Hello World,

First of all, my prayers and condolences are with the families of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and the Dallas police officers. Honestly, I’m still processing it all…More on that later…But if you’re home tonight and need a diversion, this is a pleasant option…

TV One is shedding light on mental health in the Black community during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month with the premiere of its original movie, The Secret She Kept, this Sunday, July 10 at 7 p.m. ET (encore at 9 p.m. ET). Inspired by the best-selling novel of the same name by NAACP Image Award-winning author ReShonda Tate Billingsley, TV One’s original feature film, The Secret She Kept, immerses viewers in the story of a prominent family that lets shame, confusion and misunderstandings about mental illness send them down a tragic path.

Kyla Pratt (Recovery Road, One on One, The Proud Family, Dr. Doolittle) stars as beautiful, high-powered attorney Tia Jiles, who has just married the man of her dreams, successful magazine executive Lance Kingston (Gavin Houston, The Haves and the Have Nots, Guiding Light), and is on the brink of launching a major political campaign when a pattern of erratic behavior uncovers her secret: she suffers from mental illness.

“So often, we trivialize that someone is just ‘crazy’ and we don’t recognize that mental illness is real and relevant. I wanted to show not only was this something that deserved our attention, but that we shouldn’t be ashamed to seek help. If our bodies are sick, we get help. I wanted to de-stigmatize the shame that often keeps us from seeking treatment when our minds are sick,” said Billingsley. “I am grateful The Secret She Kept has been turned into a movie. While the book did exceptionally well, the platform TV One provides will hopefully get more people talking about what so many people see as a dirty little secret.“

The Secret She Kept is an exploration of the impact of mental illness on families, which is far too often closeted in the African-American community and provides a thought- provoking and inspirational story which addresses how far to go to save a loved one when they’ve kept a dangerous secret for years. It’s a question facing Lance (Houston) whose recent marriage to Tia (Pratt) seemed to promise a bright future for both of them. But under the surface, a fierce and frightening storm was brewing. That’s because Tia never revealed to Lance what she and her family, especially her mother Virginia Scroggins Jiles played by Kellita Smith (Z Nation, The Bernie Mac Show, The First Family), have known since Tia was seventeen: she has an illness that takes over her mind, transforming her into a woman struggling with bi-polar and schizoaffective disorder both privately and publicly. Determined to end the cycle of secrecy, Lance, along with his sister Beverly Kingston (Vanessa A. Williams, Soul Food, Melrose Place), set out to convince Tia to resume her medication and enter treatment.

Viewers are encouraged to participate in a nationwide Twitter Party with Billingsley during the movie’s premiere on TONIGHT July 10, 7-9 p.m. ET using the hashtag #SecretSheKept.

The Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (July) was announced in May 2008 by the U.S. House of Representatives to enhance public awareness of mental illness and mental illness among minorities. The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD) and cosponsored by a large bipartisan group, to also improve access to mental health treatment and s ervic es , and pro mo te public awarenes s o f mental illness. More information is available on the National Alliance of Mental Illness website.

Below is the trailer for the movie…

AND

If you’re in Atlanta, join ReShonda on the 3rd stop of her The Perfect Mistress/RTBWrites Book Tour! She will be at the East Point Branch of the Atlanta-Fulton County Library System, 2757 Main Street, East Point, GA 30344 (404-762-4842) from 6:30pm – 8:00pm on Monday, July 11, 2016!

Any thoughts?

The post Check Out ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s Movie ‘The Secret She Kept’ TONIGHT & Book Signing TOMORROW! appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Grace Greenleaf (Merle Dandridge) and her father Bishop James Greenleaf (Keith David)
Photo by Eli Ade; Courtesy of OWN

Hello World,

The new original series “Greenleaf,” featuring Oprah Winfrey’s first recurring scripted television role in two decades, will launch with a two-night premiere on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on Tuesday, May 24 at 10 p.m. ET/PT and Wednesday, May 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The megachurch drama from Emmy nominated writer/producer Craig Wright (“Lost,” “Six Feet Under”) and Lionsgate Television will regularly air on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT for the remainder of its 13-episode first season.

