Tag Archives: Oprah Winfrey

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Remembering The Phenomenal Woman: Maya Angelou…

Hello World,  maya

Like the rest of the world, I was awash in sadness when I learned that one of the great American writers Dr. Maya Angelou transitioned from this earth…But in the days since, after careful contemplation, while I know that those who intimately knew and loved her will continue to grieve this magnificent loss, the rest of us have her treasury of words to discover, uplift and ponder as long as we live…

I first heard of Dr. Maya Angelou when I was a little girl…I cannot remember the exact moment I encountered her words, but to a little girl who was often “feeling unpretty,” her poem “Phenomenal Woman” was like water to a parched, quivering soul….Her words inspired me to bloom, grow and reach for the sun…If you have never read this poem, this edict of hard-won self-love, read below…

I’ve known I would be a writer since I was a scrawny six year old and so I looked to those who had claimed this path before me to light the way…And she was one of those sojourners who had traveled to the places I hoped to go and see and experience…and illuminate through my own words…

I don’t know if I will ever be an editor in Cairo, Egypt or speak French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and the West African language Fanti or be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize or match any of the slew of accomplishments she claimed…I have my own path to travel now…But the example of her life is a beacon that anything is possible for a black girl, a girl who once thought of herself as “a too-big Negro girl with nappy black hair, broad feet and a space between my teeth that would hold a No. 2 pencil” ( her words from the People Magazine archive) or anyone that feels marginalized due to barriers, internal or external…

Dr. Angelou, I am proud that you are now among the most heralded of ancestors and as a fellow writer and sojourner, I claim your ancestry as I labor to give birth to the words that will live after me…

If you want to learn more about Dr. Angelou, tune into the OWN network, the network owned by Oprah Winfrey, today. Oprah, who was mentored by Dr. Angelou, is showing several programs which included Dr. Angelou, according to Entertainment Weekly. The schedule is below:

5 p.m.: The Oprah Winfrey Show: Conversations with Dr. Maya Angelou
6 p.m.: Super Soul Sunday: Oprah & Dr. Maya Angelou Part 1
7 p.m.: Super Soul Sunday: Oprah & Dr. Maya Angelou Part 2
8 p.m.: Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball
9 p.m.: Oprah’s Master Class: Dr. Maya Angelou

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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‘Lovetown USA’ Matchmaker Paul C. Brunson Offers $100 for Every Good Man…

Hello World, 

When I saw this post on Paul C. Brunson’s Facebook page yesterday, I knew I had to tell you about it! If you know a good man, please submit his name to Paul C. Brunson, and you can get $100!!! If you know don’t know Paul C. Brunson, he was one of the relationship coaches on Oprah’s new show “Lovetown USA,” which debuted last year on the OWN network. Here is a post – “Paul Carrick Brunson faces pushback, Spike Lee goes to church and other religious news…” – I wrote about him after he started getting some flak after talking about his Christian faith in interviews promoting the show.

Below are the details about how to get $100 from his blog…

Can I give you $100?

Seriously!

As my firm’s matchmaking client base expands (especially among women), our need for more men also increases. Starting today, we’re launching a new summer 2013 referral program aka “Operation M.A.N (Men Are Needed).”

It’s super easy to participate, if you know any single men in the U.S., Canada, or UK over the age of 30 who you believe to be GREAT & COMMITMENT-MINDED (could be a friend, family member, co-worker, etc)  simply tell us their name(s), residing city, and email address – we’ll do the rest (the rest includes an interview and other verification). If we accept your referral in our database and match them on a date with one of our clients, we’ll send you a crisp Benjamin! It’s that simple!!!

Please submit your referral here (be sure to include referral name, residing city, and email address in the “How can I help you” section).

Thank you for helping us help our clients (and the cool thing is if your referral ends up marrying one of our clients, we can do the electric slide together at their wedding)!

Paul C. Brunson is also the author of “It’s Complicated (But It Doesn’t Have to Be): A Modern Guide to Finding and Keeping Love.” 

I have some men in mind…Do you? I don’t know about you, but I could use an extra $100!

On a side note, how did you meet your boyfriend, fiance’ or husband?

Any thoughts?

 

 

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A Father’s Day Testimony…

Hello World,

A one-year-old DeVon Franklin celebrating his birthday with his father...

Happy Father’s Day to all of the wonderful fathers in the world especially my dear ole Daddy 🙂 And here is my testimony about my father “Color Him Father, Color Him Love.” Unfortunately, not everyone has a father to which they can wish Happy Father’s Day, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t live on in their hearts or influence their actions although they are gone…

The father of DeVon Franklin, vice president of production for Columbia Pictures, died when Franklin was a child after having a heart attack. In his book/testimony “Produced By Faith: Enjoy Real Success Without Losing Your True Self,” Franklin shares memories about his father who also suffered from alcoholism and how his father’s life and death influence him even now…Franklin, who will be featured on Oprah’s “Super Soul Sunday” today at 11 a.m./1o a.m. C.S.T., candidly admitted on his Facebook page how being on this show on Father’s Day (also his father’s birthday) has affected him…

ALCOHOL ABUSE + AMBITION proved to be a lethal combination. My dad died at the age of 36 when I was only 8 years old. This is a picture of me and my Dad, celebrating my first birthday. When I got word from Oprah’s network that my interview with Oprah would air on Sunday, June 17…it nearly brought me to tears. Why? Because June 17th is not only Father’s Day, but it is my Dad’s birthday too. He would have been 61 years old. So much of my life I have wanted to make him proud and fulfill the potential that was cut short in him. So I believe it is no accident that God would schedule one of the biggest opportunities of my life on this day to let me know that my Dad’s purpose wasn’t cut short…it is alive and well in me and my 2 brothers. It is deep confirmation to me that even with the most difficult tragedies…God’s grace, mercy and love still abound…

Franklin’s book is truly inspiring, and I was blessed to interview him about his book and his career for MOVIEGUIDE.  Check out my interview with him here! Below is a preview of his interview with Oprah.

Preview: DeVon Franklin on “Super Soul Sunday”

In an all-new “Super Soul Sunday,” DeVon Franklin—a Hollywood executive who does double duty as a preacher—shares his advice on achieving success without losing yourself. The author of “Produced By Faith” author talks with Oprah about how he balances his Hollywood life with his faith.

How does you father influence your life today?

Any thoughts?