It’s Dalton’s second annual Juneteenth Celebration Weekend and what better way to celebrate than with a few familiar brown faces.
From newly elected Whitfield County Magistrate Judge Rodney Weaver, to the county’s NAACP president Michael E. Kelley II and wife Marisa, who coordinates the Juneteenth events. To entrepreneur Debbie Madden, king Milo Ramsey, banker Talisa Hale, sibling duo Brooklyn and Bronx Stallion, the Kent brothers and future leaders Faith Cobb and Braelin Rivers.
This #JunteenthPictureProject was coordinated by entrepreneur and founder of Scalp Candy Kisha Cooper and award-winning journalist Shaka Lias Cobb.
Juneteenth will be celebrated locally with a parade hosted by the NAACP in downtown Dalton starting at 10 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church and conclude at The Emery Center. A short program will be held on the steps of the center followed by a mural reveal at Miller Brothers Barbeque.
Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend.
Juneteenth, also referred to as Freedom Day, is celebrated in the African American community to commemorate the end of slavery.
Gen. Gordon Granger read the executive order on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas stating that all slaves were free. This announcement was two years after the Emancipation of Proclamation.
“God’s time is always near. He set the North Star in the heavens; He gave me the strength in my limbs; He meant I should be free.” Harriet Tubman
In a time when so many black men, teens and boys are losing their lives way too soon we wanted to shine a light on women who have suffered the same fate.
Introducing the “Say Her Name Too Picture Project,” coordinated by Shaka Lias Cobb, an award-winning journalist and entrepreneur Kisha Cooper, founder of Scalp Candy.
The #SayHerName campaign was launched in 2014 by the African American Policy Forum and Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies according to AAPF website.
Its goal is to bring awareness to the “often invisible names and stories of black women and girls who have been victimized by racist police violence and provides support to their families.”
This project highlights seven of many women whose life was cut short and all mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and queens.
#SandraBland, 28, found hanged in a jail cell three days after being arrested during a traffic stop.
#KorrynGaines, 23, killed after a six- hour standoff with police attempting to serve a bench warrant.
#AtatianaJefferson, 28, killed inside her home after a neighbor called police for a welfare check.
#KathrynJohnston, 92, killed during a botched drug raid at her home.
#NatashaMcKenna, 37, died while in police custody after being tasered multiple times.
#BreonnaTaylor, 26, killed while in her home when officers entered without knocking or identifying themselves.
#PamelaTurner, 44, killed by one of five shots while approached about outstanding warrants.
#SayHerName
Special thanks to the ladies who helped create this project.
Top row
Jasmine Madden, Ebony Hampton, Tia Hawkins, Kristy Printup, Schwanna Cooper and Kisha Cooper.
Middle row
Aisha Robbs, Cassandra Pinson, Donna Myrthil, Shaka Cobb, Ansley Simmons and Venus Curtis.
Whether it was a date night with your love, girls night with your besties or group outing with church members. You were in for a treat at Saturday night’s stage play “The Love That Woke My Heart.”
Drama, comedy, realness, friendship, family, faith and of course love were all themes throughout the nearly three hour play (which started on time, by the way) at the historic Wink Theatre in downtown Dalton, Ga.
Detroit native, Kenyatta Burse, who recently made Dalton her home clearly put her heart and soul into the play. Wearing many hats, Burse wrote, produced, directed and even lent her amazing acting and singing gifts to the play. The play featured five original songs by Burse and one co-written with LaV Davis. Above: Kenyatta Burse
Behind every great woman are even greater men and women, the cast of the play, many first timers could easily be seen on your favorite television shows. They were that good.
Let’s start with the three women whom the play is built around. LaSasha (Kenyatta Burse), Jada (Venus Rice) and Konstance (Michele Satcher).
Sasha’s single hard working entrepreneur not really looking to mingle, that’s until she meets Shaun (Joseph Jennings) and all of that changes. They fall head over heels in love and he make plans to head down the aisle, but something (or someone) halts those plans.
