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January 15th, 2019

1/15/2019

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From Virginia to California and beyond, you’ll find some of the richest and most flavorful wine and spirit brands owned and even produced by African Americans. Although less than 5% of the wineries in the United States are black-owned, the number is steadily growing. Of course, with such a small percentage around the country, it is essential that we make an effort to support these brands. Whether you’re a ‘kick back with a glass of merlot and surf Netflix’ type of person or more of a ‘turn up till TBD’ reveler, these 14 wines and spirits should be on your radar.

The Napa Valley-based winery has been owned and operated by a husband and wife duo since its founding in 1980. Today, the sibling team Deneen, David, and Coral Brown are responsible for producing Brown Estate’s various wine selections which includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel. Price Range: $40 – $125
Purchase: Online

Charles Wine Company
Charles Wine Company is family-owned and managed with a portfolio of premium wines representing the rich diversity of the Western States: California (Northern, Central and Southern), Washington and Oregon appellations. Their wines are distributed under the labels Paul Charles Series, Cherise Sparkling Riesling and Symphony. Price Range: $15 – $24
Purchase: Online

Cremas Absalon
Cremas Absalon produces the traditional Haitian rum cream liqueur called Cremas with a twist. Made with sweet condensed milk, nutmeg and rum, it is the only alcoholic beverage infused with natural ingredients. They also produce rum-based ice cream with the same smooth flavor. Price Range: $12 – $25
Purchase: Online

DESTINY Moscato
DESTINY Moscato is a light and fresh sparkling Moscato wine. The palate is clean and crisp with fresh citrus flavors and a lively effervescence. Their wines have the perfect blend of sweet & citrus flavors reminiscent of fine champagne Price Range: $29.99
Purchase: Online

Earl Stevens Selections
Earl Stevens Selections offers three flavorful wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel. Owned by rapper and wine connoisseur, E-40. You can find Earl Stevens Selections online and at various retailers in Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, California, and more. Price Range: $13.99 – $19.99
Purchase: Online + In Stores
Esterlina Wines
Esterlina Vineyards is a California winery owned by four brothers and their father. Known for specializing in Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Sauvignon, each wine is created in three appellations, bottle by bottle. Price Range: $24.00 – $95.00
Purchase: Online
FLO Wine
Founded by internationally renowned Jazz musician Marcus Johnson, FLO wines include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Moscato. You can find them in stores nationwide. Purchase: In Stores

Fou-Dre Vodka
FOU-DRÉ is a five-time distilled ultra-premium vodka, naturally infused with pomegranate, lychee, kiwi, ginger, lime and no added sugars. The 80-proof (40% alcohol by volume) vodka can be purchased online and at various retailers in Georgia, Maryland, and DC. Owned by DC native, Chanel Turner. Price Range: $44.99
Purchase: Online + In Stores

Heritage Link Brands
Heritage Link Brands imports and produces wines with indigenous African vintners and people of African descent throughout the world. Today the company is the largest marketer of black-produced wine from Africa in the United States. Their list of wines include House of Mandela, M’hudi, One World, and Seven Sisters, all available online, in stores and at restaurants around the country. Owned by husband and wife team Khary and Selena Cuffe. Price Range: $14.99 – $29.99
Purchase: Online + In Stores

Indigené Cellars
Indigené Cellars is a small family-owned Winery nestled in the upper Carmel Valley of California. Producers of World Class Varietals and Noteworthy Blend, from Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Noir and more. Price Range: $13 – $31
Purchase: Online

Love Cork Screw

The lifestyle wine brand, Love Cork Screw, was founded in 2013 by Chicago-based entrepreneur Chrishon Lampley. The six different varietals include Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Niagara, and more. The grapes for LCS wines are carefully selected from various vineyards to give complexity, balance, and intensity of flavors. Available online and at various retailers in the Chicago area.
Price Range: $14.25 – $23.95
Purchase: Online + In Stores

Rideau Wine

Rideau Vineyard was founded in 1997 by New Orleans native Iris Rideau. Located in Santa Ynez Valley, Rideau specializes in wines that highlight Rhône varietals. Although they remain dedicated to small production, you can purchase their white and red varietals, along with their food and wine gift sets online.
Price Range: $22.00 – $66.50
Purchase: Online

