2011 Frist Center Exhibition Schedule Features Andy Warhol, Art of India, Egyptian and Shaker Cultures, Northern Renaissance Paintings

19 Aug 2010 23:30 Africa/Lagos


2011 Frist Center Exhibition Schedule Features Andy Warhol, Art of India, Egyptian and Shaker Cultures, Northern Renaissance Paintings

Contemporary Art Exhibitions Include Works of William Eggleston, Simen Johan, Vesna Pavlovic, Magdalena Compos-Pons

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Frist Center for the Visual Arts celebrates its tenth year and continues to gain prominence as a major center for art exhibitions with the 2011 Ingram Gallery exhibition schedule that includes the Frist-organized Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior, Warhol Live: Music and Dance in Andy Warhol's Work and the stunning exhibition of Egyptian antiquities, To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum.
The Frist Center's Upper-Level Galleries will feature photographs by Tennessee native William Eggleston, one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, an important collection of Shaker furniture, Northern Renaissance paintings from Bob Jones University and works of Cuban-born installation artist and photographer Maria Magdalena Compos-Pons. The Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery will showcase photographs and sculptures by the New York-based Simen Johan, Vanderbilt University Assistant Professor of Art and Serbian native Vesna Pavlovic, as well as a large-scale sculptural installation by Tracey Snelling of Oakland, California.
The Frist Center's schedule of exhibitions for 2011 in order of opening:

William Eggleston: Anointing the Overlooked
Jan. 21-May 1, 2011
Upper-Level Galleries

William Eggleston: Anointing the Overlooked brings together more than 70 photographs made by the Memphis, Tenn., resident who is one of the most influential artists of his generation. The exhibition includes iconic images from the early 1970s, important series and portfolios held in the Memphis Brooks collection as well as the rarely seen 21st Century Photographs. William Eggleston was a key figure in charting a new course for color photography. Prior to his first exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (New York) in 1976, fine art photography was typically black and white, while color photography was used commercially. By not censoring, rarely editing and photographing the seemingly banal, Eggleston reminds us of the inherently democratic uses of and wide-spread access to photography. His images are psychologically complex, yet structurally quotidian, drawing attention to the power and beauty of the overlooked. Eggleston's work has influenced subsequent generations of fine art photographers and contemporary artists. The exhibition is organized for the Frist Center for the Visual Arts by Susan H. Edwards, Ph.D., Frist Center executive director and CEO.
Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior
Feb. 20-May 29, 2011
Ingram Gallery

Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior will be the first major museum exhibition to focus on Vishnu--one of Hinduism's three major deities. Composed of approximately 150 paintings and sculptures made in India between the second century and 1900 A.D., this exhibition will serve as a brief survey of Hindu art styles as well as an examination of the Vaishnava (Vishnu-worshipping) tradition. Known as Hinduism's gentle god, Vishnu is easily recognized in paintings because of his blue skin, which legend states is the result of ingesting a particularly powerful poison that threatened to destroy the world.
The exhibition will be accompanied by an illustrated catalog published by Mapin Publishing, an Indian art book publishing company.
Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior is organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts with Guest Curator Joan Cummins.
Simen Johan: Until the Kingdom Comes
Feb. 20-May 29, 2011
Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery

Simen Johan's works reflect uneasy connections between humans and other species. His digital photographs, which show live or taxidermied animals Photoshopped onto various natural and human-made landscape environments, blur boundaries between the real and unreal, animal and human and beauty and brutality. His sculptures of taxidermied birds are interwoven with insects and foliage, serving in his words as "miniature parasitical ecosystems."
Simen Johan: Until the Kingdom Comes is organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
Connecting Cultures: Children's Stories from Across the World
April 15, 2011-March 27, 2012
Conte Community Arts Gallery

This exhibition is the result of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts and ten diverse local community organizations working together on a project that explores the ways art may be used to tell children's stories from a number of cultural perspectives. Starting with the premise that the stories of children simultaneously reflect unique cultural values as well as perspectives that are shared across cultures, the stories presented in this exhibition present universal human experiences and concerns that connect us all.
Connecting Cultures: Children's Stories from Across the World is organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
Gather Up the Fragments: The Andrews Shaker Collection
May 20-Aug. 21, 2011
Upper-Level Galleries

