Funny Bites with Emana Rachelle

Have you ever had a job that you hated? You only stayed there until the next job came alone? on "Hopelessly Employed" Samantha hates her job, her boss makes her crazy and she does some weird thing to cope every day. "Hopelessly Employed" post each week to you tube and face book Emana Rachelle on you tube and Emana Rachelle Fan Page on FB. Tune in and see what Samantha gets into next. http://youtu.be/lwZ767wznes

Racism in 2013: HAIR

Racism in 2013: Hair TULSA,Oklahoma shame on you. You and your misguided administration continues to devalue God's human beings. At the same time hiding your dislike of citizens, in your community, behind policy. What is the difference of you singling out a little girl because her hair did not conform to the straight texture as European decent, and the color line drawn, pre Civil Rights, which prevented two black little girls from walking through a railroad switchyard in 1950s Topeka, Kan., unable to attend a nearby white school, making their way to the black bus stop beyond the tracks. Both sets of children, 50 years apart, were told they could not attend school because they inherited gens which colored their skin a dark complexion and their hair an explosive bouquet of kinky beauty. More than 50 years after Americans, Black and White, have marched, singed, prayed, stood, and died for equal rights of the African American, there are those of you who still don't get it. Did Brown vs Board of Education need to say that not only should everyone have access to equal education, they should be able to wear their hair the way God made them? Really? People get a grip. Groups who are different from you are here to stay. That means they will have characteristics, and practices which are different from yours. It does not make them bad nor disrespectful people. Instead of saying they are distracting, try teaching tolerance to your administration, teachers, student body, and even your parents. Understanding your neighbor is going to be the solution to living as peaceful as we can. Making an elementary age child feel like you don't like her for any reason will not solve your problems it will only inflame trouble and make you look uneducated, educator. WLW

Tulsa school sends girl home because ‘dreadlocks’ and ‘afros’ are too distracting (via Raw Story )

A father in Oklahoma said this week that he was forced to pull his daughter out of classes after the charter school she was attending sent her home for having the wrong hairstyle. Terrance Parker told KOKI that he is a barber and he always made sure…

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Help us to raise funds for our next event while raising funds for yourself. * 2010 Blessings Changes Lives" We are changing lives with a $35 dollar gift. Who's life do you want to change? Best way to raise funds on earth. Great for non-profits, single parent homes, community minded people, college students, individuals, everyone who uses money. Don't prejudge, it's legal, read IRS pub 950 and get the facts. Call this pre-recorded number. 209-255-1099, English Access Code: 705754#, Spanish Code: 810267#, Ref number 1#

get more information @ http://www.2010blessings.com/invite2/?49144

Help us to raise funds for our next event while raising funds for yourself. 2010 Blessings Changes Lives" We are changing lives with a $35 dollar gift. Who's life do you want to change? Best way to raise funds on earth. Great for non-profits, single parent homes, community minded people, college students, individuals, everyone who uses money. Don't prejudge, it's legal, read IRS pub 950 and get the facts. Call this pre-recording. 209-255-1099 English Access Code: 705754#, Ref number 1# Then go to my web site. http://www.2010blessings.com/invite6/?29376

PULSE "Unveiling" stars you never knew. The Music director of "Unveiling is young Gabe Muro. Gabe is a musician and film enthusiast born and raised in Birmingham,al. Since 2007, Gabe has worked in live production, specializing in sound and lighting with various production companies like Live Nation and Tech Rentals. Gabe currently resides in Hoover with his wife Nicole and two dogs

PULSE "Unveiling" stars you never knew.Delores " Dee" Byrd Smith is seasoned actress, a spoken word artist, & writer, whose high energy and performances started in her early childhood. She's performed at The Birmingham Carver Theatre, Birmingham Festival Theatre, Red Mountain Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival and many other venues in Birmingham and surrounding cities. She is an annual performer of "The Women Gather" at The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and a mentor to many. She is the mother of two and proud grandmother of three

PULSE "UnVeiling" stars you never knew. Nasira Shaadiyah McCall has a raw instinct and talent on stage. Blessed with the gift of song and poetry, Nasira studied vocal performance at University of Toledo to further fine tune her craft. Under the alias of Honor the Poet, she has performed across Ohio as well as Birmingham, Alabama. With music as her true passion, she is currently working on a few projects to be released independently later this year.

