SCAD BAM! Schedules shows in Savannah, Atlanta to celebrate Black artists in music
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) recently announced its latest concert to celebrate Black History Month and Black musical artists with BAM! Black Artists in Music.
The school’s vocal ensemble SCAD Bee Sharps and “American Idol” winner and SCAD alum Candice Glover will perform iconic songs from celebrated Black music artists in Gospel, R&B, Soul and Jazz.
“This year’s two BAM! performances in our SCAD hometowns promise an electrifying experience celebrating Black History Month with SCAD stars and special surprise guests,” said Paula Wallace, President and Founder of SCAD.
Both shows will feature stars of stage and screen, including Tituss Burgess from “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” Solea Pfeiffer from “Hadestown” and Brandon Victor Dixon from “Hamilton.”
The first program starts at the Lucas Theatre in Savannah on Feb. 16 and the SCAD Show Theatre in Atlanta on Feb. 23.
Tickets for the Savannah and Atlanta shows are on sale now.
— Allison Joyner
Morehouse School of Medicine and The King Center to hold free prostate cancer screenings
The Morehouse School of Medicine will be offering free prostate cancer screenings on Friday, Feb. 9 from 12 to 6 p.m. at The King Center, located at 449 Auburn Ave NE. The event is in honor of the life of Dexter Scott King, who passed away after a battle with prostate cancer on Jan. 22 at the age of 62.
MSM’s Prostate Cancer Precision Prevention Program (PCP3) team will conduct the screenings in the form of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing to men free of charge. Walk-ins are welcome and at-risk Black men in the greater Atlanta area are particularly encouraged to be tested.
Men who choose to be tested will sign a consent form to allow for one tube of blood to be drawn by nurses and/or phlebotomists. All participating men receive individual PSA results by mail within two weeks. In addition to mailed results, men with elevated PSA levels will receive a phone call from PCP3’s clinical team and be referred to Grady Urology, Emory Urology, and Midtown Urology, as well as their own primary care physicians for follow-up care.
— Derek Prall
Report ranks Georgia 4th in political engagement among African Americans
With Black History Month and the primary season in full swing, personal finance website WalletHub released its report on the states with the highest political engagement among African Americans.
The report compared 49 states across five key metrics, including Black voter turnout and registration during the most recent midterm and presidential elections and the proportional representation of Black people in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Peach State ranked in the middle for Black voter turnout and registration for the 2020 Presidential Election and at the top for Black voter turnout and registration for the 2022 Midterm Elections.
Click here to view the full report.
— Allison Joyner
Clayton County principal receives award from Communities in Schools of Atlanta
Yesterday, Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) announced Micki Harris from Eddie White Middle Academy was the 2024 Choose Success Outstanding Principal Award winner by the Communities in Schools of Atlanta organization.
Harris was selected for her outstanding teamwork and unwavering commitment to her school, inspiring her students, teachers and staff members.
“Her ability to foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment is truly remarkable and her tireless efforts to improve academic excellence and create a positive school culture are second to none,” said Dr. Anthony Smith, Superintendent and CEO for CCPS.
Harris will be honored at the 2024 Choose Success Dinner on March 21.
— Allison Joyner
“Battle for the Brain” event generates $1.5 Million benefitting Emory University’s Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
Daughters Against Alzheimer’s (DAA) hosted its signature event, Battle for the Brain, on Feb. 1 2024 at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta.
Battle for the Brain featured a lip sync competition, a raffle, as well as silent and live auctions, resulting in an exceptional fundraising total of $1.5 million benefitting Emory University’s Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. This amount surpasses any previous single-evening fundraising achievement in the history of the event since its inception in 2018.
Winners of the lip synch competition included representatives from Delta Air Lines, Morgan Stanley, RCG Ventures and Tootsies. Additional team performances included the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders, Dorsey Alston Realtors, Fitness Influencers ATL, RCG Ventures, Ryder and Steve Penley and The SEEiT Choir. The judges panel included Adalius Thomas, Julie Moran, Kaedy Kiely, Monica Pearson and Stacey Leebern.
Daughter’s Against Alzheimer’s is a nonprofit dedicated to raising public awareness, changing the stigma associated with dementia and funding research in support of the National Institute of Health’s goal to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s by 2025.