Shoe Crazy Wine

Shoe Crazy Wine offers a complex Cabernet Sauvignon, smooth Chardonnay, full bodied Red Blend, and a Classic Sauvignon Blanc. You can purchase their varietals online or in-stores.
Price Range: $20.28 – $26.70
Purchase: Online + In-Stores

Sociologie Wine is a beautiful collection of specialty wines that are delicious and stylish! There are two varietals’, ‘Blushing Rose’ and ‘Red Berry’ that reflects a chic celebratory experience. Owned by Amy Hampton.
Price: $9.78
Purchase: Online + In-Stores

Still Moon Moonshine

Still Moon Moonshine is a premium, natural fruit-Flavored, 100% corn whiskey. 100 & 60 Proof. Available in 5 different flavors: Strawberry, Peach Cobbler, Lemon Drop, Apple Pie, and Special Reserve. You can find Still Moon at various locations in Texas and Indiana.
Purchase: In-Stores

Sway Vodka

Sway Vodka was founded in 2012 by husband and wife duo David and Meia Dunn. The five times distilled vodka is corn-based, gluten free, and handcrafted in small batches. You can find it at various retailers and bars in Missouri.
Purchase: In-Stores

Theopolis Wine

Theopolis Vineyards is a small lot vineyard and hand-crafted winery located in California. Trial lawyer and owner Theodora Lee began distributing her wine, including a Petite Sirah and Symphony, in 2014. You can find them online or visit the vineyard in Yorkville, CA.
Price Range: $20.00 – $36.00
Purchase: Online
Wisdom Oak Wine

What began as a hobby for owner Jerry Bias blossomed into a full-blown winery in North Garden, Virginia. Today Wisdom Oak remains the only African American owned and operated vineyard on the East Coast and was the only Virginia wine served at the white house and at the 2013 inaugural ball. You can purchase their wines, ranging from Chardonnay to Cabernet Franc online.
Price Range: $20.00 – $27.00
Purchase: Online

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Under pressure Tamika Mallory defends Min. Louis Farrakhan.

1/14/2019

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Tamika Mallory (Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for BET)

During an appearance on The View on Monday, Tamika Mallory, the co-president of the Women’s March once again found herself having to defend her admiration and support of the controversial Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan, including a nearly two year old Instagram post where she referred to him as “the GOAT.”
“I didn’t call him the Greatest of All Time because of his rhetoric,” Mallory said during her appearance on The View. “I called him the Greatest of All Time because of what he’s done in Black communities.”

In May 2017, Mallory posted a photo of herself with Farrakhan on Instagram that was captioned “Thank God this man is still alive and doing well. He is definitely the GOAT.” Mallory also attended the Nation of Islam’s Saviours’ Day event last February, along with other Women’s March founding members.

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It was during Farrakhan’s speech that he said that Jewish people are “responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out turning men into women and women into men.” In the past, Farrakhan has been described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an Extremist and the Nation of Islam has been listed as a hate group for its homophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

“As a leader, as a black leader in a country that is still dealing with some very serious unresolved issues as it relates to the black experience in this country, I go into a lot of difficult spaces,” Mallory said. “Wherever my people are, there that’s where I must also be.”
View co-host Meghan McCain pounced on Mallory’s stance, questioning her sincerity and pressing her to outwardly condemn his anti-Semitic statements.
“I would never be comfortable supporting someone who said, ‘I’m not an anti-Semite, I’m an anti-termite,’ ‘It’s the wicked Jews, the false Jews that are promoting lesbianism, homosexuality,’” McCain said citing other Farrakhan statements. “You’re talking about women, you should be talking about all women, including Jewish women and conservative women.

When McCain, whose late father John McCain famously voted against Martin Luther KingDay as a member of the U.S. Senate pressed her to condemn Farrakhan, she would not fully.
“We didn’t make those remarks,” Mallory said. “I don’t agree with many of Minister Farrakhan’s statements.”
McCain pressed, “Do you condemn them?”
“I don’t agree with these statements,” Mallory responded. “It’s not my language, it’s not the way that I speak, it’s not how I organize. I should never be judged through the lens of a man.”

Artical credit was written here thegrio.com/2019/01/14/tamika-mallory-defends-calling-louis-farrakhan-the-goat-on-the-view/?fbclid=IwAR0j-R2XJ8qmnAV6mrPlI3foypBs63DWNUZFbn_6RyKfUtDtUoLxT5CbnfE

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CURED! CANADIAN WOMAN CURED OF SICKLE CELL!

