50th and 25th year honorees were recognized for their legacy in the organization. This documentary highlights the story of how six sorors became members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. over 57 years ago. The "Golden" Year honorees were: Bobbie L. Lang, Carol A. Hickman, Maxine L. Cash, Ruth E. Robinson, Carole H. Brown and Dorothy L. Johnson.
Hats off to the women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated whom are celebrating 102 years of sisterhood and service to the community. Interested in hearing what pledging was like for Dallas resident sorors in the 1950's? Here are a couple of archived Founders Day tribute documentaries I created in 2008 and 2009 under the leadership of then Founders Day Chair,Cheryl Smith in honor of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,Dallas Alumnae Chapter Founders Day Gala. 50th and 25th year honorees were recognized for their legacy in the organization. This documentary highlights the story of how six sorors became members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. over 57 years ago. The "Golden" Year honorees were: Bobbie L. Lang, Carol A. Hickman, Maxine L. Cash, Ruth E. Robinson, Carole H. Brown and Dorothy L. Johnson. In 2009, the "Golden" Year honorees were: Velma Prince Smith, Ph.D. and Lynetta Haynes-Oliver and 25 year honoree, Carolyn Hickman. The documentary also features a tribute to members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. Watch as these extraordinary women share their history for a sorority that they love dearly -- The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Please share and thanks for watching.
The Cool Out Suite scored big as the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists (DFW/ABJ) was joined by ESPN’s sports journalists and friends, Jemele Hill, Michael Smith and analyst for ESPN’s SEC Network, Marcus Spears. The Foundation Room was packed with media professionals, athletes and sports fans during this college football championship weekend. "I think having the College Football Playoff here allows DFW/ABJ to show just how important it is to the community. It allows everyone to meet and greet with some of the names and faces you may recognize on TV or the radio, and in turn, it gives those people the opportunity to see that DFW/ABJ is more than capable of putting on a professional, quality event for the masses,” said national college football recruiting analyst, Damon Sayles. DJ Gumbo turned down the music so that DFW/ABJ board members including Past President KXAS-TV NBC 5’s Stephen Wright, Vice President Eva Coleman, and special guests Jemele Hill and Michael Smith could address the large crowd. Star-Telegram’s Cowboys/ NFL reporter, Clarence E. Hill Jr. welcomed everyone and invited all to join the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists. “We want to encourage everyone to join because it supports us in the business,” said WFAA-TV fill-in Traffic Reporter and celebrity blogger, Amanda Fitzpatrick. Former NFL player for the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens, Marcus Spears shared his sentiments on being welcomed to the journalism side of the industry. He gave lots of credit to other journalists in the room including his “sis," Eva Coleman. Other professionals were invited to speak as well and a common theme among each of them seemed to be, “pay it forward.” “I make sure I pay my dues and it was opportunities that NABJ provided that led me to where I am today,” said ESPN’s Jemele Hill. "As we approach our 35th anniversary in 2016, DFW/ABJ members recognize our rich history and a commitment to providing scholarships, mentorships, professional development programming and networking opportunities,” said DFW/ABJ President, Cheryl Smith. "We're also proud of our NABJ 'babies' and appreciate the opportunity to show our love when they visit the area." If you are seeking a progressive organization that provides scholarships, networking opportunities and pays it forward, join the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists. When you join, you support students just like the ones featured in the following video participating in the 12-week, Urban Journalism Workshop sponsored by the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists. DFW/ABJ has influenced the careers of so many journalists in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and