Jada, is a hopeless romantic, she loves her husband Tim (Marcus Linder) and wants their marriage to work. However it’s hard to make it work when there is one, two maybe three additional people in the way. Above:Jada plays no games when it comes to her man. Don’t move Tressa.
Next is Konstance, THE FIRST BLACK PARTNER AT A MAJOR LAW FIRM as she loves to remind everyone. Konnie, as her friends calls her has no time for anything (unless it’s a glass of red wine) or anybody, until she meets Donnell (Horace Burse).
Above: Three is a crowd. Who will chose Donnell? Konstance or the “baby mama?”
Take those three couples and add the realness of Jason (Damon “Big Boi” Gordon), the charm of Keith (Shurah White), messiness of Tresse (Jasmine Madden), cuteness of Katalaya (Danika Morton) , thugness of J-Roc (Kawan Powell), innocence of Nuna (Jennifer McLaurin), smarts of the Detective (Trenton O’Neal), clueless of Jasmine (Linnette Socorro-Perez) hood Shay (Alexis Carmichael), lies of Alana (Keisha Greenwade), desperation of Akeelah (Lisa Jackson) boldness of Aaron (Gene Jackson),patience of Greyland (Adrian Storey) and comedy of Selina (Dionne Rice Powell) and Chase (Vonta Macon) and you have a hit stage play, “The Love That Woke My Heart.” Above: Some of the talented crew backstage.
Here is what people are saying about the play…
Congratulations to all of you for a job well done! Especially to the CEO of Burse Productions: Kenyatta”Keke” Burse! Love you all and God bless. Pastor Pat Gross
I truly enjoyed it, you guys are definitely the bomb! I’m waiting in anticipation for the next play! Great job! Terri Betton
Play was outstanding, awesome cast, hats off to all….I laughed and truly enjoyed myself. Joanne Ellington
It was really great to see the turnout for the play in Dalton put on by Burse Productions. The play was good and the acting and singing was really good!
Congrats to the cast of the stage play “The Love That Woke My Heart” great job guys. Dennedy Wright
Giving thanks: Dalton and surrounding counties…THANK YOU! Your support at the Wink Theatre was unbelievable. I’m still in awe. Continue to be a blessing to your/our community and watch God change things! Debbie Madden If you missed the play no worries. Burse Productions will have copies soon available for purchase. Contact them at (313) 676-8203.
“There are no typical days, It could go from zero to 60 in a matter of seconds and then right back to zero,” said Badru Myers, co-owner of #1ATL Defensive Driving LLC.
Myers said it’s all based on the day’s clients. #1ATL Defensive Driving has been operating four years and offers all state approved DUI classes and similar, including defensive driving, Alive @25, anger management, ignition interlock install and monitoring as well as point reduction and insurance reduction courses. Myers, who co-owns with Tirus McClure said he got into the business to give back to the community and hopefully help people in need.
Schools such as #1ATL Defensive Driving are important to have around.
“As long as people keep making poor decisions when behind the wheel there will always be a need for schools like this,” Myers said.
He continues, “The most important aspect of the school is that we are really here to help the people who actually want to make a change.”
Myers’ role as co-owner runs the gamut from networking, marketing, management, customer service and staying abreast with state regulations and policies.
The busiest days for #1ATL Defensive Driving tend are normally Fridays and Mondays according to Myers, mainly with walk-ins. Other days are dedicated to networking and marketing with businesses such as car dealerships, repair shops, etc.
Defensive driving and DUI classes both focus on getting a person to think about the risks they take before getting behind the wheel according to Myers. “It also shows the impact of what can happen once you are behind the wheel,” he said. Both classes encompass video, books and the biggest thing, class participation.
Other classes offered by the school is Alive @25, a defensive driving class for drivers under the age of 25. Those individuals are generally still learning how to drive and would like more book knowledge, especially when it comes to the impact of making poor decisions on the road Myers explains.
Ignition interlock is for offenders that has had more than one DUI conviction and the courts have decided that they needs to be monitored for six to 12 months. A device is installed in the car and drivers are required to blow each time the car is started. The device will measure blood alcohol levels. Anger management is mostly for clients who have been in an altercation that was bad enough to be arrested, but not severe enough for any jail time.
