Posted on Friday, June 26, 2015

Tamela Mann Shares About ‘The Gospel Tradition: In Performance At The White House’ & More: MY INTERVIEW…

Tamela Mann performs during “The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House” in the East Room of the White House, April 14, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Hello World,

As you can see (if you’ve been to my blog before), I have moved into a new blog space!!! Check out the new After the Altar Call!!! Don’t you love it? More information to come in a later post, but I’m honored today to share my interview with all around entertainer Tamela Mann!!!

Tonight at 9PM/ET, TV One, along with PBS, will jointly premiere the Black Music Month special The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House. Showcasing an evening of celebration with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House, the spectacular event honors gospel music and its profound influence on American music. The broadcast event also includes exclusive behind-the-scenes content including exclusive interviews with the artist and footage from the First Lady Michelle Obama-hosted “History of Gospel Music” workshop.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks during “The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House” in the East Room of the White House, April 14, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

The evening features performances:

Aretha Franklin – I Love the Lord He Heard My Cry & Higher Ground

Bishop Rance Allen – I Stood On The Banks of Jordan

Pastor Shirley Caesar – Sweeping Through the City

Rhiannon Giddens – Up Above My Head

Darlene Love – People Get Ready

Lyle Lovett – I’m Gonna Wait

Tamela Mann – Take Me to the King

Michelle Williams – Say Yes

T Bone Burnett as Executive Music Director, Bill Maxwell as Music Director and Robin Roberts as program host.

Below is my interview with Tamela Mann –

1. What was it like to perform for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama?

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama listen to Michelle Williams perform during “The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House” in the East Room of the White House, April 14, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

It was such an honor to sing for them. But you know what, let me back up a little bit. I was really, when I got the call, when I was told I had the opportunity to sing there, I was like, ‘WHAT?!’ But I was quite loud! I was a lot louder than I am right now. I told David (her husband), but my eyes just really watered because I could not believe that this was happening. And my mom is deceased, and she used to always tell me that if I love the Lord with my whole heart, God would take me far. But I never dreamed or imagined something like this happening to me, me being there. I never even thought. That was not even in my plan, like one day singing for him or any president period. So when it happened, I was like, ‘Oh My God!’ Like I can’t believe that this. I actually said it while I was singing. Oh God, Oh Lord, I couldn’t believe that this was happening to me. Them standing or sitting right there in front of me. It was an amazing night! Everybody did a great job. And just to be a part of it. When I finished, of course, I’m a church girl so I just kept praising God while I was coming off of the stage because I was just thanking God for the opportunity to just do what I do and just show hopefully people the Christ that I live through me on that night. And that was wonderful for me.

2. Congratulations on being the first artist on the Billboard Gospel Radio charts to have three consecutive songs from one album to earn the No. 1 spot! Of those songs, “Take Me to the King,” “I Can Only Imagine” and “This Place,” which one is your favorite song and why?

My favorite out of all those three songs is “This Place.” And the reason why I say “This Place” is because I couldn’t even imagine being at this place. For all of these things to have happened the way that they have happened. You know you kind of plan stuff. And you say that this may happen like this, this may happen like that, but I didn’t know any of that. And I’m just in amazement of God and the doors that He has opened so “This Place.” So I’m talking right now, but my eyes are just watering up because I’m just so grateful because I feel like there are so many other people that are better than me. Not that I don’t have great confidence in myself. But I don’t feel like I’m the best. I feel like I do pretty good, but I’m just really honored for the opportunity to be able to stand before God’s people, and I want to make Him proud bottom line. So “This Place” would be my song.

3. You’ve done theater, television, film and music. What is your favorite of what you have done and why? Is a book in the works?

Singing is my favorite. Singing is my passion. And acting is like icing on the cake. But singing would be my first love because that’s the one thing that I feel like I do the best. It’s like when people ask you what is your favorite meal to cook? I feel like meat loaf is my best meal. (Laughs), but singing is the best for me.

Me and David do have a marriage book in the works. But we’ve just got to sit down. I’m talking to myself right now, and get this done! It should have been out yesterday! Hopefully, next year. I’m going to put it in the air, next year. I’m going to say by the second quarter.

4. You work with your husband David in various ventures. Along with your husband, you are the co-star of the Bounce TV comedy, ‘Mann & Wife,’ and you have a family reality show on BET, ‘It’s A Mann’s World. And the two of you have been married for 27 years. What is it like to spend so much time together?

