THE ESSENCE OF BEING EXTRAORDINARY

HERSHE PRESENTS A CHARITY BREAKFAST HONORING EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN. NIA LONG, AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS -JESSICA HARPER, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR - VENUS MANUEL, MISS BLACK UNITED STATES - CHARISSE NESBIT, AUTHOR/EDITOR.


Nia Long is a three-time Image Award-winning actress. She is best known for her roles in The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Soul Food, Love Jones, The Best Man, Big Momma's House, Third Watch and Are We There Yet?. Nia serves as a group mentor for the HerShe Group and makes herself available to lead discussions for HerShe Group's "Girl-Talk" series. HerShe girls love to personally connect with Nia and they appreciate her honesty and genuine spirit. She is truly extraordinary.

Jessica Harper is an award-winning actress, author and recording artist. She has shared the stage with Al Pacino and won a Cable Ace award for best actress. She has written and produced muscial CDs for children, earning multiple awards and rave reviews from Entertainment Weekly, Parenting, Billboard and others. She has also penned seven picture books in the last decade, including the best-selling "Nora's Room." Charitably, she is a writing mentor to a teenage girl, under the auspices of WriteGirl. Her new series of chapter books will be coming out this spring!

Venus Manuel was crowned Miss L.A County, Miss Black California & Miss Black United States and has also been named one of the top 10 college women in the nation by Glamour magazine. Venus graduated with honors from Cal State, Dominguez Hills and has become an inspiration to young adults in the foster care system, as she is also a former foster youth. Manuel shares her story to give hope to struggling young adults.

Charisse Nesbit, also a former foster youth, is the author and editor of the new book, A Dream Deferred, a Joy Achieved which is a positive look at the foster care system through stories of its survivors who demonstrate hope for the future, even in a system often identified by abuse and neglect. With a unique perspective, this collection of inspiring stories is a testament to the fighting spirit of former foster children who have emerged from the system as successful productive members of society.

Please come and meet four incredible women at HerShe Group's first charity breakfast featuring women who have significantly impacted the lives of our youth.


This will undoubtedly be the best way to spend your Saturday morning on March 15, 2008 at Casa del Mar in Santa Monica.


The HerShe Group empowers girls in foster care to make a successful transition into adulthood by exposing them to extraordinary experiences through the arts, mentorship, adventure and education.

COOK'N TO KEEP HIM by Cheryl Mayfield Brown

Delicious, Spicy, Hot, Tasty . . . a few of the same words that apply to food can also be used to describe sensual dining experiences.

We are all very familiar with the saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." At one time we would probably agreed with the statement. Especially when we were trying to Get and Keep the attention of the man that you would like to one day call your own.

Do you remember the first time when you laid eyes on him? Remember when you would spend countless hours thinking of ways to "Get Him"? Remember when you would do almost anything to capture his attention. You would chant silly little prayers' "Lead me not into temptation for I can find the way myself." It was then you decided to make yourself look delicious. You went out and bought new perfumes, sexy clothes and high heel shoes (even if they did hurt your feet).

You decided to show him your old fashioned culinary skills. You prepared him a home cooked meal; from scratch. He was very impressed. This becomes habit forming for the both of you. It's fun. It's challenging. You win the prize. Your man!

As with any prize, we must on occasion, give some attention to what we have worked so hard to get and keep. (Yes, keep. Always play to keep.)

In this book you will discover how to cultivate a new kind of flavor for your relationship using and working the "cooking utensils" that you naturally possess. With these basic cooking utensils, you will learn how to peel back you inner most cooking skills so that you can and will make temperatures rise in the kitchen (and other places) so the next time your prepare a meal for your man, it won't be the spoon that he is begging to lick.

GO TO COOK'N TO KEEP HIM FOR MORE INFO

SOUTH CAROLINA

THE RAIN IS COMING DOWN LIKE CRAZY. THERE IS A TORNADO WATCH IN THE NEIGHBORING CITIES BUT GUESS WHAT? THE SHOW MUST GO ON. TONIGHT IT'S DOUG E, KANE AND WHODINI. WE DO A GREAT NUMBER OF SHOWS TOGETHER AND WE ALWAYS BRING THE HOUSE DOWN. NOT DOWN LIKE DOWN BUT DOWN LIKE WE RAISE THE ROOF. WE ARE TRULY LIKE SOME MODERN DAY HOLY ROLLERS. WE LIFT SPIRITS AND MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD!! THROUGH MUSIC AND LYRICS WE LIFT THEM OUT OF A FUNK, PUT THEM IN A GREAT MOOD AND THEY FORGET ALL THEIR TROUBLES. IT'S LIKE MAGIC SEEING ALL THOSE FACES THAT LIGHT UP DURING A CONCERT. MY EXPERIENCE ON STAGE IS ONE THAT I HAVE COME TO DEPEND ON. BEING ON STAGE FEEDS ME AS AN ARTIST AND ALLOWS ME TO SHARE MY WORLD WITH PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, I LOVE IT!!!

AT A LIVE CONCERT THE FANS GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET ARTISTS THAT HAVE PROVIDED THE SOUNDTRACK TO THEIR YOUNG LIVES. OUR MUSIC IS A PART OF THEIR HISTORY. THEY GET TO SHOW THEIR LOVE BY PARTICIPATING, DANCING AND RHYMING ALONG.

OKAY SISTERS

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE??

Far be it from me to impose my thoughts upon a situation such as this. I believe women get the raw part of the deal always. How is it when we look at our counterparts who have been brought in for cases much higher on the pole of importance, we find they walk away with no more than a slap on the wrist?

