Come Rain or Sunshine, KaBoom! Builds New Playground in Inglewood, CA!

At dark-thirty (early am) this morning, my Cousin Rhonda and I met up at North Park,
611 Hargrave St., Inglewood, CA 90302, the latests park selected by KaBoom!, who partnered up with The City of Inglewood, sponsored by The J. Willard And Alice S. Marriott Foundation.

How many people knew that David Marriott, grandson of J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott, was leading the helms, with shovel and tools in hand, to re-build the playground for the children in the Inglewood community?!
The City of Inglewood, Sabrina Barnes, Director, Park, Recreation and Community Services, and her staff, kindly greeted each and every volunteer, along with representatives from Senator Steve Bradford's office,  assisting them in signing in and getting to the designated area where the staff @ Kaboom! readily awaited us!

There was a remarkable woman that got us all started with a very good warm-up -
Zumba! Zumba! Zimba! - style, along with stretching our hands up to the sky and criss-crossing around the park - oh yes, we were doing the darn thing!

KaBoom! requested 200 + volunteers, and it was wonderful because so many people showed up to help. Keep in mind that it's been raining cats and dogs these past few days in Southern, CA., and wouldn't you know it, this morning was truly another beautiful, predictable sunny California Day!

Kaboom! and the City of Inglewood and General Managers from the Marriott Hotels around the globe showed up, from New York, Switzerland, Bangkok, India, Polynesian Islands,  and the United Kingdom, just to name a few places, jamming to the beats of an excellent DJ - physically assisting in building the playground from the ground up. Seriously! These men and women worked tirelessly to create a park that the children in the neighborhood would love!
After all, the children in the community attended a meeting, and got a chance to draw their dream playground, and out of all of the schematics, Option # 2 won!(See photo to the left).

The next time that you and yours are out and about, and walk or drive by a really nice playground, just think - "How can I make sure that all children have the same opportunities to play in a nice, clean, safe place?" Then click on to the KaBoom! link and make a donation and volunteer to help build a park near you. Come rain or sunshine, you can be the change you want to see...

Love & light,
Carla

McDonald's is All About the Community ~ Celebrating the Newly Renovated McDonald's in Inglewood, CA

Lois & Donald Bailey, Sr., President, D Bailey Management Co., Carla Thomas, Gino Potesta, VP, QSC & Operations McDonald's

My good friend, Lena Cole-Dennis - CEO of Cole Dennis & Associates, said, 102.3 KJLH Radio's DJ, Bigg Pwee said that he's going to be at the McDonald's @ 401 E. Manchester, between Locust and to support the newly renovated McDonald's! Everyone who listens to 102.3 KJLH Radio - Stevie Wonder's radio station in Inglewood, CA - knows that Bigg Pwee is the man on the go and the man to follow!

Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr., Lois & Donald Bailey Sr. - President of  D. Bailey Management Co., Deirdra Bailey, Donald Bailey Jr., - Owner Operators of McDonald's - along with

Mayor James T. Butts, Carla Thomas

Gino Potesta - Vice President, QSC & Operations, Akins Akinnagbe, celebrated the newly renovated McDonald's in Inglewood, CA. What a beautiful establishment - Congratulations to the Bailey Family!
                                                                                                                                                                 

Romel Villaverde, Deirdra Bailey, Moi, Ronald McDonald

Can I tell you how kind, courteous and helpful the McDonald's Staff is at this location? Stop in and say hey to Jayson Lim,Carmen Suaverdez , Ruth, Lourdes, Lakeisha, Danny, Ashley, Mellanie, April, Jesus and the entire crew - You make our day, everyday!

Stevie Wonder's team @ 102.3 Radio-Free KJLH Radio were there, making it oh so much fun!

Bigg Pwee got the community to show up and he kept the crowd going, giving away T-Shirts, CDs, Tickets to concerts and events - and more!
It was so good seeing Nautica De La Cruz  do her thing!

