Vocal Expressions

James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time is a prolific piece of writing that spans decades beyond his time here with us.  This book features two letters: My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation and Down At The Cross: Letter from a Region in My Mind. Both pieces give the readers a profound and oftentimes provocative look at racism and what it meant (and still means) to be Black in America amidst police brutality, and an uncertain political and economic climate. Although this was written over 50 years ago, I realize that its relevancy and truth still permeates society’s norms, beliefs and expectations.  Injustice surrounds us all and the rules are not always the same depending on the color of your skin and the amount of money in your bank accounts. It’s as if Baldwin had a looking glass into the future because we still have a ways to go before equality becomes a way of life. And so for today, the struggle is still real. ...

Author's Bio: Melanie S. Hatter is the winner of the 2011 Washington Writers' Publishing House Fiction Prize for her debut novel, The Color of My Soul . Her short stories have appeared in The Whistling Fire, Defying Gravity anthology, TimBookTu and Diverse Voices Quarterly, and her short story, Obsessed with Claudia , won the First Annual Romantic Tales Writing Contest. Her short story collection, Let No One Weep for Me, Stories of Love and Loss , was released in May 2015. Melanie is a visiting author with the PEN/Faulkner Foundation's Writers in Schools program. She received a bachelor's degree from Hampton University and a master's in writing from Johns Hopkins University. She has a background in journalism and corporate communications. Born and raised in Scotland (UK), she now lives in Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. What inspired you to write your book? The Color of My Soul came out of my experience being biracial and growing up in Scotland, a predomi...

Another fantastic event presented by Sharon Lucas. The Black Authors & Readers Rock weekend certainly rocked!

Author’s Bio : Maurice W. Dorsey graduated the only African American in his class at the Bel Air Senior High School, Bel Air Maryland in 1965.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Consumer Sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1970; then earned a Master's degree of Liberal Arts from the Johns Hopkins University in 1975; and earned a second Master's degree of Education from the Loyola College of Maryland in 1976. He returned to the University of Maryland to earn a Ph.D. in Education in 1985. He has worked in both the public and private sector finding his career in secondary education, higher education, and government.  Maurice is a life member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Phi Delta Kappa. He retired from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture in 2012.  Businessman First: Remembering Henry G. Parks, Jr. 1916 to 1989 Capturing the Life of a Businessman who was African American , an...

On Sunday, October 4, 2015, a very good friend and I checked out Center Stage's Play Lab: Protect the Beautiful Place  by Nathan Alan Davis. Play labs is a way to showcase to the audience the development of new plays. There are no props and so the audience is left to use their imagination to envision what's happening. I must say that the cast was excellent. The dialogue was great and the storyline kept the audience laughing and engaged. I look forward to checking out more play labs at Center Stage. The Cast Kim James Bey - Gail Joey Ibanez - Ha-Ha Valeka J. Holt - JOy Maria Broom - Early Bus Howard - Walking Man Kellie McCants - Symphony Synopsis Gail doesn't have time to die. She has a house to hold together and a tenuous legacy to preserve. But her dead husband, Walking Man, has been visiting at night, insisting that it's time to join him on the Other Side. When the rest of the family won't let her ignore this summons, Gail's reluctant journey to ...