Another View's Selected Short Stories

DOZENS OF PARKWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS RECENTLY GOT A CHANCE TO LET THEIR CREATIVE JUICES FLOW BY HELPING THEIR ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, MARKIS BOWERS, DESIGN A MURAL FOR THEIR SCHOOL. OUR LISA GODLEY WAS THERE WHEN BOWERS AND HIS YOUNG PROTÉGÉ’S UNVEILED THEIR CREATION, WHICH COLORFULLY CELEBRATES THEIR DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE.

A MILITARY FRATERNITY IS WORKING TO HELP RESTORE THE OLDEST PUBLIC AFRICAN AMERICAN CEMETERY ON THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA. PLEASANT SHADE CEMETERY DATES BACK TO THE 1800’S AND IS THE FINAL RESTING PLACE FOR MANY PROMINENT BLACK LEADERS. BUT YEARS AGO, PLEASANT SHADE WAS ABANDONED BY IT’S OWNERS AND QUICKLY DISAPPEARED UNDER TALL GRASS, WEEDS AND TRASH. AS LISA GODLEY FOUND OUT THE MEMBERS OF KAPPA LAMBDA CHI (kie) FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED WON’T REST UNTIL THEY TURN THINGS AROUND.

IT’S CALLED THE BLACK MALE MEDIA PROJECT, AND THE GOAL IS TO HELP CHANGE THE NARRATIVE OF HOW BLACK MEN ARE PORTRAYED IN THE NEWS AND IN SOCIETY. IT STARTED TWO YEARS AGO AS THE BRAINCHILD OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS AND SINCE THEN, HAS BEEN TACKLED THRU A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS HELD BY LOCAL CHAPTERS NATIONWIDE. OUR LISA GODLEY LOOKS AT HOW HAMPTON ROADS BLACK MEDIA PROFESSIONALS ARE WORKING TO CREATE A FRESH VIEW OF BLACK MEN HERE IN THIS REGION.

ONE OF THE RISING STARS OF THIS YEARS’ SOMETHING IN THE WATER FESTIVAL IS A HAMPTON ROADS NATIVE WHO GOES BY THE NAME LEIKELI (LAY-KAY-LEE) 47. AS A FEMALE RAPPER, SHE’S RELEASED SEVERAL POPULAR TUNES AND EVEN BEEN FEATURED ON A MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK. IMMEDIATELY AFTER HER PERFORMANCE IN VIRGINIA BEACH SHE SPOKE TO OUR LISA GODLEY ABOUT BEING BACK HOME, THE PEOPLE WHO’VE INFLUENCED HER MUSIC AND HER UNIQUE LOOK!

AS PART OF THE 2019 COMMEMORATION – AMERICAN EVOLUTION, THE VIRGINIA ARTS FESTIVAL HAS COMMISSIONED A NEW BALLET. AND PERFORMING THIS “WORLD PREMIERE” IS NONE OTHER THAN THE TALENTED MEN AND WOMEN WHO MAKE UP THE “DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM!” THE BALLET WAS CREATED BY AWARD WINNING CHOREOGRAPHER, CLAUDIA WHO STOPPED BY EARLIER IN THE WEEK TO SHARE WITH US A LITTLE ABOUT HERSELF AND THIS NEW WORK…. TITLED… “PASSAGE!”

WHILE GRAMMY AWARD WINNING ARTISTS DELIVER THE MUSIC THAT THOUSANDS HAVE COME TO HEAR… ONE LOCAL ARTIST WILL BE PAINTING TO THE VIBES DURING THIS WEEKEND’S SOMETHING IN THE WATER MUSIC FESTIVAL. OUR LISA GODLEY SPOKE WITH CLAYTON SINGLETON ABOUT WHAT HE PLANS TO CREATE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PART OF AN EVENT OF THIS MAGNITUDE.

CAPTAIN LAURAN GLOVER IS THE FIRST WOMAN TO EVER COMMAND THE UNITED STATES ARMY DRILL TEAM. AND SHE WILL BE RECOGNIZED AT THIS YEAR’S VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL TATTOO AS THEY SALUTE WOMEN IN THE MILITARY. CAPT. GLOVER RECENTLY TOOK TIME OUT OF HER VERY BUSY SCHEDULE TO SHARE WITH OUR LISA GODLEY SOME OF THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF LEADING SUCH A PRESTIGIOUS GROUP!

IN THEIR QUEST TO HONOR SIX CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, SOME HAMPTON 5TH GRADERS GOT HELP FROM A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST. THE STUDENTS CAPTURED THE NOTEABLE IMAGES USING PAINT, WOOD AND GLASS. THESE MOSAIC MURALS WILL HANG IN BREEZEWAY AT BARRON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. OUR LISA GODLEY SPOKE WITH THE ARTIST HELPING THEM BRING ALL THIS TO FRUITION… VIRGINIA COMMISSIONER OF THE ARTS… ASA JACKSON.