All the world’s major religions are based on the tenant of love – this cannot be mere coincidence. Now the whole American Christian Church must own this message and act in the spirit of Christ, guided by the light that represents the good in all of us.
The first step towards each other is to convene inter-religious faith leaders across denominations, along with Black and White Christian ministers, to seek answers to key questions. What can we as believers contribute to democracy, to strengthen it and nurture it, and use it for the common good? How can we banish a lack of civility towards those we see as ‘other’? How can we, as people of faith, rebuild our nation?
As leaders, we should then collectively draw up a Unity Charter, based on a message of love, that we can deliver to our local congregations in churches, synagogues, mosques, or parks – wherever people meet to pray.
Finally, we should create a model Citizens’ Council – a diverse council of believers who look like America. Followers should gather to talk to each other, to listen and really hear each other, to strip away the ‘otherness’ and reach out to each other’s souls. Then, perhaps, we will realize how many things unite us. As for polarizing issues, maybe we will finally choose to disagree without being disagreeable, with tolerance and understanding.
Perhaps as citizens we will learn that no one is outside the perimeters of God. Perhaps we will even attend each other’s places of worship, pray there together, and let the Holy Spirit touch our hearts. Perhaps, with Jesus’ help, we will forgive each other, as God forgives us all.
This is not ‘Kumbayah’-style wishful thinking. We can do this. The great Dr. Martin Luther King, whose birthday we are poised to celebrate, showed us the way. The Civil Rights movement he led drew on the love and support of Imams and Rabbis, Catholic and Orthodox priests, Unitarians and Muslims, Baptists and Hindus, Atheists and Quakers. They too were galvanized to act in unison because there were some racist Americans who lacked civility.
Dr. King also denounced all violent protest and acts of retaliation. As we perch precariously on this powder keg of Donald Trump’s making, we must all unreservedly exhort our congregations to do the same.
My mother, the journalist Dr. Barbara Reynolds, once interviewed Dr. King’s bereaved father. His son had been assassinated by a White man. Six years later, a Black man had walked into Ebenezer Church during a service and murdered his wife. My mother asked King Senior, “Which one do you hate the most? The Black man or the White man?” He replied, “I will never stoop low enough to hate either. I have the strength to love both.”
As we face this critical point in our history there may be much that appears to divide us, but I firmly believe that the defining moments in our overcoming of hate will be drawn from what is written with love in our hearts.
For, especially in times like these, if the Gospel cannot unite first the Black and White Christian Churches and then we, the people, then what can? In God we must trust.
Lost somewhere behind the battle between the two quarterbacks, there will be another that may do more to define the outcome of Super Bowl LIV: Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is charged with the task of trying to slow down the Kansas City Chiefs offense coordinated by Eric Bienemy.
It may be the least discussed matchup in the battle for this year’s Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Both coordinators were highly respected candidates for the seven vacant head coaching jobs when the regular season concluded in January. But neither was hired. Instead, despite a shift in hiring practices in the NFL over the years, nepotism and the “good old boys” network continued to put up barriers to the head coaching role.
In fact, in a league where approximately 70 percent of players are black, the NFL’s 32 teams opened the 2020 season in September with only three black head coaches. By the end of the regular season, there were seven openings — but only two minority coaches were hired. Bowles and Bienemy were left on the outside looking in.
Eric Bieniemy is the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. (Public Domain/Facebook)
Having Bowles and Bienemy as coordinators on the NFL’s biggest show serves to illuminate the plight of African-American coaches today: Despite their success as the two most important assistant coaches for championship and contending teams, they continue to be overlooked for head coaching vacancies throughout the league.
Bienemy is still waiting for his chance after being labeled a candidate who “doesn’t interview well,” while Bowles hopes a second chance for redemption will allow him to prove he learned from previous experience.
“It’s never going to change until you have an African American as one of the 32 [team] owners,” said Rick “Doc” Walker, who won Super Bowl XVII with the Washington Football Team.
“You can’t fix a problem when the heads of state turn their noses up at them,” he said. “It’s a joke.”
The two coordinators are not short of credentials.