around the nation. Visit www.dfwabj.com and join TODAY! The community came out in full force to participate in traditional West-African dance in celebration of the Kwanzaa tradition based on the seven Kwanzaa principles: UMOJA- unity, KUJICHAGULIA- self determination, UJIMA- collaboration, UJAMAA- supporting each other, NIA- purpose, KUUMBA- creativity, and IMANI- Faith. This spectacular annual, free West-African dance class is hosted by Bandan Koro African Drum and Dance Ensemble at the Sammons Center for Performing Arts in Dallas, Texas. In addition to being a media professional, I'm also a dancer and a member of BK, I dance up to two to three times a week so I’m accustomed to seeing and dancing with a lot of people. "No huge deal," I thought. However I didn’t expect what I saw this time at the annual Kwanzaa african dance class which left me wondering, “Why didn’t I bring my 'camera'?” One of my cameras is a professional Canon T5 Rebel that shoots so focused and brilliantly enough to capture how an ant crawls across the floor and this time I left it at home! It would’ve been HD heaven to use it for this particular BK Kwanzaa dance class. I wanted so bad to capture the energy of the pulsating drums that you felt even before you get into the space. I wanted to record the joy and freedom that people expressed as they were clapping and dancing; arms outstretched, heads swaying, feet kicking, knees raised, hips gyrating with a smile from ear to ear! I too danced and when I do, Im focused on just that: the art and joy of dance! Well herein lies my personal and professional struggle because the visual artist in me wants to capture and hold this moment forever and record it. “But I don’t have my camera!” I told myself. Disclaimer: Im not crazy, it’s just that when I experience something fun and captivating -particularly within a group- I have the tendency to want to film it if I'm inspired to do so. It didn’t take me long to resort to using my camera phone:( The professional in me was so critical and had me thinking, “it’s not going to be clear! We’re not team samsung galaxy so don’t record if you’re not going to get great quality footage.” BUT it’s Kawanzaa and this dance (bantaba) is off the chain so, iPhone 4 in hand, I click “record.” Scroll past the video for some important tips on shooting with your camera phone. Alas, here’s what I captured and you’ll get plenty of HD in the movement of the women, the force of the men and the beat of the drums! Axe Axe Axe! HOW TO USE YOUR CAMERA PHONE TO RECORD DECENT FOOTAGE
If you’re ever in a situation where you have to use your camera phone to capture an event here are a few tips for the best results: Focus: Hold the camera steady. Either sit it on something or try not to move while recording. If you’re victim of DWF aka "dancing while filming", your footage is going to come out blurry, shaky and doesn’t make for a good watch. Hold the camera phone horizontal: Before you press the record button, turn the camera sideways so that when you do press record, it captures the way you’d see it on tv. Normally people want to see the full landscape of what you’re shooting and recording it vertically will leave the sides black when you upload and play it back. Once you press record vertically and then turn it horizontally- well, your image is going to turn sideways and you don’t want that. Hold it horizontally to begin with, then press record. Good light: Make sure the light is behind you- the one holding the camera- so that whatever you’re shooting appears brighter. In the video at timecode 2:56, you can see how I moved from the back of the person dancing to the front at 3:06 so that their face and movement can be seen in the light. Film in short increment: Attention spans can run short so shoot various shots of good actions and happenings around you within 30sec increments. Shoot reaction shots: Most often you see the subject but not the crowd. Shoot the crowd, people faces and objects for some good cut-away shots that will help break the monotony while watching the video. I used a cut-away shot of my friend Erica at timecode 2:12. She has a cute smile :) Don’t cut off heads: In other words, make sure a person’s head in completely in the camera frame. By the same token, don’t shoot with too much space between the top of your subject and the frame. Make it pretty: In editing, put the video on top of a nice background, nothing distracting. Just something to make it interesting like a theme or a solid color. In this case, I used various kente cloth designs. Film to teach: Truth be told, I didn’t know all the principles of Kwanzaa till I decided to do this video so that’s why I added the seven principles text at the bottom of the page so that every time the video is played, we all remember what are Kwanzaa’s seven principles. In conclusion, dont let not having a fancy, flashy professional HD camera stop you from filming and creating something worthwhile. Take my story for example and use those tips with your camera phone to capture the moment as if were a full-fledged production cause it just might be. The principles of Kwanzaa shouldn’t be only applied during the seven days following Christmas. So it is my hope that we live in the spirt of UMOJA- unity, KUJICHAGULIA- self determination, UJIMA- collaboration, UJAMAA- supporting each other, NIA- purpose, KUUMBA- creativity, and IMANI- Faith, everyday. Say you’ve shot something on your phone now what? Need help editing what you’ve captured with your camera phone? I can help. Leave your comments below about your Christmas holiday, Kwanzaa or special event experiences and shooting with your camera phone or any camera. Thanks for reading and watching! Today I had the extraordinary pleasure of hooking up with Michelle Gibson, an uber-talented choreographer, dancer and teacher. My friend Michelle has always intrigued me because of her artistry in dance. Her expressive talent is just awe-inspiring when I watch her in action or take one of her high-energy, sweat induced classes. I even talked about it and showed a video of her in a previous blog. There's definitely something about Michelle that brings a whole different flavor than the typical Dallas native- perhaps because she's not. She comes from New Orleans and with that brings a whole new dimension to this wonderful lady. Who is she really and how did she get here? I'm glad I finally had the chance to find out. As she weaved around the tables of the Spiral Diner our smiles reached way before our bear hug embrace that seemed to say, "finally girl, I miss you!" Or at least that's the way it felt because we've been trying to sync up for quite some time now. Neither of us claim vegetarian but we decided to meet at this local Oak Cliff vegan spot that nonetheless hits the spot with surprisingly-filling, non-meat products and healthy menu options. Michelle has worked extensively with the youth as a dance instructor with the Dallas Independent School District. She was also a resident choreographer at Ashe Cultural Arts Center and is currently the Artist in Residency at the South Dallas Cultural Arts Center and Adjunct Faculty at Brookhaven College. She told me one of the main challenges as a teacher was meeting the students' needs while adhering to the various requirements of the education system. "I have to find ways and means to assist the students, even coming out my own pocket to make sure they have what they need because they really want to dance. Dance is a therapy for them, it's their freedom so I'm not going to let anything stand in the way of not letting them have a therapeutic moment because that's what dance is. Therapy." Michelle strives to incorporate the arts into today's academic classroom and combining the two to provide an enhanced learning experience for the students.
Michelle attributes her success in Dallas to her mentor Vicki Meek, Director of the South Dallas Cultural Center. She expresses sincerest gratitude for Vicki "being the 1st person here in Dallas who opened her arms out to me and helped me to create a foundation for myself after Katrina and still to this day. I love that women!" said Michelle. Michelle is a conduit for the performing arts at its purest and rawest form so if you're looking for someone to tap into the essence of such, Michelle is the one to watch. Thanks to being awarded a 2013 National Performance Network Creation Fund Grant, Michelle has traveled the world from New Orleans, Dallas, New York to Germany, Japan, Haiti and back to bring the "realness" and share her experiences through movement and dance art. She is currently working on future performances that will incorporate the many places, history and influences of African diaspora, Contemporary/ Modern, Afro-funk, and New Orleans style dance. Mark your calendars and plan on attending the following events that Michelle is either teaching, performing for or has choreographed. See you there!! Zoot Suit Choreographed by Michelle Gibson Dec 6-21, 2014 http://myemail.constantcontact.com/-12-Discount-Tix-for-ZOOT-SUIT-this-Thurs---PHOTOS-of-Lowrider-Cars-.html soid=1102568753118&aid=mIhW8rQVToQ AFRO-FUNK, Community Class taught by Michelle Gibson January 3, 2015 6:00pm - 7:30pm $15 at the South Dallas Cultural Center 3400 S. Fitzhugh, Dallas 75210 The Extra Yard for Teachers Summit, Dance Performance by Michelle Gibson January 10, 2015 12:30pm - 4:30pm Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center, Dallas Free though advanced reservation required. For more info visit: www.ExtraYardSummit.com NOLA SECOND LINE, Community Class taught by Michelle Gibson January 10, 2015 6:00pm - 7:30pm $15 at the South Dallas Cultural Center 3400 S. Fitzhugh, Dallas 75210 THE CITY OF DALLAS FESTIVAL, Dance Performance by Michelle Gibson Jan 27-28, 2015 Dallas City Performance Hall http://tdfoi.wpengine.com/performers/michelle-gibson/ click on link and "attend tab" for ticket info and "schedule". AFRO-HAITIAN/ MODERN, Community class taught by Michelle Gibson March 14, 2015 6:00 - 7:30pm $15 at the South Dallas Cultural Center 3400 S. Fitzhugh, Dallas 75210 I'd love to hear from you about the wonder that is Michelle Gibson, the art of dance and the power it has in our everyday lives. LIKE and leave your comment below. Get connected with Michelle and LIKE her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/michelle.gibson.12979?fref=ts. Anyone of my family members can attest to the fact that I was not born in the kitchen. Perhaps, I was not the best cook. My childhood memories consisted of us kiddos being shooed out the kitchen by an all-star cast of grandmas and aunties who cook like heaven’s angel caterers. I was allowed to lick the bowls from baked cakes but never did I get the careful instruction on how to prepare an elaborate meal or given free reign over the kitchen as I allow my eldest daughter today -who just cooked a pizza by herself at age 9. Looking back, I didn’t cook in college in the states nor did I cook much while living and studying abroad. It just wasn’t a huge part of my vocab. Now eating is another story. However, my husband didn’t marry me for my cooking back then when I was fresh out of college but over the years I’ve watched and picked up a thing or two about the art of cooking. What I lack in experience I make up in creativity so this year- this Christmas- was going to be different as I embarked on the advanced culinary task of cooking my first Christmas turkey. When I set my mind to doing something, apparently the stars align because it turned out to be one of the "best turkeys I’ve ever had,” said a Christmas dinner guest. I didn’t plan it that way, it just kinda happened. Earlier last month my friend Jasmine in Florida shared photos of not one but three gorgeous turkeys she’d prepared for Thanksgiving and from that point I was like, "can I make just one?,” I thought. "Yea, I can make just one…OK I’m making one!" I do what any self respecting person would do and call grandma…one of heaven’s angel caterers. Her audible smile seemed to say, “ah you finally decided to grow a pair and cook something big. Good for you!” No but she really said, “its easy, mom will tell you how.” Finally. Anyone would agree on what a blessing it is to get a beloved elder on the phone to instruct you though a certain task. It’s like talking to God’s operator- a blessing indeed. Fast forward to the day before Christmas Eve. I go out and buy the Kroger All-Natural turkey no additives- yes, please and thank you. From there, it seemed like God said, “oh she’s serious” so he sent me some turkey angels to help me along the way. LaDo 1 - Turkey 0 Folks from around the nation- ok 4 people- gave me great advice for making this endeavor a success. “Go buy some Bell’s seasonings…” says my good friend Nusa in New York. Don’t you know I went to 3 different stores- Bell’s no where to be found. (Sigh) LaDo 1 - Turkey 1 My natural instinct says to use every herb I can find so no luck with Bell’s but I picked up fresh oregano, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, sage and edible flowers….I don’t know it just seemed right.
