Category: Perspectives

Point of views, angles and perspectives that are sometimes religious

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‘The Price We Pay:’ Teenager’s story underscores systemic impact of racial prejudice

CHICAGO, Ill. — Author Nikki T. Anthony invites readers into the world and mind of a modern-day Black teenager in her new book, The Price We Pay — the title a nod to the widespread impact of racial prejudice in communities, businesses, schools, families and even churches.

 

“The Price We Pay isn’t just a book. It’s a movement to get hard conversations started,” Anthony said. “When difficult conversations become productive, they improve relationships.”

 

The story centers on Zenetta Henchman, a teenage girl with a rebellious streak who is navigating strained relationships with her parents, difficult interactions with her teachers, and complicated feelings about her faith. In the backdrop is a community facing a growing racial divide due to unresolved and unaddressed past injustices.

 

All of this compounds to give Zenetta a “one life to live and a nothing else to lose” attitude. She speaks more than she listens and refuses to take orders quietly. But when she witnesses a fatal incident that rocks and divides her community, Zenetta falls silent, and she and those closest to her suffer the consequences of her inaction.

 

What follows are a string of deliberate attacks against Zenetta and the people she cares about, especially Tootsie, the free-spirited, colorful personality that paints a different picture of the world in Zenetta’s eyes. Tribal tensions flare, sparking an all-out explosion after Zenetta’s father, the only Black officer on the force, chooses the wrong side of the law when the community, but more importantly when Zenetta, needs him most. It’s not long after her father’s betrayal that Zenetta discovers there is always a price to be paid when those who could speak up choose to remain silent.

 

The Price We Pay weaves real-world issues surrounding racial prejudice with the emotional drama, trauma and tension that conflicts — and often torments — Zenetta, giving rise to a story that Anthony hopes will leave readers asking themselves what price they are willing to pay for silence … or for speaking up.

 

“When people can’t talk to one another, they talk about each other. That’s when misunderstandings grow as trust diminishes and suspicions increase,” Anthony added.

 

“We want to open the door to mature discussion by allowing people from all walks of life to use The Price We Pay as a starting point for healthy conversations around racial issues that can produce real change.”

 

Advance Praise for The Price We Pay
“The To Kill a Mockingbird of the 21st Century — but from a Black perspective.”
—    Ned Barnett, CEO of Barnett Marketing Communications

 

“I haven’t read a book that intertwined history, fact, and fiction so prolifically since BeBe Moore Campbell’s What You Owe Me, or a main character so young but beyond her years in enthralling experiences since Sister Souljah’s The Coldest Winter Ever.”
—     National Bestselling Author E. N. Joy

 

“This book not only told a personal story, but it also told a realistic one that we as African Americans are living through today.”
—     BETA Reviewer

 

About the Author
Nikki T. Anthony is a multi-faceted author and serial entrepreneur who transformed from corporate technical writer, to highly sought after ghostwriter, literary consultant and content developer. Her writings are best known for epic plot twists, enthralling language and richly detailed African American characters.

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Art & Life Culture Lifestyle Perspectives Regulations & Security

Bar crawl through a blizzard leads to to unforgettable ‘First Date’

CINCINNATI, Ohio — It was a dark and snowy night, and Jack and Aria should have been dead. Instead, they find themselves shivering on a riverbank, having survived a fall from a suspension bridge into the currents and debris of the Ohio River. Lucky enough to slam into an anchored barge, they emerge from the water stunned, bruised and still somewhat drunk. Now, they must work their way through the muck of the riverside to solid ground. Fully intent on ending it all just minutes before, Jack finds himself clinging to Aria for dear life — a life he feels just might be worth living after all.

 

 

In First Date, the new book from Mark E. Scott, readers follow Jack and Aria through the next eight hours of their story — hours harrowing, ludicrous and poignant — as they grapple with law enforcement, EMTs, firemen and the medical system. Confronted by an over-zealous sheriff’s deputy, the formidable Nurse Rita, and an inebriated priest with anger management issues, they are forced to navigate the immediate aftermath of their bifurcated bar crawl through a blizzard.

First Date is a story of individuals haunted by suicide, remorse and unanswered questions: questions whose answers are not to be found in the bottom of a bottle. Secrets are revealed and souls are bared, but answers are still elusive. For now, they only have each other, a dollar store notebook and a teddy bear.

First Date is the second installment in Scott’s three-part, Day in the Life series, in which the unexpected, twisted saga of Jack and Aria unfolds over a combined period of 24 hours. Book One, Drunk Log, was released in 2022 and traces the first eight hours of Jack’s unsteady march toward his intended demise.

