Wednesday, December 29, 2010

So it is here. My exclusive interview with tap dancer sensation/choreographer Savion Glover. Savion breaks his silence about the NYTimes critic who panned SolePower and he shares with us a little "spinning" secret (that's all I'll say!) This was a great interview and we would love to have Savion on TheFutureForward.net again. Enjoy!

A.A+W

with Cornelius Jones Jr.

Tune in next Wednesday for more

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness with Cornelius Jones Jr.

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Monday, December 27, 2010

The Ivory Queen of Soul Dies

R&B songstress Teena Marie passed away Sunday (Dec. 26). She was 54-years-old. Details of the singer's death are scarce but she reportedly passed away in her sleep and was discovered in her Los Angeles home by her daughter Alia Rose AKA Rose, the day after her daughters birthday. Marie's passing was first discovered by journalist/author Roland Martin, who took to Twitter to report on the sad news. For hours fans and followers rumored that the report was not true and even friend Lisa Raye stated that she was alive and well and would be doing an event with her in Atlanta on Wednesday, Lisa Raye later apologized for her false information. The singer's publicist, Jasmine Vega, eventually confirmed reports. Marie's manager, Mike Gardner, also confirmed her death to CNN. The thing that is very eerie about her passing is her twitter posting on December 25th at 7:25PM Sarah Vaughan "May You never grow old, and may I never die"...

Born Marie Christine Brockert -- Teena Marie, famously known as Rick James' protegee, rose to fame in the late 70s and 80s. The Grammy nominated singer-songwriter released her debut 'Wild and Peaceful' via Motown Records in 1979. The album featured 'I'm a Sucker for Your Love,' Marie's first Top Ten hit, but Lady T would go on to have many more hits, including 'Square Biz,' 'Lovergirl' and 'Ooo La La La.'

Marie's career spanned four decades. She released 13 albums, including 2009's 'Congo Square.' 'Congo Square' was a nod to an area in the Treme section of New Orleans where slaves would gather in the 18th century to perform. Marie collaborated with her daughter Alia Rose on the project and also teamed with Faith Evans, MC Lyte and Shirley Murdock. Marie would spend much of 2009 and 2010 touring in support of 'Congo Square' while tossing her many hits.

Meet "The Gaye Family"

Sometimes when I discover new things I cannot wait to share them with YOU and Richard Pelzer AKA Lil Mogul... One thing that I love about our generation is that we can all create our own entertainment and communicate with the creative mind behind the projects. As many of you know I am the mind behind Christopher Street TV, Dane Joseph has did a remarkable job with Drama Queens, and now we have a new online sitcom called "The Gaye Family"!!!

'The Gaye Family" follows a dad a mom and two teens who live in Los Angeles California and challanges the typical family roles that are given to the members of the family and it will have you in stiches. I am so excited I must watch it again!!!! Enjoy and check out their youtube page to watch the other episodes!!!
www.youtube.com/thegayefamily

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas from The Future Forward 2010

Friday, December 24, 2010

The LGBT College Presidents: 'It Gets Better' (VIDEO)

Their group is just six months old, but members of the LGBTQ Presidents In Higher Education are presenting a strong front in support of gay and lesbian university community members.

LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education mission is to advance effective leadership in the realm of post-secondary education, supports professional development of LGBTQ leaders in that sector, and provides education and advocacy regarding LGBTQ issues within the global academy and for the public at large.

The second Meeting of the LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education took place in Los Angeles on the AULA campus on November 21 and 22, 2010. President Neal King was especially pleased to host the distinguished group of educational leaders.

“Pioneers and progressives by nature and history, and long an extremely LGBTQ affirmative university, AULA was honored to host this august group of courageous men and women who walk their talk and provide needed and impactful leadership in American Higher Education in the area of LGBTQ rights, scholarship, and advocacy,” commented Dr. King.

The aim of this year’s meeting was to make preparations for a panel presentation at the 93rd Annual Meeting of the American Council of Education (ACE) to be held March 5-8, 2011. Over the course of the two-day meeting, the presidents’ presentation addressed the issue of diversity and leadership in higher education. As a participant in the ACE conference, the LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education will contribute a unique voice to the conference agenda.