Bienemy’s offense has won three consecutive AFC West Division titles and back-to-back conference championships, and he is now on the precipice of a second-straight Super Bowl victory. Meanwhile, Bowles had to return to the sidelines as a defensive coordinator for Bruce Arians in Tampa to rebuild his credibility following his tenure with the New York Jets, which has become a wasteland for head coaches of any color.
“I would tell [Bienemy] to stay in Kansas City and create something we’ve never seen before since the job he gets will have bad ownership and no talent,” Walker said.
“It’s like going to the movies where the black character is the first to die.”
The stigma of either “not interviewing well” or underachieving against perilous odds continues to be the undoing of coaches like Bienemy and Bowles.
For instance, current Tampa offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich wasn’t even offered an interview during the most recent hiring cycle — though he was preoccupied with helping construct the offense that Tom Brady led to the NFL Championship game.
“If you took someone out of their white privilege environment and brought them into an urban environment how would they interview?” asked Walker. “It’s not about black versus white, its right versus wrong.”
Coaches with experience navigating the dysfunction of unsuccessful franchises, such as Bowles with the Jets, often find it difficult to gain a second opportunity like their white counterparts. Bowles, for instance, finished with a 26–41 record in New York and now can only hope that if he wins the Super Bowl he might be the next addition to the island of recycled coaches.
Todd Bowles enters his second season as defensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. (Courtesy: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Previous success also doesn’t seem to matter when trying to make the second-chance list.
Jim Caldwell was the last coach to lead the Detroit Lions to the postseason.
Caldwell, who succeeded Tony Dungy with the Indianapolis Colts and led them back to the Super Bowl XLIII, is 62–50 overall with two losing seasons in seven years. He was fired by the Detroit Lions after finishing with a 9–7 record. He had one losing season in Motown and made two playoff appearances, leaving with a 29–19 mark after four years. His replacement Matt Patricia won just 13 total games in two and a half seasons.
He was fired 11 games into the 2020 season at 4–7.
After producing sub-.500 records, few are recycled through the system of network familiarity, where friends often look out for compatriots who get quick chances to rebuild their brand with immediate coordinator positions, allowing them to fast-track for second or third chances at being head coaches.
According to an Arizona State University study, the number of head coaches of color has fluctuated since the Rooney Rule was implemented in 2003. The Rooney Rule, named after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney, mandates all teams must interview at least one candidate of color for any head coach or front office position.
“I’d like to see them do away with the Rooney Rule,” said Walker. “It’s embarrassing. You shouldn’t have to force people to routinely make bad decisions to have to make one.”
The ASU report, “Field Studies: A 10-Year Snapshot of NFL Coaching Hires”, analyzed hiring trends and looked for patterns over ten years, from the 2009–10 NFL season through the 2018–19 season.
The findings were damning.
It concluded: “Head coaches of color are hired at older ages, have more significant and relevant playing experience and do not receive equivalent ‘second chances.’ Specifically, when African American head coaches have been fired in the NFL, it has been more difficult for them, as compared to white coaches, to obtain another head coaching position at the same level.”
As an immigrant from Ethiopia, Washington, D.C., businessman Yimaj “Steve” Kalifa is living the American Dream, having built a personal wealth estimated at $100 million. Now at a time when COVID-19 has struck nearly 38,000 residents of the District and killed more than 900, Kalifa is paying back to the community that helped him build his fortune.
At the urging of a friend with connections to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office, one of Kalifa’s companies, Capital Medical Supply Inc., donated 30,000 pieces of personal protection equipment to a Howard University virus testing center.
The friend was Armstrong Williams, political commentator and chief executive officer of Howard Stirk Holdings.
“It’s really sad what’s going on, so I really wanted to do something for the community that’s given so much to me,” said Kalifa, 53. “So, Armstrong called me and said, ‘Let’s buy these masks.’ He reached out to the city, which reached out to Howard’s Unity Clinic, and that’s how it happened.”
Medical staff at Howard University in Washington, DC, give Covid-19 vaccination doses for hospital staff Members on December 15. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
With a $1 million grant awarded in 2020, Howard University launched a testing site in the impoverished neighborhood of Benning Road Northeast, whose residents are disproportionately affected by pre-existing health conditions that make them susceptible to the novel coronavirus.