It’s the bomb! And I’m not kidding! He’s my best friend, and you know you tell your best friend everything. And I like him. I’m not just in love with him. I like my husband. Like I was just sitting with him outside earlier because he was doing some stuff outside. And just doing stuff together. It’s just simple. We’re simple people. We’re not really flashy. We have a few nice things, but it’s not about the things. It’s about our family, loving each other, loving the Lord. And by us pleasing the Lord, the Lord has given us the desires of our hearts. We always say we’re taking the world over together. It’s just about being together and doing it all together. It’s just amazing that after 27 years, he still gives me goose bumps, and I still enjoy his company. And he still makes me cackle like a teenager, blush, all that! And we’re just still enjoying each other. And we prayed for that, that the Lord would keep that in us and with us for each other until we die.

I’m going to say this, and I know I have to move on because David always says I should keep my answers short. But we were riding, and we were just saying that it is inevitable that one of us one day is going to have to, we may die or go. And I was sitting in the car and my eyes just, Jacqueline, they just filled up with water. And he was like, ‘What?’ And I was like, I say, ‘It’s true, but I just wouldn’t want to live without you.’ We both feel the same way. And I know that one day, it’s gon happen, but our prayer is that we go together. I know that’s hard because we have kids and grandkids, but it would be rough, Jacqueline. That would be a hard pill to swallow.

5. What is your secret for being married for 27 years?

That’s not a secret. I’m in love. It’s love. Love is not a secret. But that is what has kept our marriage together. We’re in love, and we like each other and spending time together. Divorce is not an option. It’s not even on the table. We’re just in it to win it. That’s what I encourage and try to pass on to other couples. That you stay in love and yes, there are going to be some times that are going to be rough. Marriage is just like your job. You have to work at it. It’s not something that is just going to fall in your lap. You have to please each other. And we try to outdo each other doing for each other. And then nothing goes lacking because you’re making sure that I get the things that I want and need and me vice versa doing the same for him.

So what have you done recently to outdo David?

Well, for Father’s Day, I went and got him this Egg (a grill). He’s a griller. And he has this Egg, but he wanted the bigger one, but he was like it costs too much. For my birthday, they really went out, the family went out. I just wanted a birthday party, a pool party. And they really went out for me. The day before I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be just cool for us to just watch movies outside?’ So they went and got me this big screen and had it outside for my birthday. It was around the playoffs. So we watched the playoffs from the pool. And we had a whole bunch of people over there. And we had the game on and a lot of people were just watching it. So I used my birthday money to get him his gift. And he was like, ‘That was too much!’ And I was like, ‘No, I used my money.’ So I’m on the ups right now! (Laughter)

6. I’ve read that David revamped his diet since being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and that you’ve lost over 100 pounds? How long did it take to lose the weight, and how do you keep it off?

Over a year or so. And I’ve put some on because I’ve dealt with weight my whole life. To me, that’s my thorn in my side. It’s something that I have to constantly work on even right now getting back in the gym and eating right. I’ve been blessed because I haven’t had any problems or been diagnosed with high blood pressure or diabetes. I’m just a thick girl. David has overcome his with working out and changing his diet. He has regulated his where he is no longer diabetic. He still has to watch and really pay attention to what he is eating and all that kind of stuff. So he is really mindful of what he does. We both kind of try to monitor each other so that is how we go about it.

7. I read that you and David come from humble beginnings and couldn’t afford to have a wedding which one reason why the two of you had a wedding vow renewal ceremony in 2013. What is your favorite perk of being a celebrity and making more money?

I don’t know. You know, honestly, I don’t look at myself as being a celeb. I tell people I’m a regular Joe. I know that sounds probably lame, but it’s true. I just tell people that we’re all stars in God’s eyes. There may be a few more people that know me than know you, but there’s no difference between me and you. I notice now that people give me stuff and when I didn’t have anything people wasn’t giving me nothing. (Laughing). People should be more giving. But I just try to give back and just be helpful to my family and others. I don’t know Jacqueline. I don’t have an answer for that. I never prayed to be rich. My prayer to God was to be well off so that when I helped somebody, I wouldn’t have to worry about the money if I loaned it. I wouldn’t have to worry about getting it back. That’s my prayer.

Please be sure to watch The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House at 9PM/ET Tonight on TV One!!!

Any thoughts?

Posted on Friday, June 19, 2015

When A Sanctuary Isn’t Safe: Commentary on the Charleston Church Shooting

Hello World,

By definition, a sanctuary is a safe place. And a church sanctuary, a place dedicated to God, should be, just ought to be the safest place on earth to dwell. And so when I heard about the shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina late Wednesday night, the fact that a church sanctuary is no longer the safest place on earth was my first thought. And if you cannot be safe in a church sanctuary, well, there is really no place else to go except to Heaven…

But I’m not ignorant of American history. American black churches have long been terrorized by racist acts…

Ku Klux Klan members, planted a bomb at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama and killed four girls, Addie Mae Collins, 14; Denise McNair, 11; Carole Robertson, 14; and Cynthia Wesley, 14 on Sept. 15, 1963.