— Derek Prall
Chamblee hosts town halls about potential annexation
The city of Chamblee and the Embry Hills Civic Association will host two town hall listening sessions to discuss the possibility of annexing the Embry Hills/Mercer University area.
The first session will take place, Monday Feb. 12, at Chamblee Tucker Christian Fellowship on Chamblee Tucker Rd. at 6:30 p.m. This will be regarding those who are seeking annexation into the city.
The second session will be Monday, Feb. 26, at Chamblee City Hall on Broad St. at 6:30 p.m. This will be regarding information for existing Chamblee citizens.
Click here for more information.
— Allison Joyner
Hooters of America provides 33,000 Meals to Atlanta Community Food Bank
Hooters of America recently donated 40,016 pounds of food and dry goods to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, providing 33,000 meals to those in need across metro Atlanta and north Georgia.
The 33,000 meals provided contribute to the overall effort by the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which distributes an average of 11 million pounds of food, or approximately 9 million meals each month, through its network of partner agencies across 29 counties in Georgia.
— Derek Prall
Chris Doane to lead Southern Conservation Trust as new executive director and president
The Southern Conservation Trust has selected Chris Doane, a dedicated conservation enthusiast, as their new president and chief executive officer.
The announcement was made this week by James Yates, Chair of the Board and Senior Construction Manager for Comcast. Doane is replacing Katie Pace Quattlebaum, who served seven years as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director until stepping down in May of 2023. She built the organization from a staff of one to 18 team members during that period. Quattlebaum also grew the number of acres under conservation easement to 55,000 plus.
“Chris’ experience in the areas of leading and building a non-profit like SCT weighed significantly in the Board’s thought process,” Yates said. “He brings a proven record of building sustainable revenues in the world of conservation. Also, Chris is a visionary and results-oriented. His previous engagements show that collaboration is always at the top of his mindset.”
— Derek Prall
Book sale to fund East Roswell Library to be held this month
The Friends of East Roswell Library Board is currently preparing for our 10th Annual Used Book Sale
The Used Book Sale funds summer programming, yoga classes, book purchases, and a host of other programming provided to the community which would otherwise not be funded by the Fulton County Library System.
The sale is the primary source of support for the library. It will be held Feb. 9 to 11 and Feb. 17 to 18.. at 1425 Market Blvd, Suite 130.
—Derek Prall
Open Hand Atlanta announces new officers and board members
Open Hand Atlanta, a non-profit organization that delivers meals and nutrition services across the country, recently announced its 2024-2025 officers and the addition of three new members to its Board of Directors.
The Board elected Tom Abrams, broker associate at Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty and president and CEO of BW Designs as president; Carmen Titelman, executive director of coding and compliance at Piedmont Healthcare, as vice president; Cromwell Baun, CPA, first vice president of wealth management at UBS Financial Services, as treasurer; Sandra Harris, vice president of sales and account management at Kaiser Permanente Georgia, as secretary; and Shirley Powell, senior vice president of corporate communications and industry relations at Cox Automotive Inc., is continuing her service as immediate past president.
The three new Board members include Michele Blondheim, director of corporate social responsibility at Aprio and executive director of the Aprio Foundation; Jonathan Karron, vice president of marketing for Sandy Hook Promise; and Ellie Perry, senior vice president and community relations manager at Bank of America.
They join the current Board of Directors, including: Tom Abrams, Cromwell Baun, Debra Carlton, M.D., Alec Frisch, Sudevi Ghosh, Julie Hagedorn, D.O., Sandra Harris, Robert Joseph, Jr., Johanna Ellis Reisinger, Carmen Titelman, Bernard Wedge, Jr., Dennis White and Katherine Williams.
“We are thrilled about the passion and scope of knowledge our new Board members bring to our mission of delivering delicious, nourishing meals and nutrition education to thousands of neighbors who are at risk for or have a disability or medical illness,” Matthew Pieper, executive director of Open Hand said. “In 2023, our experienced team cooked and delivered our 35 millionth nourishing meal to the community. We are proud to make a difference in the lives of so many individuals and families made possible by the contributions of community leaders like these.”
— Derek Prall