The school also offers point reduction course, which is for drivers that have points on their license. The course will remove up to seven points. Insurance reduction is for drivers with zero points and would like to have their car insurance reduced. Class times range from four to 20 hours, depending on the particular class Myers said. Cost of classes range from $95 to $355, also depending on the class.Most of the students that attend #1ATL Defensive Driving are court mandated Myers said. Some of the major offenses are driving while under the influence of marijuana or alcohol. The other two are speeding and reckless driving.
Myers said their future goals are to open two more locations and to become more self-manageable. “Meaning we can be less hands on for the day to day operations,” he said.
Currently #1ATL Defensive Driving is located at 6740 Shannon Parkway Suite 27 in Union City. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointments only on weekends. Call 678-474-8896 for more information or visit their website at www.1atldd.com
Earlier this month Kemay Jackson did what we all do on Facebook, type our thoughts and feelings in that little blue and white box.
“Ten years ago I made the decision to quit my job, pack up me and my son and go to law school. Many people told me I was crazy to leave a good job. But I decided to listen to God. It hasn’t been easy, and initially I felt that I made a big mistake but I stepped out on faith. Lesson learned: When God gives you a vision, he also gives provision. #blessed”
Jackson, a 36-year-old attorney from Orlando, Fl said that statement was all about listening to God’s plan for her life.
“I think sometimes God tells us what he has for us, and we don’t believe it, because it seems too big,” said Jackson who currently lives in Atlanta with her son Mathieu, 16.
She continued that it’s like the story of Joseph in the Bible, you have big dreams and you don’t know how they are going to happen. Jackson said people give you a million reasons why you can’t. “I don’t blame people, because God didn’t give them a vision for my life, He gave it to me,” she said.
Jackson received her Juris Doctorate from University of Florida. Going to law school turned out to be a great decision she says. The same people who were discouraging her are the ones that praise her now. “God didn’t tell me how, He just told me to go,” she says of law school. Before becoming an attorney Jackson worked as a Benefits Specialist in Human Resources.
As a lawyer she loves the cross examination part of trials, “I love getting someone on the stand and gut punching them. It’s a thrill, I live for it,” Jackson said. She also enjoys helping people.
Jackson offers advice to women who are afraid to act on their vision. She says to simply pray on it and move on. However, work quietly on your dreams.
“People can talk you out of you dreams. Let them see you working on it, not what you about to do,” Jackson said.
While she offers words of advice for others, Jackson says she’s motivated by her past. Her grandmother came to the United States from Haiti with nothing. Her father was a drug addict her mother was a single mother with English as a second language and Jackson had a baby at the age of 19. Through it all she still became a successful attorney.
“My mother is my role model, although she drives me crazy,” Jackson said. She adds that her mother always wanted more for her children, and accomplished it.
Jackson said her mother is another example of having big dreams and not knowing the how or why. “I think about the places I’ve been and things I have seen. It’s all because my mother wanted them for me and I want the same for my son,” she said.
Jackson often recalls a dream she had as a little girl about of being an attorney.
At the time she wasn’t sure what the dream was. She remembers a vision of me being in a big city, wearing a black suit and drinking a cup of coffee.
“That’s my life now,” Jackson said. “God gives us dreams and sometimes we wonder how it’s going to happen.”
Jackson said many things have happened in her life, but the one constant has been that the Lord on her side. “I’ve had detours, but my destination is the same. I believe that the best is yet to come,” she said.
And while there is excitement about what’s next there is a bit of sadness for Jackson.
“The only thing that make me sad, is that my best friend is not here to share it with me,” she said of her friend who passed from breast cancer in 2011.
“We went through so much together,” she said. “Both of us had big dreams surrounded by little people. I think that is how we became friends.”
Jackson recently fulfilled another lifelong dream when she started her own law firm. K.L.Jackson Law LLC opened in June 2013 focusing on criminal and family law. She can be reached at 2330 Scenic Highway Snellville, Ga 30078. The number is 770-559-9917 and website is http://www.kljackson.com
It was just a year ago when Whitney Houston passed away at the young age of 48.
