Gemini One Films in association with Private Side Media

presents WE REMEMBER RAINES , a documentary about the history and legacy of William M Raines High School, Jacksonville, FL

Film Screening: We Remember Raines February 22, 2012 7:00p

University of North Florida Andrew Robinson Theater Jacksonville, FL Parking $3

RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/events/323152844396195/

Exclusive Premiere: WE Remember Raines February 25, 2012 8:00p

William M Raines Auditorium Jacksonville, FL

http://www.facebook.com/events/324810967557072/

Director: Emanuel Washington
… Executive Director: Andrew Wright
Narrators: Ben Frazier and GeneDotCom
Photography: Tamica Jackson and Donnell Bennett
Assistant Director/Producer: Diallo Sekou
Film Editor: Maxie Coleman
Music Director: Tony White
Theme Song: Tru.Ski The Transmitter
Graphic Design: E. Street Paperie

For more information contact ewashington@nokturnalescape.com or call (904) 465-6891

sponsored by
Nokturnal Escape Entertainment, LLC http://www.nokturnalescape.com/
Eartha MM White Legacy Fund http://www.jaxcf.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=530
Jacksonville Free Press http://jacksonvillefreepress.com/
“Still Raines”
William M Raines High School National Alumni Association
Blinkvirtualbuzz.com http://blinkvirtualbuzz.com/

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Proud mother: Oprah Winfrey joins her ‘daughters’ at their graduation ceremony in South African on Saturday

She complemented the design by wearing striking eyeshadow and teased her hair into soft waves along with a pair of avocado coloured drop earrings.

Oprah, 57, described herself as a proud mother during the momentous occasion which involved classes of singing and dancing young ladies celebrating their success dressed in demure white frocks.



People in high places: The philanthropist did her best to hold back tears as the Nelson Mandela’s wife Graca Machel embraced her

She said: ‘I have never been more proud to know, to grow, and to call myself Mam Oprah to you girls.’

Listing the blows they have experienced: ‘Divorce. Violence. Molestation. The loss of one parent. The loss of another parent. Sorrow. Sadness. Grief,’ Winfrey also praised the teachers, administrators, social workers, psychologists and family members she said had ensured the students succeeded by starting early and staying late.


Fighting back tears through the applause, one of her 72 students graduating out of 75 who started, took to the podium to speak which prompted more reaction from the star who has been dubbed the richest African American of the 20th Century.

Mashadi Kekana said: “Mam Oprah, thank you for showing us that we’re not just girls, but girls with greater purpose in this world.”

Founded in 2007 with $40 million from Oprah, the school has faced criticism for focusing on a select few in a country that struggles to meet basic education needs.

Momentous day: The star was joined by Nelson Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, for the ceremony in Henley-on-Klep

Looking gorgeous: The 57-year-old wore a Grecian green gown to celebrate

The American television personality added: ‘When you invest in the leadership of girls, you invest in the leadership of a nation.


‘Because every one of these girls will serve herself, her family, her community and this country, in ways that are yet to amaze you. Just wait to be amazed by these girls.’

Today Oprah also welcomed a special guest in the form of Graca Machel, wife of former South Africa president, Nelson Mandela.

The pair hugged and beamed at each other as families and the world’s media observed their union.

Winfrey told reporters after the ceremony that her girls would continue to be able to rely on her support. A counseling unit had been set up to help all the graduates budget time, money and priorities while in university.

The Class of 2011: Her girls were decked out in angelic white uniforms

Friday was more of a light-hearted day on the educational premises.

She was seen laughing, joking and dancing with the young women, whom she apparently teaches in classes via satellite.

Her graduating students are all headed to universities across South Africa and the United States, undergoing courses in various subjects including medicine, law, engineering and economics.

Oprah says she is cut out for the job because she hasn’t forgotten her roots.

So proud: The world’s media watched on as the TV personality spoke about all 72 girls’ achievements

Across South Africa, more than half a million members of the class of 2011 disappeared before the 496,000 remaining took their final exams, and only a quarter of those who graduated did well enough to qualify for university study, according to government figures.


She said: ‘I know what it’s like to be a poor girl with your heart’s desire to do well in the world. I chose to use my philanthropy to do what I know.’

While the venture has proved rewarding and fruitful, it has not always been an easy ride for founder Oprah.

Shortly after the school was opened, a dormitory matron was accused of abusing teenagers.

The former chat show host, who has spoken out about being abused as a child, said she was ‘profoundly’ disappointed when the woman was acquitted in 2010.