1/13/2019

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A Canadian woman just set the bar for possibly many more to be healed of sickle cell anemia after becoming the first adult in Canada to be cured of the disease. She has God, the doctors, and her sister to thank after receiving a life-saving stem cell transplant.

Revée Agyepong, 26, of Edmonton was diagnosed with the disease as a toddler and has never known life without it.

Agyepong’s disease manifested as chronic bone and joint pain, irregular heartbeat, kidney stones and shortness of breath.
Back in 2015, 33-year-old Iesha Thomas became the first adult to be cured of sickle cell disease with a chemotherapy-free procedure at University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health), the University reported. Thomas was one of 12 adult patients cured of sickle cell disease as part of a clinical trial at UI Health that used stem cell transplantation from healthy tissue, matched from a sibling donor.

Findings from phase I/II of the clinical trial are published online in the journal Biology of Blood & Marrow Transplantation.
Agyepong said when she found out about the success of the treatment in pediatric patients, she was at a point where her health was declining and she was running out of treatment options, but doctors told her she was too old to undergo the procedure.
That left her devastated.

According to Alberta Health Services, the older the patient and donor in bone marrow transplants, the greater the health risks which can even result in death.
But Stephanie Amoah, Agyepong’s older sister, said she could no longer watch her sister struggle in constant pain and started to research which other centers were testing the treatment on adult patients.

“My persistence, my sister’s persistence, and they said my dedication to wanting a cure, was enough for them to just say, you know what, she’s going to be the person, let’s do this,” Agyepong told the CBC.

Stephanie Amoah, Revée Agyepong’s older sister, was a 100% donor match. She said she’s happy to have been part of a process that will give her sister a new life.
Amoah was tested and was found to be a 100 percent match for her sister. Daly said the odds of siblings being a perfect match is one in four.
The transplant, which took place at Calgary’s Tom Baker Cancer Centre, involved Agyepong taking drugs to suppress her immune system and doing a course of low-dose radiation. Amoah underwent a process called apheresis that collected her sick
le-cell-free stem cells, which were then given to Agyepong.
“Over the past few months, what we’ve seen is that Revée’s sister’s bone marrow has taken over the production of Revée’s red blood cells,” Daly said. “The amount of sickle cell hemoglobin in her bloodstream has decreased almost to zero.”

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Prince dropping knowledge

4/21/2016

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April 21st, 2016

4/21/2016

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Prince died earlier today (April 21) at age 57 at his Paisley Park home and studio, his publicist confirmed to the Associated Press. TMZ first reported the news.
Gone But Not Forgotten: In Memoriam 2016
Prince was hospitalized last week after his plane for was forced to make an emergency landing in Moline, Ill. Released a few hours later, a rep told TMZ that he had been battling a bad case of the flu.
One of the most iconic musicians in music history, Prince's extensive career grew out of the music scene of his native Minneapolis, where he lived his entire life. His 1978 debut album For You and self-titled second LP, released in October 1979, kicked off an incredibly prolific run of albums that included 1999, Purple Rain, Around The World In A Day, Sign O The Times and Batman, among others, throughout the 1980s at a clip of nearly one per year, evolving with each release.
It was 1984's Purple Rain -- his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 -- released in conjunction with the film of the same name, that cemented him as one of the greatest artists of his generation, earning him two Grammys, and Oscar and a victory over Michael Jackson's Thriller for Favorite Pop/Rock Album at the 1985 American Music Awards. Along the way, he worked with several bands under a series of pseudonyms, including The Time, the New Power Generation and The Revolution, as both frontman and producer.
Prince was also known for his eponymous Love Symbol, created in protest against his longtime record label Warner Bros., under which he released an album in 1992. His 18th and final album for the label, 1996's Chaos and Disorder, finally released him from his contract.
As a recording artist, Prince was legendary for his prolific and perfectionist nature which allowed him to release a steady slew of material as he experimented in the studio; as a result, unreleased b-sides and bootlegs have become highly sought-after collectibles for die-hard fans, and his infamous "vault" of recordings has become the stuff of legend. Yet he was also truly transcendent as a performer, regularly stretching his shows beyond the three-hour mark and showcasing his stunning guitar work, which became an underrated part of his legacy, often overshadowed by his iconic singing voice and abilities as a songwriter and bandleader.
Over his 35-plus-year career, he released 39 solo studio albums and never stopped releasing new material; since September 2014, he put out four new full-length records with his latest band, 3rd Eye Girl, continuously experimenting with psychedelic rock and intergalactic funk.
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Thu, Apr 14, 2016