One of the greatest voices of our times lived in the spotlight as a singer, actress, mother, wife, daughter, and to lots of aspiring singers a mentor. To the world she was Whitney, but to her family, she was simply Nippy.
Perhaps one of the greatest pains a parent could have is burying their child, it’s always expected that the parent will go first.
For nearly a year Cissy Houston remained silent about her daughter’s untimely death, that’s until she sat down with Oprah Winfrey a few weeks ago. But an hour with the ‘Queen of Talk’ wasn’t enough, enter the memoir Remembering Whitney, My Story of Love, Loss and the Night Music Stopped.If you know anything about me it’s that Whitney Houston is my absolute favorite singer.
I read the book in two days and while there were a lot of things I was aware of, there were quite a bit I didn’t know, check them out.
Shaka’s 20 Most Shocking Revelations from Whitney’s Book
1.The name Nippy came from her daddy. He got it from a comic strip character who was always getting in trouble. Likewise, Whitney’s middle name Elizabeth was in honor of her paternal grandmother and Whitney came from an actress on television show her mom liked.
2.Whitney once lost a talent show to another young lady who ironically sang Greatest Love of All. Whitney came in second place and years later once she ‘made it’ ran into the lady again.
3.John Houston was still married to his first wife when he met Cissy (who had son Gary) from a previous brief marriage. It wasn’t until after Michael and Whitney were born that his divorce became final.
4.Bobbi Kristina almost ended up with the name “Tekatia or Takeka” according to Cissy, she suggested the name Christiana instead. “That child will have to carry that name through her whole life. You are not giving my grandbaby that name.”
5.It wasn’t Bobby Brown who introduced Whitney to drugs; it was her older brother Michael. (I never thought it was Bobby anyway, but didn’t know it was her brother) It was in the late 80s that Whitney’s long time friend/personal assistant Robyn Crawford came to Cissy about Whitney’s drug use. She told Cissy they both did drugs, but Whitney was addicted.
6.Whitney was an actress! Long before The Bodyguard, Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher’s Wife she had guest appearances on sitcoms. Silver Spoons and Gimme A Break were two mentioned in the book.
7.Remember the train wreck of a show Being Bobby Brown? Yeah, the reason there wasn’t a second season of it is because Whitney refused to be on so the producers didn’t want to do it without her.
8.Because Whitney refused to invite her dad’s new wife to her wedding to Bobby Brown, her dad refused to come. He eventually changed his mind saying he would come walk her down the aisle, but was leaving immediately afterward. He ended up staying.
9.A week before Whitney sang that unforgettable rendition of The Star Spangled Banner she was asked to record a “safety tape” kind of what Beyonce did right before the Inauguration. Whitney recorded the tape, but producers of the halftime show felt her version was too jazzy and asked her to do it over. Her father refused, “No, this is the way Whitney is going to sing the song. If you want her to sing it, this is it.” So there you have it. Whitney’s version of the Star Spangled Banner was not only unique and the best version to date, but she sang it LIVE… She told producers she couldn’t keep time with a song unless she was really singing it.
10.Whitney suffered a miscarriage in 1992 weeks after filming of The Bodyguard began. She was also secretly engaged to Bobby Brown, whom she married in July of that year.
11.Whitney and Bobby’s honeymoon was a ten day Mediterranean cruise, but Whitney didn’t want to go alone so she invited her brother Michael and wife Donna to come.
12.Remember the hit song “Shoop, Shoop” from the Waiting To Exhale Soundtrack? Well this is what happened. Babyface wrote the music and the first few lines of the song, then gave it to Whitney and asked her to do the rest. A week later Whitney didn’t have words for the song. As a joke she starting singing “Shoop, shoop” in place of words and everyone liked it so much Babyface wrote the rest of the song around it.
13.We all noticed the weight gain of Whitney during the last five yearsof her life, apparently the doctor prescribed steroids to help with her voice and it caused her to put on a few extra pounds.