Happy days: Yesterday was less emotional as she sang and danced with her students

Five years ago, 11-and 12-year-old girls arrived who had never used a computer before. They went  to primary schools that lacked enough desks and chairs and were raised by grandmothers or older siblings after losing parents to AIDS or cancer. 

Winfrey notes the graduates were born in 1994, the year apartheid ended…she stated “You are free. You are free to rise. You are free to soar.” Later, Oprah Winfrey was in tears as she is joined by Nelson Mandela’s wife at her South African girls’ school graduation.

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The Inner-Action Entertainment Industry Conference is the solution to the frustrations that many entertainers have be facing.

Marc’s credentials qualify him as the perfect leader for this type of movement. He performs with Fantasia and has toured internationally. Aside from singing background, Marc has a list of achievements as an accomplished songwriter. In 2003, he won The ASCAP Foundation and The Heineken Music Initiative for the R&B song “Brand New.” In 2008, his song, “Hallelujah” song by Troy Sneed, was No. 3 on the Billboard Christian charts. That year, he won  ASCAP Songwriter of the Year for the same song.  These are merely a few examples as to why you should take this gentleman very seriously.

Marc, Founder of The Inner-Action, has a deep passion for those that have a desire to work in this industry. As a songwriter, Marc often found himself in a stagnant state, unable to get a song picked up by labels. “There was always a BUT,” he said, as he recalled the times that he pitched a song to a label representative. He said that would often frustrate him. He knew he had good material, but could not understand why he was facing difficulties. Then he came to the realization, “There is a small circle of people…you have to be tapped into that inner circle some kind of way.” When he began singing background for Fantasia and started to tour with her, he saw how simple it can be if you meet the right people.

This is what led him to start The Inner-Action. He would meet people on the road who were willing to pick up the phone and make a phone call on his behalf. The new digital age helps to make a lot of this possible. Entertainment leaders are more accessible through social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. However, it is more beneficial to have someone in the industry that can put you in touch with the right people. Marc sees this now and wanting to “reach back” to help others the way he wished he had been helped when he first started out.

The Inner-Action, LLC hosts a summit that meets quarterly in Jacksonville, Florida. This is a summit/conference that educates and connects members of the entertainment community in Jacksonville. All entertainment industry professionals, amateurs, hopefuls—you name it, are invited to attend. This includes models, producers, artists, singers, rappers, musicians, makeup artists, and everyone else. Past topics have covered career management and reputation management. The next meeting will cover the importance of radio play and how to get radio play. Although the company’s slogan is “Getting You Connected,” Marc stresses that The Inner-Action is primarily an educational tool. It is vital that industry hopefuls are educated about the industry prior to connecting with professional within the industry. This is Marc’s goal. His vision is to have the conference every month and to ultimately spread it across the country.

What about the cost? Well, what I found to be the most interesting aspect is that every meeting The Inner-Action partners with a charity. Session #1 they partnered with Trinity Rescue Mission, a center for battered women and children. Free admission was given to attendees who brought a wrapped Christmas gift for a child and it was only $10 admission without a gift. The company collected close to 200 toys. Session #2 they partnered with Cell Phones for Soldiers. This event required participants to bring an old cell phone for $10 admission and $20 without a cell phone donation. They collected close to 50 cell phones that night. Therefore, this an affordable tool that you cannot afford not to utilize. I am excited about this movement and what it can do for the entertainment community of Jacksonville, Florida now and what it can do for other states into the future.

For more information visit www.theinneraction.net

For all of my contact information and other entertainment business information visit http://entertainmentbusinessinsight.blogspot.com

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Betty Seabrook Burney,
Duval County School Board Member
District 5

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Please review the broadband summary text below for further details about this important subject matter.

The Broadband Opportunity Coalition (BBOC) is an historic alliance of civil rights organizations joined together to overcome barriers to adoption of technology in communities of color. BBOC members include the National Urban League, National Association for the Advancement of Colored P

eople (NAACP), National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) and the Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies serve as advisors to the BBOC.

One Economy and the BBOC were awarded $28.5 million in federal stimulus from the National Telecommunications and information Administration (NTIA)’s BTOP program. Through partnerships with AT&T, Comcast, National Association of Broadcasters, Cisco, Google, CTIA—the Wireless Association, and others, One Economy and the BBOC are supplementing the stimulus award with private sector matching support valued at $23 million.

“There are three barriers to Internet use: accessibility, affordability, and lack of relevant content,” said Moustafa Mourad, interim president and CEO of One Economy. “One Economy and the BBOC will continue to work with our corporate and community partners to break down the barriers with innovative and proven initiatives that ensure all people—regardless of background, income, or literacy level—can reap the social and economic benefits of information and technology.”

