By OLU ALEMORU, Staff Writer
Story Published: Jul 21, 2010 at 5:13 PM PDT
Story Updated: Jul 21, 2010 at 5:13 PM PDT
A local writer poised to break out into the mainstream has had a weekend to remember with the scheduled debut of a short work that celebrates one of her heroes.
Florida-born Rene Rawls, who lives in the historic West Adams district of Los Angeles, wrote and produced “Sule and the Case of the Tiny Sparks,” an animated short that celebrates the life of Nelson Mandela in “making an imprint to change the world around them.”
The film is one of five entries chosen last year for a competition sponsored by 46664, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and New York’s Tribeca Film Institute’s Tribeca All Access program, which awarded five $10,000 grants for short film concepts to mark the first annual Mandela Day Tribeca All Access Award.
Taken from Mandela’s prison number, 46664 is an initiative to inspire individual and collective action towards an AIDS-free world.
The entries were uploaded to the Tribeca website Monday, a day after Mandela celebrated his 92nd birthday on July 18.
The short introduces Sule as a young Sherlock Holmes, a wise and brash African child who helps other kids solve their problems and learn life’s lessons through the meaning of proverbs.
Rawls, who has optioned a feature script, “Homecoming Queen,” slated to begin production this year, teamed up with twin animation directors, Shawnee and Shawnelle Gibbs, an Oakland-born duo who she met through the Organization of Black Screenwriters.
“We met up with Rene in October and she asked us if we would be interested in working on the project,” said Shawnee. “The story of this tiny little detective was such a cool idea. There are few stories set in Africa. It’s a really inspiring, positive message.”
She added: “After seeing our reels and bios, they approved us and we started gathering a team of artists to work on the character designs, storyboards and animation.
“We only had a few months to get it done, but we were blown away by the team’s work.”
Meanwhile, Rawls, a recipient of the renowned Guy Hanks and Marvin Miller Screenwriting Fellowship, has also traveled to various cities across the country teaching screenwriting and filmmaking to high school students.
“I found out about the competition this time last year and immediately knew I would submit something because I have so much love and respect for Nelson Mandela,” said Rawls, who has an English degree from Hampton University and a graduate degree in communications from Georgia State University.
“I used to teach high school English and one of my favorite books to teach was [Nigerian author Chinua Achebe’s] ‘Things Fall Apart,’ a book full of proverbs. I’d talk to my students about proverbs and they would get the meanings. One student came to class one day and said, ‘Yeah, we’re proverb slayers.’ That stuck in my mind, and two or three years later I birthed this character Sule, a young proverb detective and initially did a picture book. Then, when I heard about the competition I knew he’d be right for the story.”
Taking to her laptop, Rawls wrote the script in an 11-hour writing session and then traveled to Florida to see her mother.
“I got an e-mail notification and instead of the ‘Thanks for entering your work,’ it said, ‘Congratulations, your script has been chosen,’” recalled Rawls.
“I was jumping up and down and screaming. But my mother was like, ‘Just give thanks to the Lord, baby.’”
To get the look and feel of an African village, Rawls drew on a trip she made to Ghana and also ran it by a Nigerian friend.
“For me the main theme of the story is to do what you can and that may influence others,” added Rawls.
God had given us all gifts, and I believe that writing is mine. I want Broken Vessels to touch people in a way they did not expect and will not forget. I hope someone finds strength in Trinity's story and the courage to press on through brokenness.
Synopsis of the book:
By all outward appearances, 27-year-old Trinity Porter has everything figured out. In reality, she has spent years hiding behind a façade, and now it's starting to crumble. With her world turned upside down, she questions her faith and must make a decision. Will Trinity get out of God’s way or continue to do things her way?
God had given us all gifts, and I believe that writing is mine. I want Broken Vessels to touch people in a way they did not expect and will not forget. I hope someone finds strength in Trinity's story and the courage to press on through brokenness.
www.shelliemsaunders.com
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shellie-M-Saunders/130430580472332?ref=hl
blog: http://writerisma.blogspot.com/
Broken vessels book trailer: book trailer
Link to Amazon author page: http://amazon.com/author/shelliesaunders
Direct link to purchase book: http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Vessels-Shellie-M-Saunders/dp/0615547397/ref=la_B00C0A65O8_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364841840&sr=1-1
My purpose in life has always been to use my creative gift to bless and uplift others. Plus, I knew I had a responsibility to use my artistic skills to generate the positive imagery that our community and youth so desperately need to see. As my business continues to grow, it is an honor that so many have found a sense of joy and pride in the products we bring to the market.
The DynaSmiles Stationery Gives People of Color Something to Smile About
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As the name implies, The DynaSmiles Stationery collection features smile invoking designs to help express the joy felt when sharing life’s special occasions and memorable events with family and friends.