About the Author

Born in the small manufacturing town of Galion, Ohio, author Mark E. Scott lived in various burgs in Ohio and Michigan before joining the Navy and spending four years traveling the world aboard the USS Mount Whitney. Upon returning home to southwest Ohio, he enrolled at Miami University and completed a degree in Education, only to become a banker soon thereafter. Scott now lives happily in a condo in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. In his free time, he enjoys writing, finding new and creative ways of tricking his children into answering their phones, and anything related to travel and outdoors, of late including tumbling down snow covered mountains while dragging otherwise perfectly good skis behind him.

For more information, please visit www.markescottauthor.com, or connect with him on Instagram (markescottauthor) and Facebook (Mark E. Scott, Author).

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From legends to next-gen artists, HCR plays Hip Hop that uplifts and inspires

WILMINGTON, Del. — Holy Culture Radio on SiriusXM channel 154 is a full-time edutainment channel featuring a mix of Hip Hop superstars like Lecrae, Trip Lee and A.I. The Anomaly, plus inspirational talk shows that speak to the African American experience.

 

Since its bold move to a 24-hour channel in April 2022, many listeners have tuned in to hear and experience HCR’s diverse programming, which includes:

 

• 116 Life with Reach Records execs Marcus Hollinger and Ace Harris, featuring exclusive world premieres of new music and riveting conversations with VIP guests.

 

• 3rd Coast Fiyah, a kaleidoscope of CHH and urban gospel hosted by DJ D-Lite.

 

• DJ Wade-O, one of the most powerful voices in all of Christian Hip Hop.

 

• The multiple award-winning Da Fixx Morning Radio show.

 

• Old School Sounds, hosted by DJ D-Lite, takes listeners back to the genre’s beginnings.

 

• The Underground Gospel Hip Hop Show, where Jay Williams helps to launch indie faith-based artists, personifying the notion of having a great time while inspiring listeners with meaningful messages.

 

• K.I.N.G. Talks, with open discussions on life to create an environment of effective communication and an atmosphere of compassion and understanding.

 

• Church on the Block, where Pastor Phil Jackson, Pastah J and DJ Ruckus engage in all-encompassing discussions and theological breakdowns of hip-hop and street culture and how the church can deliver hope. … and many more.

 

HCR and its affiliated website www.HolyCulture.net and social media channels are owned and operated by The Corelink Solution, a nonprofit founded by James “Trig” Rosseau with the purpose of helping people develop their passion and purpose, create an informed plan and use provided tools to help them succeed, while establishing accountability and ownership.

 

“There has always been a question of whether there is a market for Christian hip-hop music,” Rosseau said. “I believe our audience has shown that the genre has broad viability given the above average listener engagement we’ve seen across our 14 shows and music mixes as we play a wide diversity of Christian Hip Hop artists.”

 

Learn more at www.holyculture.net, or follow Holy Culture on Twitter (holyculture), Instagram (holyculture), YouTube (holyculture), Facebook (holyculturenet) and TikTok (@holyculture.net).

 

About James “Trig” Rosseau

James B. Rosseau, Sr., known by many as “Trig,” is the founder and CEO of The Corelink Solution (https://thecorelinksolution.com/), a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization committed to revitalizing communities through programs that empower people to reach their potential. He brings 20-plus years of expertise in creating growth and driving transformation, leveraging his unique blend of revenue generation and business acumen with his ability to skillfully assemble and lead high-performing teams.

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Art & Life Culture Lifestyle Perspectives Programs & Events

THE GAAGA, a new site specific phantasmagoria shows at Beat Brew Hall in Harvard Sq.

NEEDHAM, Mass. –– Arlekin Players Theatre & (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab, an award-winning, artist-driven theater company helmed by Ukrainian-born artistic director Igor Golyak,  announces on May 30 the U.S. Premiere of THE GAAGA, a new site specific phantasmagoria written and directed by celebrated Ukrainian playwright and director Sasha Denisova.

THE GAAGA is presented at the abandoned Beat Brew Hall restaurant in Harvard Square, converted into a bomb shelter. The production is co-directed by Igor Golyak who is designing the virtual elements which will stream worldwide. The in-person performances run June 2-18; the virtual June 8-18.

Developed through first-person interviews with refugees and officials, and inspired by world events, THE GAAGA is a darkly funny, haunting and fantastical trip through the consequences of war. Set in a bomb shelter, a Ukrainian girl dreams Vladimir Putin and his cronies into a courtroom and tries them for crimes of war. The playwright and director, Sasha Denisova, a widely celebrated theater maker from Ukraine, fled Moscow in the first days of war and has been living as a refugee in Poland, where she interviewed refugees, officials and studies publicly available materials to create THE GAAGA. She directed the world premiere in February, 2023 at Theatre Polski, the oldest theater in Poland. “In the first days of the war, I fled from Moscow, where the police came for me. Russia bombed Kyiv and my mother, Olga Denisova, who was born under the bombing of Kyiv on July 7, 1941. She refuses to leave and awaits victory in her home. During these months, I thought about what would give hope to me and those who fled the war. A trial of Putin and his government was the biggest expectation. A new “The Hague” – The Gaaga,” says Denisova.