Key Urban Broadband Players include:

- Marc Morial, Urban League                             - Ralph B. Everett, President of JCPES

- Rey Ramsey, CEO of One Economy               - David Honig

- Moustafa Mourad                - Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza

- Joint Center for Economic Studies               – Broadband Opportunity Coalition

- Minority Media and Telecommunications Council

Read more >
http://one-economy.org/sites/all/files/OE%20BBOC%20Stimulus%20Press%20Release.pdf

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West Philadelphia High School sits in the middle of one of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in Philadelphia. It’s like any other inner-city school in the country–chronically low-performing and persistently dangerous.

“I think it’s a tough place to see large success or a lot of students succeeding at really high levels,” says Simon Hauger, former director of West Philadelphia High School’s Academy of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering–or “Auto” as it’s known at the school–and current director for the X Team.

Despite the difficult environment and low expectations, in 1998 a team of students (known then as the EV Team) pulled the engine from a go-cart, replaced it with an electric engine, and entered it into the Philadelphia Science Fair–a competitive event that West Philly students had never excelled in. To the students’ surprise, they finished second out of 600 entrants.

http://bit.ly/hybridx

Inner-city high school team battles to build $10 million ultimate hybrid car

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NewAmericaFoundation — June 11, 2010 — Access to high-speed, affordable and ubiquitous broadband is a necessity in the 21st century. Although Congress allocated $7.2 Billion for broadband projects in the 2009 Stimulus Act, the final application round for funding has closed. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimates that an additional $350 billion is needed to expand high-speed connectivity nationwide; meaning cities and communities will need to explore other options for bringing broadband to their residents, businesses and institutions.

On June 10th, 2010, Craig Settles will present key lessons from his book, Fighting the Next Good Fight: Bringing True Broadband to Your Community. A broadband business strategist, marketing expert, author and internationally renowned speaker, Craig Settles helps organizations use broadband technologies to improve local government’s operating efficiency, as well as promote local economic development.

Fighting the Next Good Fight offers guidelines to action for government administrators and IT staff, private-sector companies, community stakeholders and economic development professionals. These serve as the foundation to build a financially sustainable broadband networks in communities across the country. Government initiatives, private sector entrepreneurship and community efforts can all play a role as the next catalysts for municipal and community broadband and help bridge the digital divide.

Bryan Sivak, Chief Technology Officer of the District of Columbia, Joanne Hovis, President-Elect of NATOA and President of Columbia Telecommunications Corporation and Gary Carter, Analyst at City of Santa Monica Information Systems Department will respond to Mr. Settles’ presentation.

http://www.newamerica.net/events/2010…

Excerpt from Youtube – New America

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Continuing from Part I: After reflecting on the impact Forensics has had on my life, and the benefits of Urban Debate brought to kids who otherwise would not know of Forensics, I get an inside perspective of The Duval Urban Debate League.

I learned of the Duval Urban Debate League (DUDL) while working on The Forensics Community’s Twitter account

(@ForensicsFriend).  The DUDL (follow them @greatdebaters) had posted a story about a recent middle school

tournament they had held and I retweeted.  What followed was an e-mail correspondence with Jermyn Shannon-El, Founder/Developer of the DUDL.  Like most, I did not know much about Urban Debate, however; I wanted to —

particularly about a league so fresh and helpful to their community.  So I asked Jermyn a few questions about Urban Debate and the Duval UDL.  I hope you, the reader, finds his responses as enlightening as I did.

Lisa: Is the DUDL a member of the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL)?  I am kind of making the assumption here that Urban Debate leagues across the country are all unified under that National group…

Jermyn: First of all, thank you for this wonderful opportunity to publicize the Duval UDL. I absolutely love the ForensicCommunity. During our inaugural year, our administrative staff, selected to organically grow the League to ensure DUDL met local and state requirements both academically and socially based on student

/school/and district needs. We anticipate to become a member of the NAUDL next year. All urban debate leagues are not necessarily a part of the NAUDL, particularly in the South where policy debate is practically void at the secondary and post-secondary level.  [Note: Policy Debate is the main type of Debate practiced by the NAUDL, thus why the NAUDL is not a major factor of Southern Debate.]

Lisa: Is the DUDL strictly for middle schools?  If so, does it feed into a high school Urban Debate program?  And what is the success rate of middle schoolers who debate sticking with it in HS?