Nautica De La Cruz, KJLH Radio interviewing Robert Glasper

Check out Ms.Nautica interviewing the talented
Blue Notes Records recording Artist, Robert Glasper.

Inglewood High School Band

102.3 KJLH Radio kept everybody up and in tuned with the music, and the positive energy was just flowing!
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the brilliance of Aundrae Russell, Program Director, KJLH Radio,
and Greg Johnson, Marketing Director, KJLH Radio - both whom make the ebb and flow of the station run smoothly. Hats off to the Inglewood High School Band Director, Mr.Conrad Hutchinson III for doing such an outstanding, remarkable job instructing/leading the AWESOME Inglewood High School Band - you all ROCKED it!
Smooches, Carla

Mario Canali Art Exhibit @ DAC Gallery - 3.10.12 - 4.6.12

DAC GALLERY

Iconica - Mario Canali

Mario Canali, a native of Monza,Italy (15 km north-northeast of Milan, Italy) experienced success very early in his career.
In 1975, Mr.Canali stepped on to the Italian Art scene with his first solo exhibit as a painter, then shortly there after,
combining his knowledge of electronic and digital art, he and his colleagues,
Flavia Alman, Sabine Reiff and Riccardo Sinigaglia,
collaborated as a part of the Correnti Magnetiche Research and Electronic Art Group, thus creating 3-D Animations which earned the group international acclaim, earning awards at Siggraph in Los Angeles, CA., Arts Electronica in Linz,
Imagina in Monte Carlo, and Nastro d'Argento in Rome.
In 1989, they were awarded the L'Immagine Elettronica Prize in Ferrara for his pioneering work in electronic art.
 Mr. Canali eventually teamed up with Computer Scientist Marcello Campione (1993) to create a revolutionary virtual reality for artistic and expressive purposes called Satori.

The innovative works of Satori lead Mario Canali to team up with Elio Massironi,
a renowned psychologist as well as with furniture designer Leonardo Aurelio, to create interactive installations capable of sensing psycho-physical parameters which then expressed that data as displays of light, sound images and video.

There will be some really interesting pieces of Art work, this weekend, @ DAC Gallery, you can stop in, meet Mario Canali and view some really visually stimulating Surreal Art!
 In my opinion, Mario Canali is to Surrealism,
what Placido Domingo is to Opera Honey Child!
See you there, Smooches, C
Sponsored by: The Italian Institute of Culture of Los Angeles (IILCLA), 

The Italian Consul General of Los Angeles,
The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF),
COM.IT.ES Los Angeles, 

AVATARS Talk About Life - Mario Canali

So Many Excellent Films at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival 2012

The Pan African Art & Film Festival ended on Monday, Feb 20, 2012 on a high note!
There were so many great films to watch! These are my top picks!
If you get a chance, as they appear in your theaters, check them out! www.PAFF.ORG

A Lucy - PAFF Jewel - Dir:  Radhaa-Rajen Jaganathen
(1993/Maurittus/ Narative)

A Small Town Called Descent -  Dir: by Jahmil Qubeka -
(US Premiere 2011/ South Africa/ Narrative Feature/120min)

Better Mus' Come - Dir: Storm Saulter
(2011/Jamaica/ Narrative Feature/104min)

Bring Your "A" Game - Dir: Mario Van Peebles
2009/US/Short Documentary/23Min)

Brooklyn Boheme - Dir: Diane Paragas & Nelson George
(West Coast Premiere/2011/US/Documentary/80min)

Chico & Rita - Dir: Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal & Tono Errando
(2010/Cuba/Narrative Feature/94min)

House Arrest - Dir: William Washington
(World Premiere/2011/US/Narrative Feature/104min)

Inside Story - Dir: Rolie Nikiwe
(US Premiere/2011/South Africa/Narrative Feature/98min)

One Flight Stand - Dir: Saladin K. Patterson
(PAFF Jewel/2003/US/Narrative Short/12min)