14.During an interview with Essence magazine a writer asked Whitney her response to the public saying she wasn’t “black enough.” She responded, “What’s black?” I’ve been trying to figure this out since I’ve been in the business. I don’t know how to sing black and I don’t know how to sing white either. I know how to sing, music is not a color to me. It’s an art.”
15.The night Cissy found out Whitney died, she writes, “I didn’t know how I would make it through the next five minutes, let alone the rest of the night, or the long nights ahead. I didn’t understand how anyone could bear such a burden of sadness and pain. And then, someone put on music and I could hear the voice of Marvin Winans singing the great Andrae Crouch song. “God has spoken, so let the church say amen.”
16.Cissy also revealed something she’d never revealed about the day Whitney was born. A voice she heard as she held her baby girl in her arms. Cissy said she never said anything to anyone about it, and didn’t think about it again until February 11, 2012.
17.Cissy never liked for Whitney to say she was from “The Bricks” another term the projects New Jersey. She said her kids only lived there five weeks while she was on tour and they stayed with a family friend. “I guess in Nippy’s mind that gave her some street credit or something.” Cissy said it made her mad to hear Whitney say that. “You ain’t never lived in no damn projects! You ain’t from no bricks. You’re going to get a brick upside your head,” she’d tell her.
18.Cissy on Bobby, “Yet unlike a lot of people, I don’t blame Bobby for introducing Nippy to drugs or for the things that ended up happing to her, at the same time I also don’t believe he did much to help her…When it came to getting clean, he and Nippy never seem to be in the same place at the same time and that made the process much harder.”
19.The Preacher’s Wife movie almost didn’t happen because Bobby didn’t want her to take the role. Nobody knows why, but Cissy speculates that he was uncomfortable with her working so close to Denzel Washington.
20.Cissy confesses that she often wonders if Whitney loved her, if she was a good mother. She admits to being angry with Whitney, at the world and herself. “Was I a good mother? Was I too hard on her? And the worst one of all, could I have saved her somehow?
We’ve all been there; we have a party, baby shower, bar-b-que and the all time favorite, a wedding. Whether it’s an evite or invite, the same rules apply when those magical four letters appear. Please R.S.V.P.
Or as the French say répondez s’il vous plait, which translate to “please respond.”
Simply put if you are invited to an event the polite thing to do is to let the host know if you will or will not attend and how many guest you will bring. There are not many situations which call for R.S.V.P at funerals unless of course you are an international singer and actress who name happens to be Whitney Houston. Social networking, blogs, media, radio, barber shops and beauty salons went haywire last Saturday when the late Whitney Houston’s ex-husband and father to her daughter abruptly left her Home-going Service. After much speculation of whether or not he was actually invited. Rumors started that he was asked to leave, he was not allowed to sit with the family, his crew was not allowed to stay, Whitney rose and asked him to leave(not really) but the gossip was wild. Here is what Bobby Brown said in a statement late Saturday night:
“My children and I were invited to the funeral of my ex-wife Whitney Houston,” he said, referring to his three kids from previous relationships Landon, 26, La’princia, 21, Robert Jr., 20, plus Cassius, his two-year-old with fiancée Alicia Etheridge. “We were seated by security and then subsequently asked to move on three separate occasions. I fail to understand why security treated my family this way and continue to ask us and no one else to move. Security then prevented me from attempting to see my daughter Bobbi Kristina. In light of the events, I gave a kiss to the casket of my ex-wife and departed as I refused to create a scene. My children are completely distraught over the events. This was a day to honor Whitney. I doubt Whitney would have wanted this to occur. I will continue to pay my respects to my ex-wife the best way I know how.”
Okay, there is no dispute that Bobby left the funeral freely. That is where my issue lies. I think that no matter what Bobby should have stayed to morally support his daughter on what was by far one of the hardest days of her young life. At the age of 27 I buried my father; I don’t think it was any easier of a burden than it was for 18-year-old Bobbi Kristina. I do know that having the other parent (my mom) and my grandma there made it a tad bit easier. It’s a weird feeling, but the moment I knew my father was deceased I immediately wanted my mother near and my parents separated before Whitney’s first record was released.