4/14/2016

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Gang Member Becomes Organic Farmer: From Gangs to Gardens Documentary

9/21/2015

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Filmmaker JLove Calderon recently released an exciting new documentary entitled ‘From Gangs To Gardens’ which chronicles Ietef Vita’s progression from gang member to organic urban gardener, heading up the Eastside Growers Collective.

“I am more than what you see” ~Ietef VitaVita is a hip hop yogi, educator, midwife, emcee, deejay, youth advocate, and seeker of self sustainable life. He started the garden project to heal his neighborhood. “In order for us to see environmental improvement we must begin with the health of ourselves and individuals.”

An oasis in a food desert in Northeast Denver, CO, this project focuses on healthy, organic food. Each plant in the garden is purposeful, putting into themes that are specific to the health disparities found in this community being one of low-income and people of color.

Cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and respiratory challenges are rampant in the Northeast Denver neighborhood. This project was designed to focus on collaboration, utilizing the resources of existing organizations, businesses and individuals.
(courtesy of blacksgoingvegan.com)

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Maya Angelou has made her transition.

5/28/2014

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(CNN) -- Maya Angelou, a renowned poet, novelist and actress whose work defied description under a simple label, has died, her literary agent, Helen Brann, said Wednesday.

She died at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Brann said.

A professor, singer and dancer, Angelou's work spans several professions. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded her with the Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor.

She spent her early years studying dance and drama in San Francisco, but dropped out at age 14, instead becoming the city's first African-American female cable car conductor.

Angelou later returned to high school to finish her diploma and gave birth a few weeks after graduation. While the 17-year-old single mother waited tables to support her son, she acquired a passion for music and dance, and toured Europe in the mid-1950s in the opera production "Porgy and Bess." In 1957, she recorded her first album, "Calypso Lady."

In 1958, Angelou become a part of the Harlem Writers Guild in New York and also played a queen in "The Blacks," an off-Broadway production by French dramatist Jean Genet.

Affectionately referred to as Dr. Angelou, the professor never went to college. She has more than 30 honorary degrees and taught American studies for years at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem.

"I created myself," she has said. "I have taught myself so much."

Angelou was born April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. She grew up between St. Louis and the then-racially-segregated town of Stamps, Arkansas.

The famous poet got into writing after a childhood tragedy that stunned her into silence for years. When she was 7, her mother's boyfriend raped her. He was later beaten to death by a mob after she testified against him.

"My 7-and-a-half-year-old logic deduced that my voice had killed him, so I stopped speaking for almost six years," she said.

From the silence, a louder voice was born.

Her list of friends is as impressive as her illustrious career. Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey referred to her as "sister friend." She counted Martin Luther King Jr., with whom she worked during the Civil Rights movement, among her friends. King was assassinated on her birthday.

Angelou spoke at least six languages, and worked at one time as a newspaper editor in Egypt and Ghana. During that period, she wrote "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," launching the first in a series of autobiographical books.

"I want to write so well that a person is 30 or 40 pages in a book of mine ... before she realizes she's reading," Angelou said.

She was also one of the first black women film directors. Her work on Broadway has been nominated for Tony Awards.

Before making it big, the 6-foot-tall wordsmith also worked as a cook and sang with a traveling road show. "Look where we've all come from ... coming out of darkness, moving toward the light," she once said. "It is a long journey, but a sweet one, bittersweet."

January 15th, 2019

Under pressure Tamika Mallory defends Min. Louis Farrakhan.

CURED! CANADIAN WOMAN CURED OF SICKLE CELL!

Prince dropping knowledge

April 21st, 2016

Thu, Apr 14, 2016

Gang Member Becomes Organic Farmer: From Gangs to Gardens Documentary

Maya Angelou has made her transition.

Donald Sterling: ‘I’m not racist’ .. what are your thoughts???

Michelle Obama: It's Time to Bring Back Our Girls

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