The PULSE fundraiser has finally arrived and we are so excited to celebrate with you. I have attached a copy of the event flyer for your review. Leading up to the event the organization will be doing a media blitz on the local networks, you will find details below: Monday, May 7th ABC 33/40 Talk of Alabama @ 9am Thursday. May 10th Cox Radio WAGG-AM The Caregiving Doctor Show @ 2pm Thursday, May 10th Steele 1st & 23rd Event Starts @ 5pm “Unveiling” & Silent Auction (w/Live Performance) Written & Directed by: Emana Rachelle I can’t wait to see you on Thursday, May 10th! Remember to find the latest new on social media!

https://twitter.com/#!/emanarachelle http://bit.ly/qBEC7G http://on.fb.me/o2NXr0 http://on.fb.me/qJeml8 http://bit.ly/nHeaAG

The Power of "True Love"

This story shares the power of our stories.

Bhaskar Madkaikar
This is a true story of Mother’ s Sacrifice during the Japan Earthquake. After the Earthquake had subsided, when the rescuers reached the ruins of a young woman’s house, they saw her dead body through the cracks. But her pose was somehow strange that she knelt on her knees like a person was worshiping; her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supporting by an object. The collapsed house had crashed her back and her head. With so many difficulties, the leader of the rescuer team put his hand through a narrow gap on the wall to reach the woman’s body. He was hoping that this woman could be still alive. However, the cold and stiff body told him that she had passed away for sure. He and the rest of the team left this house and were going to search the next collapsed building. For some reasons, the team leader was driven by a compelling force to go back to the ruin house of the dead woman. Again, he knelt down and used his had through the narrow cracks to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he screamed with excitement,” A child! There is a child! “ The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a 3 months old little boy wrapped in a flowery blanket under his mother’ s dead body. Obviously, the woman had made an ultimate sacrifice for saving her son. When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect her son. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up. The medical doctor came quickly to exam the little boy. After he opened the blanket, he saw a cell phone inside the blanket. There was a text message on the screen. It said ,” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” This cell phone was passing around from one hand to another. Every body that read the message wept. ” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” Such is the mother’ s love for her child!! Dont forget to click and share.

THE GALLERY

Title: RED DRESS
Size: 12"x15"

RED DESS

ORIGINAL $99.99Copy $64.99Copy $64.99

Pastel, Fabric Paper, Graphite

"The Mountain Top" Excitment on Stage

Check out this play, The Mountain Top. It was directed by an old school mate of mine, Kenny Leon. This shows the excitement that a good play creates. If you are scheduled to be in New York this fall,it is a must see. It opens officially on October 13, 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Kenny's plays never disappoint.

As a side note: Kenny's previous wife, Carol Mitchell Leon, was my professor in college and later became my friend. As a result, she trained PULSE's Artistic Director, Emana Rachelle in theater for about 3 to 4 years. Carol and Emana also worked on the movie Mama Flora's Family in 1998 as a mother and daughter in the opening scene of the movie. Look for them next time you watch it.
-Louise

Read more: http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Coverage-Samuel-L-Jackson-Angela-Bassett-Greet-Fans-Following-Premiere-Performance-of-THE-MOUNTAINTOP-20110923#ixzz1YxWJqPyK

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162462/fullcredits#cast

The Gallery

Artist: Alexander
Name: Miles
Size: 9x12

Miles Davis

Original painting $149.99Print Copy $74.99Print Copy $74.99

The Gallery

Artist:Alexander
Name:Guitarist
Size:9x15

Guitarist

Original painting $199.99Print Copy $89.99Print Copy $89.99

WHERE DID THAT DOG BONE COME FROM?