Joining the ranks of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi, the group sat together -- some with their partners -- to share their challenges and triumphs as openly gay university leaders. Watch below.

Anti-Gay Atmosphere Permeates Uganda reported by NPR

Stephen Wandera/AP

Thousands of children demonstrate against homosexuality in Uganda's capital, Kampala, in January. A bill being considered by the Ugandan Parliament would increase penalties for homosexual conduct and criminalize many related activities.

by Barbara Bradley Hagerty

NPR.com

In October, a tabloid called Rolling Stone — no relation to the American magazine — published an article headlined "100 Pictures of Uganda's Top Homos Leak." The article listed names, addresses and hangouts of gay men and lesbians.

Frank Mugisha saw his photo. Then he noticed the subhead: "Hang them."

"I was shaken up. I was freaked out. I was scared," says Mugisha, who heads up the group Sexual Minorities Uganda. "I'm like, hang them? What is the general Ugandan community going to do to us if the media is calling for us to be hanged?"

On Tuesday, a judge in Uganda is expected to decide whether Rolling Stone may continue to publish the names of gay men and lesbians. Gay activists say that outing them puts them in danger. For example, a couple of days after his name and photo were printed, Mugisha received a text message from a university student.

"It said, 'We don't like homosexuals in Uganda and you guys should be executed. We know where you live, we know who you hang out with, we know who your friends are and we shall come and deal with you as the youth of Uganda.'"

Mugisha was not physically attacked. But others were, says Christopher Senyojo, a retired Anglican bishop who works with gays in Uganda.

Click here to listen to the NPR radio report: Anti-Gay Atmosphere Permeates Uganda

"I know a girl whose house was stoned [and] had to run away for some time from that neighborhood," he says. "I've known people who have been attacked, because after this publication, bad elements started to hunt them down."

Across Africa, gay men and lesbians have been targeted for punishment or violent attacks in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Senegal and Cameroon. But Mugisha says, in Uganda, there's an American connection.

"Homophobia has always existed in Uganda," he says. "But I would say it's greatly increased over the past two years, ever since American evangelicals came to Uganda."

Specifically, he's referring to a conference in March 2009, when three Americans spoke to hundreds of people in Kampala about homosexuality. One of them was Scott Lively, who told the group: "The gay movement is an evil institution. The goal of the gay movement is to defeat the marriage-based society and replace it with a culture of sexual promiscuity."

Lively, who declined an interview, heads Abiding Truth Ministries, a conservative evangelical group in Massachusetts that claims people can be healed from homosexuality. On that same trip, Lively met with members of Uganda's Parliament, and a few months later, Parliament member David Bahati introduced a bill that would impose the death penalty on gays.

"I am trying to make sure there is a way to protect our children and make sure our traditional family, the culture that we believe in, is not polluted," Bahati said in an interview. He spoke to NPR while he was in Washington to attend an economic conference, but was prohibited from entering the building where the conference was held after the organizers learned of his bill.

Bahati says the vast majority of Ugandans oppose homosexuality, and he's just representing their views.

"There has been an impression that maybe Bahati is another Hitler, is another Saddam Hussein, is another Idi Amin of Uganda," he said. "I'm not that. I love people. I love gays, but we disagree on how we should approach this issue."

Bahati's bill — which will be considered as early as February — would exact the death penalty for consenting gay adults who are "serial offenders." It would give life imprisonment for touching someone of the same gender in a sexual way, and jail time for anyone — including friends and family — who doesn't turn gay people in.

"If it was passed, it would be terrible," says Senyojo. He believes what the law doesn't do, vigilantes would.

"The mob could definitely attack anybody who they said was a homosexual," he says.

The Obama administration has warned Uganda that this is a bad idea. Bahati says America should mind its own business.

"As God-fearing people, we know that man and woman were created to have a union, and we are very, very, very strong about this," he says. "This is our own view. We respect America for what they believe in. They should also respect Uganda for what they believe in."

Bahati says because of international pressure, he would consider removing the death penalty provisions. He adds that his bill has overwhelming support in the Parliament. But even if it fails, the current law barring "carnal knowledge against the order of nature" carries a penalty of life in prison.