“Greenleaf” centers on the journey of estranged daughter and disillusioned preacher Grace Greenleaf (Merle Dandridge, “The Night Shift”) who has returned home after 20 years on the occasion of the mysterious death of her sister, Faith.  As she reenters the world of Calvary Fellowship World Ministries, the Memphis megachurch run by her powerful parents Bishop James Greenleaf (Keith David, “Enlisted” and “Community”) and Lady Mae Greenleaf (Lynn Whitfield, “The Josephine Baker Story”), it becomes evident that things are not as virtuous as they seem and that the family’s outward display of faith hides sin and misdeeds.

In the season premiere, directed by Clement Virgo (“Book of Negroes”), Grace and her teenage daughter Sophia (Desiree Ross, “Falling Skies”) are warmly welcomed home by Grace’s father, Bishop James Greenleaf, but tensions quickly rise soon thereafter at a family dinner in the Greenleaf mansion.  Grace’s mother is cold and hostile; her sister-in-law Kerissa (Kim Hawthorne, “Rake”) questions her about her faith; and sister Charity (Deborah Joy Winans, “Whitney”) erupts with jealousy at the suggestion that Grace might preach at Calvary.

Later, blues club owner and Grace’s aunt Mavis (Oprah Winfrey, “Selma”) discuss the circumstances of Faith’s death and Mavis reveals some shocking information about Grace’s uncle “Mac” (Gregory Alan Williams, “Terminator Genisys”). Mavis is still estranged from the Greenleaf family and it starts to become evident that she intends to use Grace to sow the seeds of its destruction.

The new original drama series “Greenleaf” from award-winning writer/producer Craig Wright (“Lost,” “Six Feet Under”) takes viewers into the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch, where scandalous secrets and lies are as numerous as the faithful.  Like so many megachurches in America, Calvary Fellowship World Ministries is more than just a house of worship. It’s a home. It’s the center of the community for the thousands of predominantly African-American members who attend services there.  But beneath its steeple lies a den of iniquity — greed, adultery, sibling rivalry and conflicting values — a multigenerational matrix of deception that involves the church’s founding family, but also extends to the congregation and prominent members of the Memphis community and beyond. Yet, amidst all of the mayhem and deception, the power of something greater persists, calling everyone to conscience for their sins.

“Greenleaf” stars Merle Dandridge (“The Night Shift”) as Grace Greenleaf; Keith David (“Community”) as Bishop James Greenleaf; Lynn Whitfield (“The Josephine Baker Story”) as Lady Mae Greenleaf; Kim Hawthorne (“Rake”) as Kerissa Greenleaf; Lamman Rucker (“Meet the Browns”) as Jacob Greenleaf; Tye White (“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) as Kevin Satterlee; Deborah Joy Winans (“Whitney”) as Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee; Desiree Ross (“Falling Skies”) as Sophia; and Oprah Winfrey (“Selma”) in a recurring role as Mavis McCready.

“Greenleaf” is produced for OWN by Lionsgate Television.  Executive producers are Oprah Winfrey, Craig Wright and Clement Virgo.

I’ll be watching this new show, but I wonder why novelists such as ReShonda Tate Billingsley (whose movie “Let The Church Say Amen” debuted on BET last August), Victoria Christopher Murray, Kimberla Lawson Roby and Tiffany L. Warren, who have written books about similar themes, aren’t consulted for projects like these…

Any thoughts?

The post Oprah Winfrey’s New Megachurch Drama ‘Greenleaf’ to Have a Two-Night Premiere May 24 and May 25!!! appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Hello World,

In just one measly day (although a lot can happen in a day), 2015 will be a part of our past, and 2016 will be our present and future! I don’t know about you, but it is only when I truly contemplate all the days of the year from January through December that I realize that so much has been packed into 365 days! This year has been a momentous one for my humble corner of the World Wide Web that I affectionately refer to as After the Altar Call. If you please, let’s take a retrospective look at what God has done here!

January 2015 – I always bring in the New Year in church because it is where I get guidance for the year! During this year’s Watch Night Service, the pastor focused on Hebrews 13: 5-6. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. I wasn’t sure what these verses meant for me which you can read about in “Two Signs Your New Year May Not Be Off to the Best Start…”But now that the year is nearly over, I do understand what God is saying to me through those verses. Here are some of my insights for me: 1. Don’t be jealous of other people and what they have going on because the Lord controls your destiny as He does for everyone else. He has placed you where you are supposed to be and rejoice for that! 2. So much emphasis is placed on networking and building the right relationships. While those skills are important, the most powerful relationship you can have is the one you have with Jesus because He can open doors that no one can shut!