According to Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, Whitney’s home church where the service took place Bobby was always invited despite news reports that the Houston family wanted him to stay away. Joe A. Clark appeared on Good Morning America Monday morning (I watched) this is what he said in a nutshell. According to Clark, Bobby and two guests had seats in the family section, but Bobby showed up with nine or ten. Bobby was told that he and his two guests could sit in the family section and seats would be found elsewhere for his other guests. Bobby didn’t agree with that arrangement and left. Clark also said that when Bobby and his guests arrived the family (including Cissy Houston and Bobbi Kris) was still in the fellowship hall and had yet come into the church. Clark said Bobby and his guest being seated in the family section before the rest of the family arrived would have caused lots of confusion.
I do applaud Bobby for not causing a scene, but I would give him a standing ovation if he had simply put his ego aside for the day.
Putting his ego aside would’ve been him and the two guests sitting in the family section as originally planned and the rest of the guest (who were mostly his kids and brother) sit elsewhere. Communication is the key to everything; Bobby should have simply requested in the very beginning that he would bring more than two guests. I agree that his kids should have been there, Whitney was in their lives a long time and Bobbi Kris is their sister. However, the way it was handled was all wrong and caused unnecessary drama.
I pray that Bobby and Bobbi Kris can move past this and that Bobby learn a valuable lesson. Because of his ego he wasn’t there when his daughter needed him most. Does that make him a bad father? No! Just makes him human, we all have acted in the heat of the moment and look back wishing we could change it.
Of course we can’t, but we can learn from it and move forward.
This piece is dedicated to all the people who ignore those four important letters on invitations.
Sunday night, armed with my snacks of tortilla chips and a pina colada I prepared for the Grammy’s.
Now I knew there would be a somber tone, because of the recent death of Whitney Houston, but I had no idea I’d be bored out of my mind.
My goodness, what in the world happened?
Since all of my friends are at least an hour away, I watched the show alone. But, ummmm, not really.
Thanks to Facebook I was able to partake in some hilarious dialogue.
I must admit, I don’t have over 600 friends because of popularity, out of that bunch are definitely some characters.
Speaking of characters, shout out to Little Red Riding Hood for making an appearance last night. Oh wait, that was Nicki Minaj! Where in the world is the Big Bad Wolf when we need him? I prayed so hard he’d show up and eat her, but he didn’t. Moving on…
Chris Brown, welcome back, but one performance of dancing was enough. Before I share some of my status updates because they are quite entertaining (or is it timeline updates now). Anyway, let me just say to the people who were expecting Jennifer Hudson to sing as great as Whitney did…Um Really? Nobody and I do mean nooooooBODY will or can ever sing “I Will Always Love You” like Whitney. Not even the original artist Dolly Parton (no disrespect Miss 9 to 5).
Jennifer did a wonderful job, given the time she had to prepare and considering how much Whitney meant to her. (Round of applause for Jhud).
With that being said, here are my posts from last night during the show, in no particular order. Enjoy!
“I’m sad all over again. A tribute to Whitney doesn’t seem right, but Jennifer did a great job under the circumstances. And she looked great. Whitney I love you always.”
“No lie, I like Blake Shelton. He’s so country, love that voice.”
“Now THIS is a performance! #Adele”
“Is Katie Perry paying tribute to Blue Ivy or something?”
“Yall still awake?”
“Lol, someone called them Beach Grandpas.”
“Yes LL! Prayer!Amen!”
“Shout out to Tina Turner for allowing Rihanna to wear her wig.”
“Fergie, my grandma said, you need a slip baby.”
“Somebody said Bruno Mars looks like El Debarge and Gloria Estefan’s love child! Lol”
“I ain’t gonna lie; I dozed off for about five minutes.”
This piece is dedicated to everyone who kept me laughing during the awards show. I never want to watch a major show with my Facebook Family.
The year was 1985.
I was in my grandma’s small kitchen in Alabama participating in a Star Search-type talent show with my aunt and cousins. My aunt gave us each a “microphone”; mine was a wooden broomstick. I begin to sing along with the cassette playing in the background with my family. I believe the children are our future/teach them well and let them lead the way/show them all the beauty they possess inside/give them a sense of pride/to make it easier/let the children’s laughter/remind us how we use to be.