After allegedly purchasing firearms and such, TI gets to stay home in the comfort of his luxurious Atlanta home while nearly every woman in the game that has been taken in for something, has either done time or waiting on pins and needles to know the outcome of their cases. One case as trivial as a cell phone head bopping (don’t front like if you were pushed to the edge you wouldn’t hesitate to turn a Razor flip or a Jimmy Choo into the best kept secret weapon). Every dude from Diddy to Snoop to Barretta has walked away from doing any time behind bars. This statement is in no way saying these gentlemen committed these crimes, I’m simply saying how does the system justify sending these women away for the scuffs, bumps,bruises and white lies, which this beloved country of ours was built on.

It’s a hard-knock life in the hip-hop game simply because you are continuously being tested. Tested by the label, promoters, managers,po-po and everyone else that feels they deserve the flamboyant life of fame more than you.

These women have worked hard and performed arduous tasks to attain the notoriety that the system so eagerly desires to not only strip away but defame the African-American queen along the course.

I have faith that these women have the power to turn it all around to work in their favor. This moment in time they have all had to come to terms that they can only depend on themselves and the God within to give them the answers they need to sustain. They each have harnessed an insurmountable amount of power and prestige which has proven for many others to be unattainable. I wish these women well on the journey back to leadership where others have no choice but to accept, respect and expect the absolute best from them. My sisters….we love you.

TIME GOES TIC

How do you explain to a baby chic or chickadee that you can never get a moment back. Once lived...the moment is gone. Never spend a minute doing something you don't wanna.....Recognize that your time as well as others is extremely valuable. Don't stand people up!!! Do what you say you're gonna doooooo sucka! Ok, sorry if I hurt a few feelings but if you are sensitive to this issue you probably need to switch up your voltage and brighten your wattage. Become what you like to see in others. Be your best and only you know what that is so don't sell yourself short.

On another note, where are the leaders damnit!!! I wanna feel like I'm not alone. I know I'm not! Let's get up! Start a revolution in this hip hop game!!!! Much love to that man KRS 1. He's a new book on the way entitled, "THE GOSPEL OF HIPHOP". I can't wait for it to hit the stands so you all can check it out. I've actually got a copy and it's a walk into a well needed journey. Love that man!!! KRS 1 calls himself the teacher and we all agree to the tenth degree.

Excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF HIP HOP

CONSIDER THE IDEA THAT THIS LIFE, AS WE KNOW IT, IS SIMPLY THE DREAM OF OUR TRUE EXISTENCE AS BEINGS OF LIGHT (CONSCIOUSNESS). FOR IT IS LIGHT (CONSCIOUSNESS) THAT WE ARE, AND IT IS MORE LIGHT (CONSCIOUSNESS) THAT WE SHALL BECOME. AT THE TIME OF OUR PHYSICAL DEATHS, WE SIMPLY WAKE UP! FOR THIS PHYSICAL LIFE IS ONLY A TEMPORARY REST FOR OUR REAL EXISTENCE AS BEINGS OF CONSCIOUS LIGHT.

AND MY, IS THERE MORE. I CELEBRATE KRS1 FOR HIS EVERLASTING COMMITMENT TO HIP HOP, TO TEACHING AND TO LIFE!!! HE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST LEADERS IN THE REALM OF HIP HOP...EVER. HEY, TELL YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER TO STEP HIS GAME UP!!!

ALICIA DOES HER THING!!

Facts on Alicia!!

Alicia Keys was one of six Honorees at BET's First Annual BET Honors. Hosted by Cedric "The Entertainer," The BET Honors aired February 22. Performers included Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Wyclef Jean, and more!

Alicia won her two awards for the smash single "No One," taking Best R&B song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Check out her performance of "No One" with John Mayer at the 2008 Grammys!

Songs In A Minor, which spawned her signature hit “Fallin,” sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and garnered five Grammy Awards including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album.

Diary of Alicia Keys, which is currently 7 times platinum, captured four Grammy Awards and featured the hits “If I Ain’t Got You,” “You Don’t Know My Name,” and “Karma.”

With the 2005 release of Unplugged, which has sold 2 million copies, Keys became the first female R&B artist to have three consecutive #1 debuts on the Billboard 200 album chart in as many releases.

In total she is a nine-time Grammy Award winner!


THE ALICIA KEYS AS I AM TOUR PRESENTED BY LEXUS

(Subject to change):
DATE CITY VENUE
Sat-Apr-19 Hampton, VA Hampton Coliseum
Sun-Apr-20 Philadelphia Liacouras Center
Tue-Apr-22 Pittsburgh Peterson Events Center
Thu-Apr-24 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
Sat-Apr-26 Columbus, OH Value City Arena at Schottenstein Ctr
Sun-Apr-27 St Louis, MO Scottrade Center
Wed-Apr-30 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
Thu-May-01 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
Mon-May-05 Los Angeles, CA TBA
Wed-May-07 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena
Fri-May-09 Las Vegas, NV MGM Garden Arena
Sat-May-10 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose
Mon-May-12 Phoenix, AZ Jobing.com Arena
Wed-May-14 Dallas, TX Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie
Sun-May-18 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Thu-May-22 New Orleans New Orleans Arena
Sat-May-24 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
Sun-May-25 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
Wed-May-28 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
Fri-May-30 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
Sat-May-31 Cincinnati, OH US Bank Arena
Tue-Jun-03 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
Thu-Jun-05 Cleveland, OH Wolstein Center at Cleveland State
Fri-Jun-06 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Sun-Jun-08 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Wed-Jun-11 Boston, MA TD Bank North Garden
Fri-Jun-13 Washington D.C. Verizon Center
Sun-Jun-15 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
Tue-Jun-17 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
Wed-Jun-18 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

For more information on Alicia Keys and complete tour and ticket information,
please log onto www.aliciakeys.com.