Tia took her dog walking today and received the shock of a life time. Marilyn, the 6 year old canine, was taking her daily squat when Tia noticed the heathen animal across the street running wild. The parents of the dog were near but didn’t seem to understand, nor care, that allowing a dog to run free was not wise and certainly illegal. Although Tia did not have a collar on her furry companion, she always maintained mental control over her dog and running off was not something Marilyn would do—until today.

Within 30 seconds the jet black Labrador had crossed the street and stood nose to nose with Marilyn, encouraging her to disobey her mommy by running around and terrorizing the neighborhood. Marilyn resisted for a moment but the lab must have threatened her within inches of her life, because she took off running like she was getting away from Ted Manson.

Tia yelled and yelled for her to return, but the two dogs ran in and out of sight. Each time they appeared, Marilyn was being chased and the lab’s nose was buried in her tail. Marilyn would stop for a while and the 7 month pup appeared to be boxing with the older dog. Marilyn, an English Sheppard looking mutt tried sparing with the crazy dog, but she was no match. They soon disappeared for about 30 minutes and Tia became frantic and started worrying her head off. The parents of the crazy dog could not have cared less that they were the reason Tia was experiencing a rise in her blood pressure. Tia knew that bailing Marilyn out of doggie jail might be an option if she was not found soon.

Tia walked to the apartment complex next door where there were always locals looking for next day work. Only one or two spoke English but they all seemed to know what Tia was searching for. One man pointed to the back of the complex with his right hand while holding his eye with the left. Someone else said, “Dogs over there, but be careful.” “Be careful of what?,” Tia responded. “One man is injured and the dogs ran in the woods toward the garbage cans,” a second gentleman said. The other men looked in terror and bewilderment but Tia could not figure out where the fear had come from.

That is when a child named Eduardo came running out of the apartment building and said he had seen the whole thing. He said, when the two dogs came to their community they both stood up on their hind legs and began to walk like men. The younger dog reached inside his right leg, pulled out a knife, walked over to the man with the injured eye, and barked, "give me all your money or you would not see again." The worker reached in his pocket and gave him his last $5,the younger dog tucked it away in his front chest as if he had a shirt pocket. Next thing the man knew, he was punched in the eye by the lab. The two animals ran away to the back of the complex, still on two legs. They disappeared through waist high weeds and were last seen going into the corner store.

Tia figured these people were crazier than the wild pup and his owners but she went over to the store to find her dog anyway. When she got to the store there was no Marilyn and no wild lab. But the cashier was muttering something about having sold a couple of dog biscuits to two thuggish dogs. Now Tia didn’t believe the story; but if she did, she was sure on one would call her dog a thug. She thought to herself, “Marilyn comes from a good home!”

Frustrated, disgusted, and certainly upset, Tia gave up the search and headed for home. On her way home a Jefferson County Pound truck passed her and Tia’s stomach dropped. She stretched her eyes wide as she tried to peer inside the metal truck. She was trying to see if Marilyn had been picked up and was headed to jail. Tia couldn’t see anything.

By now the 100 degree weather, along with all the excitement had beat Tia down and she began to wonder if there was any truth to the day workers’ story. She just resolved that whatever happened, happened and maybe giving Marilyn some tough love and letting her stay in doggie jail a day or two would teach her a lesson. After all she had run off with a criminal typed doggie.

Upon turning the corner of the apartment complex where she lived in, she saw a delightful sight. Up the top of the stairs, at the front door was none other than the girl’s best friend, Marilyn. Tia was glad to see her and Marilyn was glad to see Tia. As Marilyn stood on all four legs, wagging her tail and jumping up and down, she was eager for Tia to unlock the door. Tia wanted to yell at her but she was too glad the ordeal was over. She just opened the door and let the dog in. Marilyn started walking in and then she stopped, turned around, and went back out by the flower pot which stood at the front door. She sniffed to the back of the pot and pulled out a huge dog bone between her teeth. She turned back around, walked across the threshold, and passed Tia into the apartment. Tia looked on in amazement as Marilyn took the bone and tucked it inside the corner of the loveseat, as if she were saving it for a rainy day. Then she went to her favorite corner, laid down, and crossed one paw over the other as she gently rested her head on top of the two paws. Tia could not help but realize that the look in Marilyn’s eyes was definitely one that she’d never seen before.
-Louise