On June 16, 1964, Ku Klux Klan members, who were targeting white civil rights worker Michael Schwerner, burned down Mount Zion Church in Longdale, Mississippi but not before beating the church members as they left the church.

Within hours of the election of President Obama in November 5, 2008, three white men torched Macedonia Church of God in Christ in Springfield, Massachusetts.

And these are just a few of these terrorist acts…

And for American black people, churches have historically been much more than houses of prayer which is why black churches have been targets for racist attacks throughout the years. Aside from endeavoring to usher black people to Heaven, black churches also contributed to the betterment of their members’ lives on earth by being havens as slaves hid themselves along the Underground Railroad to escape slavery, establishing schools at a critical time in the nation’s history when education was often denied black people and affirming our humanity by refusing to allow members to be second-class citizens in their houses of worship…Below are just a few contributions of black churches to America…

First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia was a stop on the Underground Railroad as underneath the lower auditorium floor is another “subfloor.” Only four feet of height separates the floors.

Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga. is the birthplace of Morehouse College which began as Augusta Bible Institute in 1867. The name of the institute was later renamed Morehouse College, moving to Atlanta in 1879.

According to the Emanuel A.M.E. website, “in 1822 the church was investigated for its involvement with a planned slave revolt. Denmark Vesey, one of the church’s founders, organized a major slave uprising in Charleston…During the Vesey controversy, the AME church was burned. Worship services continued after the church was rebuilt until 1834 when all black churches were outlawed. The congregation continued the tradition of the African church by worshipping underground until 1865 when it was formally reorganized, and the name Emanuel was adopted, meaning ‘God with us.'”

But as our predecessors knew way back when that we have to realize right now is: Until we get Heaven (if that is where you are headed), we have to live right here in this once slavery allowing, gender pay gap perpetuating , Kim Kardashian breaking-the-Internet glorifying, Honey Boo Boo paying, ozone layer puncturing, obesity causing, transracial entertaining, God’s name in vain taking, black lives minimizing, racist white police officers excusing, school shootings fostering, prosperity gospel teaching, government stalling, election stealing, God increasingly marginalizing country of ours…And I’m sure you could add to the list…In other words, no place, not even black church sanctuaries, is safe no matter what we would like them to be.

So what are we to do on this day June 19, Juneteenth and going forward?

As simplistic as this may sound, first of all, we have to make our souls are sanctuaries. Unless, we purge the hate from our hearts, even our souls are vulnerable to the attack of the enemy which I know is the spiritual force that influenced this most recent terrorist Dylan Roof ,who was allowed to come into Emanuel A.M.E. Church’s Bible Study where he subsequently murdered nine innocent people: Emanual Pastor the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Cynthia Hurd, Tywanza Sanders, Myra Thompson, Ethel Lee Lance, Rev. Daniel L. Simmons, the Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor, and Susie Jackson . Ironically, the Bible is the blueprint for the saving of our souls.

Secondly, we have to acknowledge that racism is still here in 2015 despite our black president and all of the other accomplishments black people have amassed in recent decades. In fact, and I may be mistaken, the election of President Obama seems to have galvanized racists in a way that rivals the terrorism of white supremacists decades ago.

Thirdly, black people, white people, people that love people, all people need to find ways to promote racial reconciliation whether that be in politics, churches, in school systems, at the grocery store, etc.

In big ways and in small ways, we have to REFUSE to succumb to the prevailing notion that we are different. People may have different ways of expressing themselves and we can celebrate and should appreciate our differences, but underneath it all, we are all creations of God no matter how He grouped us.

I don’t know if my words will make a bit of difference, but this is my commentary on sanctuaries, church or otherwise, in 2015. There are none and never have been except the ones that we create within our soulds through God and take with us when we die and return to God.

At the very least, please pray for the friends and families of those slain by this terrorist…And if you live in the metro Atlanta area, there will be a prayer vigil to demonstrate solidarity with those grieving in South Carolina on Saturday evening, 6/20, at 8pm at Stockbridge City Hall, 4640 N Henry Blvd, Stockbridge, GA 30281.

Any thoughts?