"Through The DynaSmiles Stationery, we invite you to experience life the way we do... with great joy, appreciation and yes, a smile. " states Daveia Odoi, owner of DNT Dynamite Design and the brand's lead illustrator.
Created with African American, Caribbean, African and multi-cultural consumers in mind, each character is drawn with the brightest of smiles that adequately resemble people of color with their varied skin tones, beautiful hair textures and bold sense of style. To further meet the needs of such a dynamic group of people, each design comes with a color it mine option to adjust the hues and tones of the characters to create a truly personalized and unique representation in each of their items.
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Contact
Daveia Odoi
Owner/Lead Designer
DNT Dynamite Design, LLC
smile at dntdynamite.com
www.thedynasmiles.com
Social Media Presence
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thedynasmiles
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thedynasmiles
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/thedynasmiles
Blogger: http://thedynasmiles.blogspot.com/
Instagram: thedynasmiles
CONTACT:
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Twitter: @LoveSSU_Book
Mascot Books: http://www.mascotbooks.com/mascot-marketplace/buy-books/childrens-books-for-colleges/i-love-my-ssu/i-love-my-ssu-detail
Blog: http://cascade.patch.com/blog_posts/i-love-my-ssu-childrens-book
E. Slusher
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Well I already know some people gone say who do you think you are? some will say I do understand what your saying, and most of you will know I do not care its just an opinion and something givin to me two years ago. My culture is in need of a direction so i think we can help us be better, so here we go. May God bless those that read this in spirit and truth.
1. Teach the importance of Fathers:
We all have a certain amout of respect that we have for fathers, yet we see how our children look without them, as a matter of fact this society must teach our young men fatherhood as early as four. Men run villages and must be trained to do so. The system must stop attacking fathers and we must teach our son's and daughters to celebrate our fathers. All negative statistics come into play when the child is being raised by the mother only. Time to give Dad's the love they so greatly deserve.
2. Parent with Encouragement:
A child is born with no state of mine, but is taught that state. Until we think every one of our children are important we create the lanes for which prisons, and caskets are built for. Parents must share resources, teach, and show real life situations to the children. All children are important so many of you label a child with drug names your helping kill our seeds. Get behind our children uplift them, inspire them, and more importantly encourage them. The Medical field did a 40 year study and found the best way to raise a cild is to encourage them. I tell children "There is nothing you can't do, I wont you to become your greatest Dream" Repeat That!
3. Teach your children to read at four:
Literacy as become our very own slavery which I don't like to use the word but it seems that makes us jump, so jump up and begin teaching your child to read early. When young black males can read they are less likely to join gangs and it cuts down on prison rates and crime. Most of us can read, but those of us who can't we must be responsible for to teach. The children can participate in a civil society as long as they have confidence and reading is a parental fundamental just like potty training, its egually important to their basics.
4. Save your money and learn Stocks:
Financial literacy is vital to our community as we can see your dependent upon a system that is taking and only handing back scraps. The median wealth for black women was sited as very small I mean under sever pverty levels, I believe its due to all the mothers raising the children alone and you can see why real fathers are important, cannot do it alone. Black men median wealth is the lowest amongst men i the america, also due to the mothers having to raise kid alone and black males pay the child support on time in most cases. Google what im saying about wealth. Solution is begin to teach our youth the values of saving and getting into stocks and bonds.
control your dollar.
5. Create and Support more business in your community:
This is a huge problem with in your communities as just inside of Detroit its business providers getting 73% of every black dollar and the goal is 85% if this happens you will only be getting 15% of your own money. Push back and help keep your businesses open, by training, creating a customer service that welcomes customers back to your places. Dont run out purchasing fancy cars and stressing your business and not able to hire. Train the kid right with in your area of business. Please stop with the critism of your pople while others smile and build communities off your ignorance. Remember "Share, Celebrate, and Teach" its now or it continues to cost your children. By the year 2020 blacks will have a trillion dollar spending habit if you just turned 40% into your own culture what will you look like?
6. Remove Video Games from your Home:
The tv and video games are not a baby sitter just so you can party. Siting the medical field again a release on kids watching tv, playing video games, before the age of 8 develop mentally slower then those that dont use tv for baby sitting. The first lady Michelle Obama recently spoke on the alarming obesity rates and face time with technology, she said she even has reduced her children face time to 4-6 hrs a week. Kids need to run and boys need a routine to function. I believe this to contributes to ADHD because if your sitting and watching programs for a time and then you go to school and its not a tv or video's, they get a sudden burst of energy which may cause the brain to over react. Im not a doctor, but none of my kids have this. Get them involved with sports, and other outside activity.