In the months after the war broke out, Igor Golyak and Sara Stackhouse of Arlekin spoke with the displaced Denisova several times on Zoom while they were working on The Orchard in New York. Golyak, who was born in Kyiv, explains, “I have long been influenced by Sasha’s brilliant productions, her explosion of ideas, their scope and spectacle, and the way her plays turn tragedy into comedy, exposing our humanity. When we talked about her idea for The Gaaga, we immediately commissioned her to write it and invited her to come to Boston to create it with the Arlekin company.” Arlekin’s production marks the US premiere for THE GAAGA, and the team made the decision not to set it in a theater, but instead in a converted restaurant – Harvard Square’s Beat Brew Hall – which closed during the pandemic.

Transforming the venue into a makeshift bomb shelter has been the work of environmental designer Irina Kruzhilina, collaborating closely with Denisova and an international design team that includes composers Jacek Jędrasik & Shimon Zyms (Poland), streaming video designer Eric Dunlap (Berlin), Boston-based lighting designer Kevin Fulton, costume designer David R. Gammons, sound designer Brendan Patrick Doyle, with Arlekin company members Irina Vilenchik designing props and Anna Furman overseeing hair and makeup. The project is co-directed by Igor Golyak who is designing and technically directing the virtual production. The producer is Sara Stackhouse.

THE GAAGA is experienced through the eyes of a Ukrainian teen who has lost her entire family in the war, situated in a bomb shelter. Taisiia Fedorenko is a 17 year old Ukrainian refugee who has been in the US, without her family, since the beginning of the war; she is playing the role of The Girl. She is joined by 17 other cast members, including Boston favorites Anne Gottlieb, Dev Luthra, Robert Pemberton and Robert Walsh, Arlekin company members Boris Berdnikov, Irina Bordian, Jenya Brodskaia, Darya Denisova, Polina Dubovikova, Julia Shikh, Misha Tyutyunik and Irina Vilenchik, Ukrainian actor Ilia Volok, with Jeremy Beazlie, Daniel Boudreau, Michael Saenz, and Garrett Sands.

The project is part of Arlekin’s #Artists4Ukraine Initiative, which has included multimedia site-specific staged readings of JUST TELL NO ONE, directed by Golyak, presented at Lincoln Center in March and hosted at Huntington Theatre Boston in April. Launched within days of the start of the war in Ukraine, #Artists4Ukraine has raised significant funds for Ukrainian humanitarian organizations and for the Center for International Theatre Development’s Worldwide Ukrainian Play Readings project. In summer 2022, Igor Golyak traveled with actress Jessica Hecht, her Campfire Project, and IsraAID to lead artistic workshops with refugee women and children living in Moldova. Arlekin Players is a theater of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, committed to lifting up the talented playwrights and theater-makers of Ukraine and amplifying their voices during this time of war.

Details At-A-Glance

Arlekin Players Theatre and (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab present