The site, which offers free testing four days a week to walk-ins, was impacted by a citywide shortage of personal protective equipment.
“The donation was very helpful at a time when the use of masks was critical to helping to curb the spread of the virus, especially in the minority community,” said Hugh E. Mighty, M.D., dean of the Howard University College of Medicine and vice president for clinical affairs. “We are grateful to Mr. Kalifa and Mr. Williams for their generous donations and support of the community.”
The site is now providing COVID-19 vaccinations, and will extend the program as more vaccine doses become available, Mighty said. Citywide, 83,125 doses have been delivered, with 62,219 administered as of the end of January, according to a monthly COVID-19 situational report released by Bowser’s office.
An additional 10,975 doses are expected to be delivered this week.
Although he incurred a personal cost of about $100,000, Kalifa said it was Williams’ connection to the mayor that made the personal protective equipment donation possible.
“I don’t have her cellphone number; he does,” Kalifa said. “So, he definitely gets credit for that.”
Medical staff at Howard University prepare Covid-19 vaccination doses. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Building his empire
A self-described serial entrepreneur, Kalifa entered the business world in 2006, traveling to more than 20 states opening branches of a home health care company owned by three doctors and based in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles.
“On one trip, I went to Allentown, Pennsylvania, when the property owner offered to sell me the whole building for $30,000,” Kalifa said. “Coming from LA, that was a great price. That was the first property I purchased. But, from that point, in every state that I purchased a property, I leased it back to the three doctors. It was a lot of work starting out on my own, but that was the start of Capital View General Construction Inc.”
CVGC (doing business as Mitchell Heating and Cooling) is now a multimillion-dollar company specializing in commercial construction, road construction, residential construction and renovation projects in Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.
CVGC and Mechanical Solutions Inc., a Denver-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning company, make up the bulk of Kalifa’s business portfolio. He also operates Capitol Medical Supply Inc., a durable medical equipment company in the District, and Source Cuisine, which, in 2019, outbid the former owner of Taylor Gourmet in a bankruptcy auction to reopen four locations of the popular D.C. sandwich shop.
Medical staff at Howard University give a Covid-19 vaccination dose. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Opposites attract
Williams, 59, a black conservative commentator and owner of several television stations through his company, is known for a brand of rhetoric that often runs counter to voices on the American left. He met Kalifa about 10 years ago at the Congressional Black Caucus dinner. He acknowledges that he and Kalifa agree on little besides a mutual interest in building their respective business holdings.
“We have opposing views, but we have a civil discourse,” said Williams. “We agree on business, and we learn from each other. But, if everybody agreed with everybody, somebody’s not necessary.
“My first impression on meeting Steve was that he is very free, he’s truly free. We can agree on legal, moral and ethical things; I respect that. He’s built the $100 million health care and real estate portfolio around the world that he always wanted to. Steve’s a great guy; he’s my brother.”
The Chinese video app TikTok has exploded in popularity since the pandemic began.
With hours of extra time on their hands, many users have turned to the app for diversion, recording 60-second dances to tracks by their favorite artists. Others have used it as a form of expression, whether to vent or to perform music of their own. New York’s Baby Storme at first found TikTok to be somewhat of an escape from real life. It was a place where she was unknown and so could be herself.
What she didn’t anticipate was using the app to launch a career. The very place where she retreated to be unknown was now making her popular — and allowing her music to take center stage. Her unique look — colorful hair, several face piercings, catchy contact lenses — captures as much attention as her soothing voice and her keyboarding talents. She is the perfect mixture of confidence and complexity.
Her new single, “Jackson,” holds the No. 1 Featured Spot on the app. The single became highly anticipated when Baby Storme released a snippet on TikTok and Lil Nas X, whose “Old Town Road” spent a record 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart after finding an audience on TikTok, left a comment: “Sounds really good.” Those three simple words catapulted “Jackson” to the top of the TikTok Emerging Artists Playlist on Spotify.
In an interview with Zenger News, Baby Storme reveals why she contemplated suicide just a month ago, how music saved her life, and what we can expect from her in the near future.
Percy Crawford interviewed Baby Storme for Zenger News.