7."Bury The Nword"
I truly believe words have power and since so many of us like to refer to each other with this word it appears to have shaped our culture to failure. Its in the music and you still react when another culture uses it as if you own this word, It was created to control you and so far i see it does. I am not one nor will you call me one and we do not use this in our home. To my children this is a curse word thats so bad because we used proper words that inpsire not belittle a child or create dispare. You should not also curse in your home remember your teaching and if you think doing this is cool you are ignorant. You can teach a child the most before the age of six, so create more leaders not ignorance. It takes patience to raise kids and they deserve their time with mom and dad. *if you are getting high, doing drugs, drinking, cursing, in front of them your raising ignorant children" Bottom line.
8. Give your children Back:
Blessing come in our little packages because its a chance for us to get what we did wrong right, your children are your second chance. I give mine back to God who gave them to me on barrow. I suggest this as your childs spirit is just as important to the fudamentals of parenting. Its funy i tell the story of my son getting blessed before we left the hospital and i called my brother and explained that if he was not at my house I would get another pastor to bless my son, he was there. I know you all think the nerve but its my opinion that we got away from taking care of our Children's spirit. I gave all mine back will you, can you even see how important this is? I do and many others have listen, which makes me proud.
9. Compete on Job and Classroom:
Imagine had we been in charge of every invention we brought into this world, imagine if we cared to pass on to future generations, if you know this, the system knows this. Competing is very healthy and weather you know or not you have been dominated within this competetion in life, Can't blame others all the time get your children ready sit them in front of the class and let's see who is the best after the field is even. Stop being afraid of leading and take it on we can do what is put in front of us and do it well. I have my children going for it as a matter of fact once a month my children must create a business idea and so far none have worked but we keep building them, so when they are grown they to can run my business or start their own. Compete now!
10. Living the life you want them to Live:
We always think back to when we were coming up and for most part there were some good things, but it was ton's of bad. My parents had companies which was destroyed from within, we had charter buses, my dad had albums, and when it was over we had a reality check for what was coming. My mom kept helping others, as well as my dad as i found out later. There is stories where my parents helped some of the greatest people in gospel music, did they help them No. did not matter i learned from them to do what i was taught your reward is later and greater. Today my children watch me as i do god's work in the community, my life has and will be lived in front of them to teach. All my kids know is what they see me live, I don't curse, use bad words and i refuse for them to see me acting ignorant. I am living exactly how I want them to live parenting is a every day job and your teacihng regardles if they are present or not.
"The things you do today will show up in your kids tomorrow"
These are the commandments i live my life by and thought i should share them with you as I want my culture and the views of our culture to change. For those of you who do not even understand just pray for the will to recieve this message. What are your commandments, do you have any and would you like to share. I wrote these two years ago and the reason for sharing is I know this will help my people as its helped me. print them out share them call me ill talk on them. I love you this you must understand.
God bless you and your family!
Calvin T. Mann
Born from greatness to do greatness
Here is our contact goodfathersonlyllc@gmail.com,
This will help our vision grow to have our people see there way.
--
Thank You
Calvin Mann CEO Good Fathers Only LLC
www.emiyworld.com
www.twitter.com/goodfathersonly
Www.thegoodfathersonly.com
www.youtube.com/emiytv
Order your promotional wears with us.
313-332-3323
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"It has been a goal of mines for some time to start a project where I can take dolls with straight hair and customize their hair to have ethnic styles and textures."
"As a young girl, I remember loving to play with my dolls...mainly with my Barbie dolls."
"I thought the dolls where beautiful; but always noticed that my African American dolls did not look like me. Their features did not look like mines. And their hair certainly did not look or feel like mine! This did affect my view of what beauty was. In articles, videos and news stories such as Black Girls Want White Dolls, What a Doll Tells Us About Race, Black Doll White Doll, White and black children biased toward lighter skin & A Girl Like Me - it is apparent that this is something that affects many young people, and that there is a need for positive community change."
"The Naturally Beautiful Hair Barbie Doll project is something that I hope will help to bring a positive view of what ethnic beauty is. There is a serious need for our young girls to be able to have dolls that look like them. It is something that affects their self esteem and confidence, and how they few themselves. There have been quite a few studies done that show that African American boys and girls often think of black dolls as bad and white dolls as good. Of course, this is not something that the parent is teaching their child. So why are they getting these mixed messages about good and bad skin color, or good and bad hair? It all has to do with the images they see as they grow up. If a child is constantly looking at images, dolls, television, books and magazines - and only seeing beauty as something or someone with non-ethnic features and long, straight hair - then they are going to assume that this is what beauty is. It is something that has hurt our young people for centuries. But each day we learn that it is important to show them and teach them that their beauty is beautiful."
~ Karen Byrd
Our Beauty Recognized...
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Ushanda Pauling
Veronica Blakely 
Lynnette Stallworth
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