A site-specific phantasmagoria | US Premiere

Written and Directed by Sasha Denisova

Co-Directed by Igor Golyak

Produced by Sara Stackhouse

Environmental Design by Irina Kruzhilina

Lighting Design by Kevin Fulton

Costume Design by David R. Gammons

Music Composed by Jacek Jędrasik & Shimon Zyms

Sound Design by Brendan Patrick Doyle

Streaming Video Design by Eric Dunlap

Virtual Design & Technical Direction by Igor Golyak

Properties by Irina Vilenchik with Julia Shikh

Hair & Makeup by Anna Furman

Translation by Polina Dubovikova and Theresa Lang

Production Stage Manager, Kyra Bowie

Assistant Stage Manager, Natasha Kushnarova

Production Manager, Sara Stackhouse

Technical Director, Justin Lahue

Scenic Associate, Thijs Beuming

Wardrobe Supervisor, Alla Trachtenberg

Wardrobe Assistant, Natasha Mitlina

Cameras Operator, Denis Denisov

Maestro Interactive Platform Design, ArtCat

Networking Support, Seth Graham

Production Assistant, Emma Resek

General Manager, Mark W. Soucy

House Manager, Marianna Golyak

In Person | BEAT BREW HALL, 13 Brattle St, Harvard Square JUNE 2-18

Virtually Online | Streaming Worldwide JUNE 8-18

June 2 – Preview, 8:00pm In Person Only

June 3 – Preview, 8:00pm In Person Only

June 4 – Preview, 2:00pm In Person Only

June 5 – Press Opening, 7:30pm In Person Only

June 8 – Performance 7:30pm In Person & Virtual

June 9 – Performance 8:00pm In Person & Virtual

June 10 – Performances 3:00pm & 8:00pm In Person & Virtual

June 11 – Performance 2:00pm In Person & Virtual

June 15 – Performance 7:30pm In Person & Virtual

June 16 – Performance 8:00 In Person & Virtual

June 17 – Performances 3:00pm & 8:00pm In Person & Virtual

June 18 – Performance 2:00pm In Person & Virtual

Tickets & Info: www.arlekinplayers.com

Arlekin Players Theatre was founded by Artistic Director Igor Golyak in 2009 and has since toured to New York, Chicago, and Hartford, as well as to international festivals in Russia, Armenia, Ukraine, and Monaco. Most recently Arlekin produced The Orchard featuring Jessica Hecht and Mikhail Baryshnikov, both Off-Broadway and in Boston. Arlekin received world-wide acclaim, including two New York Times Critic’s Picks, for their groundbreaking virtual theater projects during the pandemic, including of State vs Natasha Banina and chekhovOS /an experimental game/ featuring Mikhail Baryshnikov as Anton Chekhov. Arlekin has received multiple awards for its work including four 2020 Elliot Norton Awards from the Boston Theater Critics Association for recent productions of The Stone and The Seagull. Arlekin takes strong pride in their emphasis on self-identity; they are a company of immigrants performing works that play on the ideas of cross-culture, home, and traditions, challenging the idea of nationality, and finding common themes that unite us all. In 2020, Arlekin launched its Zero Gravity (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab to explore new theater possibilities for a new time. The company makes its home in Needham, MA. For more information, visit www.arlekinplayers.com

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Friend forever, factor in Twin Towers tribute

The adage is still true: Time heals. As passionate as I used to be about a close male friend, who is and nearly two years older than me, time seems to change everyone as well as everything.

 

From time to time, I still think and even dream about my old, now estranged friend. And especially when we approach each anniversary of the World Trade Center Twin Towers tragedy, I remember him. I still remember visiting New York on my 27th birthday in July, 2001, with this male friend.

Michelle Dryden
Prof. Michelle Dryden is an experienced newspaper journalist who has a master’s degree in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University, and a bachelor’s in traditional journalism from Rider University.

 

This was the last time I saw the Twin Towers still standing.

 

By the way, it was my friend who pointed to them as we stood across the Hudson River banks in New Jersey. Yes, as an American-born citizen, he was proud of them.  And, as an immigrant to this country, he knew I would marvel at their stature.

 

I was certainly amazed and proud to see those tall buildings, that I always associated with the island of Manhattan in New York City. I was excited when I told him that my family who lived in NYC when we first arrived here, took my siblings to see these buildings up close. I did not mention that I was told they took an elevator ride up one of these towers.

 

As different as we were, I felt really closely connected to this friend at the time; and as if we were twins, these towers represented us I said to him. I remember saying to him that one is you and the other one is me.

 

I could not wait to take the train across the river to NYC where we would get closer to these buildings. Who knew that would be the last time that I saw them?  Just like the towers are now a sad part of my memory, likewise is my friend.  As closely connected as we were, I am still appalled that our friendship has abruptly ended. Really, who knew we could be apart for so long?  I sometimes wondered if he died. How could he not call or reach out to me if he is still alive?

 

Luckily, I saw his now teenage son late 2010 and so I used the opportunity to ask him about his dad’s whereabouts. I was happy to know that he is alive. My healing began.

 

As we approach the 11th anniversary of the Twin Towers devastation, many families are still remembering and mourning their lost loved ones. The psychological, economical, social and even cultural impact that this tragedy still has on NYC, America and the world at large, remains overwhelmingly tremendous.

 

America and its allies will have to continue their mission of zero-tolerance for terroristic attempts and activities.  No doubt, all those closely affected by the heinous activities of September 11, 2001, will have to find a way to heal. As we approach that upcoming anniversary day, anti-terrorism individuals and groups will have to still be vigilant, as we plan, propose and prepare to have a better and safer future here in America.

 

As for me and my forever friend, I still feel a sense of connection each September 11 since then.  I have faith we will see each other again. And, going forward, I will pray that my Christian beliefs and his Islam upbringing, have not been factors keeping us apart as friends. We can be an example to this nation and others that when we unite as one people, nothing should separate us.