Brining consisted of soaking the big bird in my daughter’s Girls Scout bucket over night in a solution of pure "I hope this works" love. LaDo 2 - Turkey 1 Christmas morning, the kids were excited to open gifts. I was excited to open my daughter’s bucket to a cooked turkey- no, not really but now it was show time. I opened the plastic bag to a fully "brined" turkey that didn’t look much different from when I put it in. Ok no prob. I seasoned the turkey with everything from butter to brown sugar. I massaged it like a 2 month old baby, covered it, prayed and I put it in the oven. With "God's operator" aka grandma on the phone I could’ve sworn she said set the oven to 250 degrees for three-hours. The house smelled glorious- like I knew what I was doing! Three-hours later, I removed the cover only to find a pale, uncooked looking turkey! LaDo 2 - Turkey 2. I was shocked, disappointed but determined. It was time to deliver it to mom’s house for dinner but I wasn’t leaving that house with a pale turkey. “I told you to brown it first then put it to 275 not 250!,” grandma repre-minded me. I managed to not bother the “meat-king” aka my husband till now. He suggested I crank the temp to 450 degrees, turn and baste the turkey often for about another hour. So much for being at mom’s by 3pm. Another hour passed. This delay kinda sniped my ego because I didn’t know what to expect but after a while the turkey sure looked pretty, a little “cajun” on top but pretty nonetheless. LaDo 3 - Turkey 2. I packed the car with the turkey, and home-made dressing, gravy and two pans of Over the Rainbow Mac-n-Cheese Casserole thanks to Patti LaBelle ;) Needless to say I came with it. Literally. Once I got to mom’s house I put the turk on the counter and decorated it with the remaining fresh herbs and edible flowers- one pretty turkey. My mom’s friend had the first bite and he swore by it. “This turkey is so moist, wow Donna.” “It’s one of the best turkeys that I’ve eaten,” said his son. “It’s man’s food,”…great reviews all around plus I got THE head-nod and wink from my husband sitting across the table. LaDo 4 - Turkey 2… ”and in this corner ‘LaDo,’ the turkey slayer!,” texted Nusa.
My job was to go out, film the dental service activities, and interview the volunteers servicing children ages 1-12 at A.W. Brown Fellowship Leadership Academy in Dallas, Texas. Today’s shoot reminded me of my childhood, only during that time- not so long ago- we didn’t get what these students received which was a full dental examination free of charge thanks to Continental Societies Inc. Dallas Chapter and the Colgate's Bright Smiles, Bright Futures partnership.
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I'm having deja'vu because I've been here before. I've talked about it so many times that I got tired of hearing myself say: I'm going to start blogging again! I haven't posted here since 2009. My last attempt happened on another site I created that I no longer have access to cause I haven't used it since 2012! One things for certain, TIME FLIES:) Shout out to blogger, author, mom and more, Jennifer Mairo Akporehe for encouraging me to begin again! Thanks sis! So without much adieux, Here's LaDoMoJo. | Old blog pics moved to new location, here! Just Moved! Old blog made new. Welcome! |
*I'm a time keeper and this one post took me 3 hours to create... is that normal? Bloggers, how long should it take to post an update? Leave your blog site or social media spot in the comment box and I'll check it out. Thanks!
Ever had an unforgettable experience as a teen and someone or something brings back those memories years later as an adult? Seeing National Geographic International Correspondent, Lisa Ling in person tonight brought back so many fond memories of a younger version of myself being mentored by her at Channel One News in Los Angeles. Even then, I aspired to be a world traveler and international journalist. I'm so glad those travels and opportunities to tell stories have come to pass so that I could share them with Lisa. Besides, she has shared her experiences with us all. Its funny- I called 90.1 NPR radio while she was being interviewed. To my surprise I got through and immediately she recognized my name, "I only know one LaDonna," Lisa said. "Hey its me, Im married so its Castro now (smile)." I was happy that she remembered me as we talked about the importance of raising world-rounded children. This evening at the AT&T Performance Art Center, she spoke about her incredible experiences around the globe from drug trafficking in Columbia to child adoption in China. My mouth dropped upon hearing and seeing some of the situations she put herself into in order to try to make people here in America more aware of whats going on around the world. God bless her and keep her and her family safe so that she may continue to do her job that's a blessing to others like myself. Great night with Lisa Ling.
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Hi. I'm LaDonna.
For more info look at my bio! It's all there :) Thank you for visiting LaDoMojo.
"Nothing superior has ever been achieved, except by those who dared believed, that something inside of them was superior to circumstance."
-Bruce Barton
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