Posted on Sunday, May 3, 2015

‪#‎IAmBaltimore‬ : Black, White, Blue… And Gray

Hello World,

I must admit I’ve grown weary of trying to comprehend the incomprehensible : the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott and more…So when I first heard about the death of Freddie Gray, I simply didn’t want to allow it to penetrate my consciousness….It had/has become too much…

And then Monday, April 27, in Baltimore happened…riots that resulted in a senior center, that Southern Baptist Church had raised money for eight years to build, being destroyed by fire…a CVS was looted…Then, came the emergence of the “hero mom,” President Obama’s speech referring to the rioters as “thugs,” declarations by Rev. Al Sharpton and Pastor Jamal Bryant and finally Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s Friday, May 1 announcement that six Baltimore police officers involved in Freddie Gray’s arrest would be prosecuted for his death…

But beyond all of the news stories and angry commentaries, I wanted a perspective of someone simply living in the city…someone that I knew…that opportunity came when my friend Leslie J. Sherrod, who lives in Baltimore, wanted to tell her own story using the hastag ‪#‎IAmBaltimore‬…I asked her to share her story here on my blog and she thankfully obliged…Below is her story…

My father grew up on a little street named Ruxton Avenue. It’s in West Baltimore, off of North Avenue and behind Mondawmin Mall, the area at the very epicenter where Baltimore exploded in reaction to the death of Freddie Gray. My father has been quiet this week. When I asked him his thoughts about the past few days, sorrow filled his voice as he reflected on what the whole nation witnessed on Monday. “It’s hard to watch your old neighborhood be destroyed,” he said. That’s all he said. He’s turned off the TV and has watched little coverage since then.

Someone I know shared with me a story about her brother. “He was killed by the cops several years ago,” she says, “and nothing was ever done about it.” She and her family members witnessed the entire incident, him dying before their eyes as his throat was crushed. She pulls up the Internet, shows me a short paragraph of the event that made it into the Baltimore Sun back then. The article blames him for his own death. He choked on something, it reads; no mention of authorities involved. This woman, his sister, shrugs as she speaks to me. Her eyes glaze over with tears and then she turns back to her workstation to continue with her day.

A former supervisor tells me that she is surprised by the violent anger. Though a social worker in Baltimore City for many decades, she admits to being unaware of the rage, disillusionment, and angst simmering just under the surface of so many affected by poverty, addictions, limited job opportunities, failing schools and ongoing personal and public trauma. Not of the urban community, but working in it, she just didn’t know and could not imagine the depth – and repercussions – of such desperation, despite her years of experience.

Stories, memories, questions, observations.

Though we do not yet know how the current events in Baltimore will conclude, we will all make personal assessments based on our individual interactions, conversations, and through the lenses which we see our lives and others. The tragedy of Freddie Gray blew off the lid of a Pandora ’s Box of social ills we have as a society tried to ignore. What we have learned this week is that those ills do not just fade away if not addressed. We’ve been forced to air out our thoughts and weigh our opinions on every topic from racism, parental discipline, authority figures, politics, media representation, and more. The media has especially played a large role in shaping the national discourse, repeatedly highlighting the several blocks or so where the most damage was done, yet ignoring the 99% of Baltimore’s citizens who’ve engaged in peaceful protests, assisted with clean-up efforts, prayed together, and begun the work of healing.

I will not pretend to explore the deep social, emotional, institutional, and spiritual factors that contributed to the events of my city this week. I will, however, challenge everyone to consider their own lens.

Before Christ took up his cross, he pulled together those closest to him to have dinner one last time. Everyone at the table had a role, a perspective: the doubter, the denier, the betrayer, the confused. Everyone at Christ’s table had a lens through which they viewed the history they were living, and everyone had a purpose that somehow contributed to the greater goal of redemption.

America, this is a redeeming moment in our history. Whether black or white; whether wearing blue uniforms or orange jumpsuits; whether a resident, an activist, a victim, a rioter, a journalist, or a bystander, we all bring perspective to the table and it is at the table of our communities and cities where we must collectively commune and dine. Like a family dinner gone awry, we often sit across from each other in our respective seats in society and blame and scream and break dishes and storm out.

This week I’ve heard the roars of helicopters, the blares of sirens, and the chants of protesters. However, I’ve also heard about gang members tying their colors together and meeting with church leaders; about reporters being challenged by concerned citizens off camera regarding the often negative spin of news segments; about people pooling their money together to rebuild destroyed homes and businesses; about students and drivers organizing to provide assistance to seniors who depended on a neighborhood pharmacy that was burned down.

We are at a moment right now to hear each other, to sit down and talk. Let’s go beyond Black and White and Blue. Let’s not be afraid to address the difficult Gray areas of justice and redemption.

Everyone’s story deserves to be heard.

Let’s listen and learn.

Leslie J. Sherrod is a social worker in Baltimore where she lives with her husband and three children. She is also the author of six novels, most of which are set in her hometown, all of which address social concerns with intrigue and inspiration. Visit her website, LeslieJSherrod.com for more information about her work and her mission.

Any thoughts?