Jermyn: DUDL started out at the Middle School level (6-8) to meet the challenges most students face to stay in school.

“The Duval Urban Debate League kicked off began as an in-school/after school program for 6th-8th grade students. The Leagues mission is to aggressively enhance the academic curriculum over a 5-6 year period. This is a critical stage for most students who transition from middle to high school. With seven middle schools in the first year, the League is poised to expand to an additional five middle schools and a minimum of five high schools next year in Duval County alone, in addition, we are processing two elementary schools.

We developed our League to meet the five year strategic plan of the local school district and Florida state-wide Strategic Plan. We are currently developing a strong evaluation of the program not only based on where the students are, but where we hope they will be academically and socially as graduates in 2014. The majority of our schools this year are Turnaround Schools, though next year will not necessarily reflect such, we plan to expand to the feeder high schools of our targeted middle school debate teams.” – says Jermyn Shannon-El, League Developer

Lisa: I read how your program’s “lesson plans are designed to enhance debate course work inside and outside of the classroom.”  This implies that the DUDL is not just an after school activity like most Forensics teams at schools (I apologize if I am wrong).  How does this program work?

Jermyn: The private-public partnership affords us the opportunity to introduce career education incentives for our debaters and debate coaches. It also opens doors for professional development beyond the classroom. We use a variety of technology solutions and applications, such as VoiceThread and Google, to empower students, parents, and coaches with debate enhancement tools and lesson plans that are leveraged 24/7. The debate coaches that are educators go out of their way to incorporate these tools in their daily instruction to better prepare students for test, tournaments, and overall academic performance.

Lisa: So students sign up for debate and have competition on weekends?  How much like an after school class/activity is the DUDL?

Jermyn: Yes…we host student recruitment workshops once per quarter at each school to engage new and existing debaters in the program. Each month we host a policy debate tournament at a different site location to engage students, parents, and educators with a different learning experience at a middle or high school or diff college campus.  It follows the tradition of urban debate with after school activities and instruction, however we try as much as possible to engage novice debaters in public forums and community service learning projects

Lisa: I love the approach here and genuinely wish to know more about how the DUDL is integrated into the classroom/education system.

Jermyn: Thank you. It is definitely a work in progress with very high expectations from all involved. Debate has been strategic in rallying the entire community of Jacksonville around higher learning activities for all youth.

Lisa: What qualifies a school or student access to use of the DUDL’s resources?

Jermyn: Nothing more than a special interest in in speech and debate at the secondary or post-secondary school or district level. They can visit our website at www.dudl.org to sign up as a student, school, volunteer, or donor.

Lisa: How many schools are involved?  Also, on the DUDL site student membership is listed around 150; is that number still true?

Jermyn: We currently have about 100 registered and active members and roughly 15 schools going into the Summer.

Lisa: What can people do to help their local Urban Debate League…or even start one?

Jermyn: Our initial goal in developing a successful, fully-engaged debate program is to first garner support and a firm commitment from the District, Principals, and Parents during initial registration. We visit all entities to carefully explain the program and to have participation/consent forms  from all parties involved. We then set up a fund development strategy for each school and a “train-the-trainer” program with ongoing professional development for the debate coaches and educators involved. For interested parties who wish to sign up, they can simply visit DUDL online to complete the form at http://dudl.org/urbandebate/development/  or call us directly at 904-962-7284.

Summary

It is because of leagues like the Duval Urban Debate League and the people behind them that young people in America are given a chance. The frustrations caused by those in control’s desire between wanting to provide for students and their inability to do so is endless.  Yet, not one person or practice can be accused.  Blame No Child Left Behind’s failures, the Economy, poverty, a focus on teaching towards a test instead of a general enrichment of intelligence, misappropriation of funds, lack of focus on the arts, and so on. The simple truth is funding cannot be relied upon, nor is funding alone enough to create a solid league – or school system even. What can be counted upon are the people behind the league. The dedication, passion, and will they possess is inspiring.  Without Debate and Speech fighters like Jermyn, battling for those without a voice, for kids who never dreamed they could even find a whisper, nothing would get accomplished.  The Duval Urban Debate League would not exist;  nor would the National Association for Urban Debate League have such a presence.  The first Urban Debate League in Atlanta could never be.

But they do.  Because there are dreamers and those with compassion willing to sacrifice.  To endure. To grow.

Works Cited

Shannon-El, Jermyn (follow on Facebook). Personal Interview. 13 May 2010

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• Family First: The Value of Debate (dudl.org)
• An Inside Look of the Duval Urban Debate League, Part I (dudl.org)

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