Zenger News: What’s up, Storme? How’s it going?
Baby Storme: I’m good. Thank you.
Zenger: I’m very glad to hear that you are good, because in late December you made a post about being suicidal and seemingly checked into a hospital. How did you hit rock bottom? You were in a very dark spot; how did you end up there?
Storme: I was in a very toxic relationship, and basically, I just got to a point where everything was terrible. And when the relationship ended, I felt like I had exhausted all of my energy into it, and I had nothing left. I was living alone. It was just a really bad place. It was a bad time for me.
Zenger: Did you seek help to get you through those times? And are you in a mentally stable place right now?
Storme: I didn’t seek out help. I actually didn’t need help. I don’t have a mental problem. I never had a history of mental issues. It’s a really crazy story of how I ended up being put in there in the first place. It was involuntary. But I did not seek out the help. And I would say, to be honest, what really helped me was focusing on music and focusing on myself. That’s the only thing that moved me past it. You can go to a hospital, you can go to as many hospitals as you want, the only thing that’s going to fix you is you. Me focusing on my music and me focusing on what I was supposed to do, and starting to see that progress, that’s the only thing that helped me, to be honest.
Percy Crawford interviewed Baby Storme for Zenger News. (Heidi Malone/Zenger)
Zenger: And now you have completely dived into your music headfirst. I’m sure that is your happy place, and where your focus needs to be right now.
Storme: Yes, because I don’t dwell on the past at all. If anyone asks me, I have no exes, no past relationships or nothing like that. So, yeah … my music is my comfortable space.
Zenger: You have a unique look that I love. Is it inspired by someone or something, or is that all you?
Storme: No, it’s 100% me. For me, it was just like, I wanted to come up with something that I felt was unique. And I wanted to have a look that I felt like no one else had. My look is all over the place — the crazy hair, the piercings, the eyes, and this and that, so thank you for acknowledging that.
Zenger: Definitely! Is it a conscious thought process behind your appearance, or do you get a look for the day, walk out of the door and that’s just your look for that day?
Storme: It’s both. Literally both. Totally. I like both. Some things I plan, and then some things I am just totally spontaneous and just for fun. Out of nowhere.
Zenger: What was your TikTok takeoff moment where you realized that this thing could turn into something?
Storme: That was a year ago. This time a year ago. Literally this exact time, because I had hopped on TikTok and I got on it because I wanted to get on a platform where no one knew me. At that time, that was before TikTok was like it is now. That was pre-quarantine. Because now everybody’s on TikTok. Before, people were just talking about it and they knew about it, but it wasn’t as big. I wanted to get on a platform where no one knew me, and that was just what started it. Then I started making videos about music, my personality videos and blogs and stuff, and the numbers started going up. So, when that happened, I was like, “OK, this could actually be a real thing.” So, I just went harder, and I ran with it, and now I’m here now.
Baby Storme says she plans some of her looks — but others are more spontaneous. (Terrhon Vaughn)
Zenger: Over 6.5 million likes, more than 400,000 followers on TikTok. I understand that you had a moment where you felt it could be a thing, but did you even expect this level of success and popularity?
Storme: I wasn’t shocked at all because I think it’s going to be even bigger. I think that I’m just starting off right now. I’m not in shock at all. I’m just really grateful for people that care about me enough to support me. You’ll see that this is just the beginning for me — the very-very beginning— so I’m not shocked at all. I don’t really think about the numbers. I don’t see myself as this big person. I feel like I’m just starting out.
Zenger: Your new single, “Jackson,” hit the No. 1 Featured Spot on TikTok. You made a very interesting video for that song. Give us the concept of “Jackson.”
Storme: The concept behind it is, it is a song about me being a stalker and following around the person who I am interested in. And I just take it to the next level. I just find a way to turn that craziness into a song. Because I feel like everyone has that inner crazy, especially nowadays with social media. I can be like an FBI detective at this point. Just watching. And so many people can relate, so I just wanted to turn that into a song. It’s just something that people can relate to and understand. It’s a catchy song, even though it’s about me being a stalker, which is also catchy. You don’t really realize what you’re saying while you’re singing it.