It was then I fell in love with THAT voice. My aunt always had a beautiful voice, but Whitney, her voice was amazing. Could I even spell “amazing” at the age of 6? Probably not, but I knew it.
As the years went by, I continued to be schooled in Whitney Houston 101. Skipping down the long, dirt road with my cousins thinking about whatever boy I liked that week and singing. There’s a boy, I know, he’s the boy I dreamed of/look into my eyes take me to the clouds of above…/How will I know if he really loves me?/I say a prayer with every heartbeat/I fall in love, whenever we meet/I’m asking you, what you know about these things?
Really Shaka? What did I know about love? Absolutely nothing, until a few years later. March 27, 1989, to be exact, when the first of my three younger sisters was born.
After two brothers, I was ecstatic to have a sister! I begged, I mean BEGGED my mom to name her after my favorite singer. My stepfather was sold on the name Monique. So my mom obliged us both — Whitney Monique is her name.
Throughout the years, Whitney Houston’s work remained a soundtrack to my life. I sang along in my car, at my desk, in the shower, in the kitchen. Wherever I heard THAT voice, I was her imaginary background singer.
When she crossed over to movies, that was like the icing on the cake for Whitney fans. The Bodyguard (great movie, even greater soundtrack), Waiting to Exhale (She put a face to Savannah, and did she not sing the hell out of Exhale, Shoop, Shoop?) Because, she was right: Everyone falls/in love sometimes/sometimes its wrong/sometimes it’s right/for every win/someone must fail/but there comes a point when/when you exhale.
Everyone knows Whitney started singing in church,so it was no surprise that she more than held her own in The Preacher’s Wife. She actually shined alongside Denzel Washington. I mean really, who shines next to Denzel?
Like most fans, I was disappointed when Whitney went through her troubles earlier in the decade. But I also understood she is human and had problems just like the next woman. Unfortunately, hers were played out for the world to see and judge. I pray these “judges” don’t live in glass houses.
On Saturday around 8 p.m., I was preparing to watch The Voice (how ironic, right?) when suddenly I saw a look of shock on my husband’s face. He had his phone in his hand. I inquired about his worried look, and he told me that somebody said Whitney Houston died.
Immediately I thought of a “viral death”, but I grabbed my phone to check. He said the Associated Press was reporting it. I still didn’t believe him; yes I have great respect for the AP, but at that moment, they were just wrong. They had to be.
So I logged onto Facebook; surely one of my journalist friends will shoot down this rumor like they did others. But sadly, I saw confirmation from two journalists’ timelines, one of whom is an AP reporter. Honestly, I still didn’t want to believe it, but I did and immediately broke into tears.
I remember crying in my husband’s arms as he quietly held me. Our 12-year-old niece was startled by my weeping. I heard him tell her, “Her favorite singer died.”
Suddenly I felt five small fingers rubbing my back as I sobbed uncontrollably. I couldn’t stop crying and my legs wouldn’t stop shaking. I was devastated.
I thought of Whitney’s daughter Bobbi Kristina, who has to bury her mom. Speaking from experience, burying a parent is hard. I also thought of Whitney’s mother Cissy Houston, who has to bury her child, which no parent wants to do. Between my tears and own grief, I said a prayer for them.
I also thought of all the artists who Whitney paved the way for: Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Brandy, Alicia Keys — the list goes on. If there was no Whitney, I doubt if we would have known these stars.
And I thought of all the women who stood in front of mirrors with hairbrushes, ink pens, broomsticks and other objects they used as mics singing their favorite Whitney tune, on and off key.
I sit here writing, with the I’m Your Baby Tonight cassette next to me, listening to my favorite songs by her on YouTube. I write and I remember.
I remember the greatest of all, Ms. Whitney Elizabeth Houston.
This piece is dedicated to my aunt Ethel Battle, who many years ago introduced me to a great woman and even greater music.
Pieces of Cobb 