February 2015 – I’ve always wanted to attend a celebrity awards show so this year I decided to do just that. Although I attended the 23rd Annual Trumpet Awards Ceremony in January, I didn’t write my post “My Red Carpet Coverage of the 2015 Trumpet Awards/Watch It on TV One THIS Saturday…”until February when the show aired on TV One. And not only did I attend, I decided to be red carpet ready as well! There I am on the red carpet!

March 2015 – I was blessed to interview Atlanta’s First Black Lady Ms. Bunnie Jackson-Ransom, president and CEO of firstClass, Inc., a full-service public relations and marketing firm, about her book Getting The Word Out: How To Market Your Ministry: Communication Tools & Tactics You Need For Evangelism in  “Atlanta’s First Black First Lady Pens New Church for Churches…”

April 2015 – I started recapping Mary Mary’s reality show in March, but I did the majority of my recaps in April. Here is one of my favorite recaps of the show -“Is Tina Testifying Too Much? : Mary Mary Season 4, Episode 5 Recap…”

May 2015 – When I began recapping  Mary Mary’s reality show in March, I had no idea that I would be able to interview Tina Campbell, and what an interview it was! Check out “Mitchell Solarek is NOT Tina Campbell’s Manager & More: My Interview With Mary Mary’s Tina Campbell!”

June 2015 – This month was HUGE for this blog as I relaunched it as I decided to mainly focus on “blogging the cross section of faith, relationships and pop culture!” (Yes, that is my new tagline See above!) I took head shots for the blog, rewrote my bio and updated my theme ! I’ve always wanted to be a celebrity/lifestyle journalist (from a faith perspective which came later) so I hired myself ) My first post once I relaunched my blog was “Tamela Mann Shares About ‘The Gospel Tradition: In Performance At The White House’ & More: MY INTERVIEW…”

July 2015 – So when I was in college, I used to bump (that means play) certain artists and groups on Boombox and my Walkman (Wow, that was back in the day) in my door room and out and about over and over again. One of those groups was SWV (Sisters With Voices)! That is why I was so excited to interview Coko of SWV in the blog post “SWV’s Coko Talks About Her New Radio Show, Girl Group & How She & Her Hubby Maintain Their Weight Loss.”

August 2015 – It is always encouraging to see other authors do well because being a writer in today’s times can be very discouraging! This month best-selling author ReShonda Tate Billingsley realized a dream come true as her book “Let The Church Say Amen” became a BET movie, which I live tweeted! Check out my interview with her about how her book became a movie in The Making of the BET Movie & ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s “Let The Church Say Amen!”

September 2015 – As I said, I love my celebrities, but I have special love for Christian celebrities! It was definitely one of the highlights of the year to be able to interview David Oyelowo about his movie “Captive.” Check out the interview in “Actor David Oyelowo Captures Brian Nichols in Hostage Crisis Movie ‘Captive’: My Interview (With Audio).” His repertoire is very impressive as he has been in “Selma” as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The Butler” and “The Help!”

October 2015 – My new interview series “Resilience & the Bible” was launched this month. In this interview series, I hope to demonstrate how Scriptures can be used to bounce back from the trials we all have to go through from time to time. My first interview as “Resilience & the Bible: How to Use Scriptures to Bounce Back From – Rebellious Teenagers.”

November 2015 – My favorite post of this month was “How Do You Deal With Beggars on the Street Asking for Money?” Honestly, I’m still dealing with this issue. Pray for me…

December 2015 – It was a blessing to write this post “Interdenominational Theological Center Triumphant After Accreditation Scare, Honors Civil Rights Icons at Global Transformers Gala (PHOTOS included).”

Other highlights of 2015: Being featured on The Atlanta Journal Constitution website – ajc.com and becoming a blogger for BibleGateway!

God has truly blessed this blog! May 2016 be a blessing to you! God bless you…

Any thoughts?

The post Retrospect: 2015 in Posts… appeared first on After the Altar Call.