Zenger: It’s crazy because in the video, the guy doesn’t even know he’s being stalked, and in the social media era, that’s very possible. I thought it was a dope concept.
Storme: And you don’t even know it. That’s the craziest part because that’s actually true. You cannot even know. The whole story is fictional, by the way. I don’t know anyone named Jackson. I never stalked anyone, but just the idea of it I think is so realistic. Especially now with social media, you can really find anyone and follow their lives for as long as you want. You really can. It’s crazy.
Zenger: “Jackson” is so big and popular. Where do you go from “Jackson,” musically?
Storme: I want to make it bigger [laughing]. But other than that, I have a single that I’m dropping on Valentine’s Day. And it is a completely different vibe from “Jackson,” but it is just as strong of a single. It’s a low vibe. It’s very, very calm. It’s a very chill track, but it’s a vibe. But it’s very different than “Jackson.”
Zenger: You are a self-taught pianist. Can we expect more of that from you in the future?
Storme: Yes, 110%. A lot of the tracks that will eventually be heard from me are going to be strictly me on the keyboard. I actually have a song out right now called “Men,” which is my favorite song that I’ve ever put out. It’s just all me. Just on the piano, saying what I have to say. For the future moving forward, you will hear a lot more piano tracks. A lot of piano, a lot of violin, just very, very sad, but also very good.
Baby Storme never expected opening a TikTok account would lead to fame. (Terrhon Vaughn)
Zenger: I understand you saying you don’t feel like you’re that big of a person, but the reality is, you are. How did you transition from being a “regular” person to 400,000 followers with an audience?
Storme: I just don’t think about it. I really just don’t. You’re right, there is a transition, but it happened over a course of time. If it was to happen overnight, that’s a little bit different. But for me, it was a gradual growth over the years. Let’s just say, this time last year I was maybe not at 10K followers yet. I maybe had a few thousand then. You go from like 10K, 20K to 30K, and you just kind of grow slowly. It just keeps growing gradually, so it’s like, after a certain point, you don’t really feel the growth, because it just happens so slow. It’s like when you go to the gym and you work out 30 minutes a day, you don’t really feel the progress until you look back at an old picture of yourself, and it’s like, oh my God, I used to look different. You don’t even realize it because you have been doing a little every single day, and it just adds up. So, I don’t feel… I feel totally the same. I don’t feel any different at all.
Zenger: It does have to feel good to know that so many people are invested in what you’re doing and the things you have going on and promoting.
Storme: It’s a great feeling because for me it’s like, I was so nervous for a long time. I wanted to see my music career go somewhere. Obviously, I believed in myself enough to know that it would go somewhere. But still, without that recognition, it’s a little bit hard to be taken seriously by people around you, and to be taken seriously by yourself, if anything. So, for me, starting to see the progress and starting to see people listen to my music… I remember this time last year when I was putting out music; I remember thinking, “Is the music even good?” I knew it was good, but no one was really listening. When I started seeing people listen to it, it was like, “Oh, OK, people actually really listen to it because they want to.” And that’s what made me get to the point where it was like, “OK, the music is good, it’s good.” And just started creating more and more, because without that recognition, it’s hard to really go anywhere. I feel like you just need that. I’m just grateful. Super grateful, but I try not to think about it too much.
Zenger: What you are saying is so true, because I’m sure for you, it seemed as if other people’s music was taking off overnight, although that may not have been the case. I understand feeling like people who came in around the same time as you are quickly moving, and you are in slow motion.
Storme: Oh, yeah! It’s easy to compare yourself to people on the internet, but in reality, you have no idea what they’re going through. It’s so easy to be like … someone like Lil Nas X. He blew up overnight with that song [Old Town Road], but he put out like 14 songs before that. He was sleeping on his sister’s couch; his family disowned him. The whole thing is like, you don’t really know what people are going through before they have their breakthrough. I already know that nothing on the internet is really what it seems. I know enough now about the industry to know that there are so many inside jobs. People working to make something happen for a person. I know it’s not overnight. I 100% know that now.
Zenger: I wish you continued success. Keep doing your thing, and I’m sure we will be talking again in the near future. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Storme: Thank you for taking the time out to talk to me. I appreciate it.
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