Salvation Road - Dir: Karamuu Kush
(West Coast Premiere/2010/US/Narrative Short/17min)

Slavery by Another Name - Dir: Sam Pollard
(2011/US/Documentary/90min)

Sunset Red- Ian Foxx
(2011/US/Short Narrative/25min)

Think Like a Man - Dir: Tim Story
(World Premiere/2012/US/Narrative Feature)

The Education of Auma Obama - Dir: Branwen Okpako -
(2011/Germany/Documentary/79min)
Winner of the PAFF.org, Best Documentary - 2012

Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day - Dir: Neema Barnette
(World Premiere/2012/US/Narrative Feature/101min)

Angelus Plaza African American Heritage Celebration ~ The Angelus Senior Activity Center

Any and all located in the Downtown area of Los Angeles,
are invited to stop on by Angelus Plaza's 
African American Heritage Celebration - exploring the richness of our culture, through music, dance ans storytelling. There will be African artifacts, fabric and historical posters on display, and  it is going to be so much fun!
Just imagine, Master drummer Najite Agindotan and the Olokun Quartet will perform timeless jazz standards.
Actor Matt Gibson will portray Frederick Douglass during a brief dramatic interpretation.

 Today - February 17, 2012, from 2pm - 5pm, @ 255 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012,
 on the fourth floor, in the auditorium.

 Admission is free, and light refreshments will be served. - GO out and support our Seniors, ya'll!
For more information, please contact: Jeffrey Winston, Angelus Plaza Community Relations Coordinator
213.623.4352

Love & light,
Carla

Pan African Art & Film Festival| Slavery by Another Name ~ Douglas A. Blackmon| Bernard & Shirley Kinsey = Kinsey Collection

Whitney Houston 2012

This past weekend was full of ups and downs. First off, I'd like to give my condolences to Whitney Houston's Family. Another one gone too soon....

This past weekend at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival,
I got a chance to see some really good films! One in particular was called,
"Slavery by Another Name", Douglas A. Blackmon.
Do yourself a favor and stop on over @ The RAVE Theater now through February 20, 2012 and see some really outstanding films, meet some really great people and enjoy the Art and Food that is offered.

Be sure to tune in to the PBS Premiere of  "Slavery by Another Name",
based upon the book, "Slavery by Another Name", written by
Douglas A.Blackmon. Dr. Bernard and Shirley Kinsey are in the documentary and believe me, there is a very compelling story behind it!
Question: Did slavery in the USA end for African Americans in 1865? 1900? 1970? Is it still in existence?
That is the million dollar question....Tune in to the documentary and let's talk afterwards. Love & light, Carla

Watch The Bricks We Stand On on PBS. See more from Slavery by Another Name.

(all photos are the property of PBS, Douglas A. Blackmon, Bernard & Shirley Kinsey Collection. No copy write infringement intended.)

Black History Tour of Los Angeles February 2012

Mayor Tom Bradley - Hancock Park, Getty House

I am simply ecstatic about getting up at dark thirty in the morning (early) to meet up with Dr.Shepherd and the Our Authors Study Club!
The tour that is offered by Dr. Genevieve Shepherd and Toni and a other volunteers is priceless.

We visited so many different areas until I just can't name them all in one setting ~  Los Pobladores, the Getty House, where Mayor Tom Bradley and family lived from 1973-1993, while he was
Mayor of Los Angeles, Biddy Mason Wall,
located at 333 S. Spring Street, Sugar Hill
(Hattie McDaniel's Home) Little Tokyo,
Leimert Park, simply wonderful!

Hattie McDaniel's Home in Sugar Hill District

Hattie McDaniel

Consolidated Realty, Mark Alston, President.
Located at 3725 Don Felipe Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90043

If I were you, next year, during the month of February, the first Saturday, @ 8:00am, I would recommend that you and your family join us on this momentous tour!

Love,
Carla