***Where Did that Bone Come From is a fictional story, inspired after watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes***

The Gallery

Artist: Alexander
Name:Violinist
Size:19x16

Violinist

Original painting $199.99 Print Copy $79.99 Print Copy $79.99

THE ONGOING STRUGGLE

THE ONGOING STURGGLE

The ongoing struggle is a term I have heard used in many contexts but tonight I read the bio of a writer who talks about the ongoing struggles of black female playwrights. Lynn Nottage (born 1964) said that black playwrights find themselves in a catch-22, where our stories are not familiar because they won’t be produced, and our stories won’t ever become familiar if we can’t be produced. It’s an ongoing struggle.

Isn’t that something that people generally identify with? I know that as a minority woman, it’s often confusing trying to navigate a field when there are no mentors or cheerleaders believing you can accomplish anything. I connected with that scenario as a young educated woman trying to find a career that would sustain me and my family financially. The vicious circle I always found myself in was no one wanted to give me an opportunity to have a career with competitive pay because I had no previous experience. I had no previous experience because no one wanted to give me a job. It took over 20 years and dogmatic determination before I could exhale on pay day.

So it is the same with minorities on stage and in film industries. African-American female playwrights like Ms. Nottage are neither few nor far in-between but no one is running to their door asking to produce their works. It is a sad commentary, that when black female writers are mentioned, most people think only of Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965), or Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960). Notable writers like Lynn Nottage, Alice Childress (1920-1994), and Adrienne Kennedy (1931) from the modern era, or early century writers Mary P. Burrill (1881-1946) and Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins (1859-1930) works are invisible to massive audiences. What were these and other playwrights like them guilty of? Their works were seen on Broadway in scattered venues because the stories they wrote told of a people that the executives of theater declared no one was interested in hearing about.

Story telling has always been one of the richest aspects of the African-American life. Before we were allowed to read or write we preserved our lineage through the accounts that were handed down from generation to generation. Those stories allowed us to hold our heads high and be proud of whom we were when the world around us said blacks were not important. Family story time bridged the gap between nothingness and the courage to be proud and determined to reach our goals. Other groups wondered how we made it so well when all had been done to keep us from success, but little did they know that the power grew from our stories.

In this modern society the black narrative has been diluted because of the lack of black produced works. The absence of stories from black female writers has left a generation of people without a culture to value and identify with. Tales of mis-educated Negros, the black farmer’s struggle, ‘father has gone and mother ain’t there,’ etc have all been lost in the void.
Incubating, commissioning, producing, and supporting black female writers is the start to not only telling good stories, but the beginning to changing the direction of a disenfranchised people. If we can find the stories that once inspired a culture of urban people and give back a source of pride so badly needed, we may once again bridge the gap. Young men with their pants sagging, carrying oozes, and killing each other may see that they are rich in heritage, and have nothing to prove—all has already been proven. Little ladies will understand that with a pen she can say so much more and many will listen instead of finding approval in having a baby before she can take care of herself.

Will this article make a difference, no I don’t think so. However, it is through pure heart that this organization will try. If the executive producers of Broadway don’t see the value of black females and their stories then we must see the value ourselves. We must encourage each other to write, and solicit everyone we know to read works by black writers, especially females. We must demand to see those black works that have been published. Write to your local theatre group or Film Company and request they put up more African-American plays.

Pulse Art to Life is in the process of reading two original works out of New York by a black playwright. We hope to put at least one of the works up next year in our first season. Pulse is making a conscious effort to fill the gap until more people decide that they want to hear everyone’s stories: good, better and best.
-Louise