Gather Up the Fragments focuses upon the collection of Faith and Edward Deming Andrews, who from the 1920s through the 1960s formed a large and important assemblage of Shaker art and pioneered Shaker studies. This comprehensive exhibition includes more than 270 objects--furniture, drawings, household objects, textiles, baskets and kitchen implements--and will provide insight into this intriguing religious group that valued many ideas that resonate today such as equality, pacifism, community, sustainability, responsible land stewardship, innovation, simplicity, and quality in work.
Gather Up the Fragments: The Andrews Shaker Collection is organized by Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA.
Warhol Live: Music and Dance in Andy Warhol's Work
June 24-Sept. 11, 2011
Ingram Gallery

Over the course of his meteoric career, Andy Warhol (1928-1987) used the medium of music to transform himself from fan to record album designer, producer, celebrity night-clubber and rock impresario. Warhol Live presents a comprehensive exploration of the artist's work as experienced through the lens of music and dance. This exhibition juxtaposes major pieces (Elvis, Marilyn, Liza Minnelli, Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, Debbie Harry, the Self-portraits and the Campbell's Soup Cans) with lesser-known works inspired by music and the performing arts (album covers, illustrations, photos and Polaroids), along with films and sound recordings, which provide a visual and aural score to Warhol's extraordinary work and life. The exhibition includes nearly 300 works, including objects and documents from the artist's personal archives.
Warhol Live: Music and Dance in Andy Warhol's Work is produced by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in partnership with The Andy Warhol Museum, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.
Vesna Pavlovic: Projected Histories
June 24-Sept. 11, 2011
Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery

This exhibition will include photographs taken in Vesna Pavlovic's native Serbia and the United States over the last two decades. Focusing on sites and events of cultural significance, Pavlovic examines the power of photography to shape the perception of history as an expression of people's dreams and aspirations by projecting and conflating self-images and national ideologies. The exhibition begins with a selection of photographs that were taken in Serbia during the 1990s and explore the failure of utopian modernism under Communism while posing questions about the veneer of normalcy maintained during the civil war and allied bombardment. It concludes with an installation of recent works that considers the values and consumerist ideologies relating to contemporary American life.
Vesna Pavlovic: Projected Histories is organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
A Divine Light: Northern Renaissance Paintings from Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery
Sept. 9, 2011-Feb. 5, 2012
Upper-Level Galleries

This exhibition, which has received support from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, presents twenty-eight Renaissance paintings from one of the most renowned Old Master collections in the United States. The collection was formed during the mid-twentieth century by the evangelical preacher Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., for display at the university bearing his name in Greenville, S.C. The large number of Baroque paintings that Jones acquired tends to overshadow other parts of the collection, and A Divine Light marks the first time that the museum's equally beautiful Northern Renaissance paintings have been the sole focus of an exhibition and catalogue. These works of art, which consist of altarpieces and private devotional paintings, will be considered in regard to the latest scholarship and theories about the visual culture of the Renaissance. Several paintings will undergo conservation treatment in preparation for their presentation at the Frist Center.
A Divine Light: Northern Renaissance Paintings from Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery is organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
Maria Magdalena Compos-Pons: Journeys
Sept. 9, 2011-Feb. 5, 2012
Upper-Level Galleries

The Cuban-born artist Maria Magdelena Campos-Pons creates photographs, video and multi-media installations that tell the story of the survival of African cultures by evoking rites, myths and narratives that have evolved through generations. Her work symbolically follows the history of the slave trade from her family's origin in Nigeria to Cuba, where they worked in the sugar industry, to present-day Boston, where Campos-Pons now works and teaches.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: Journeys is organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum
Oct. 7, 2011-Jan. 8, 2012
Ingram Gallery

Following the incredibly successful Quest for Immortality exhibition, which came to the Frist Center in 2006, To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum includes 109 important works from the superb collection of the Brooklyn Museum that illustrate Egyptian beliefs regarding the defeat of death and promise of the eternal afterlife. To Live Forever explores the ancient Egyptian belief that proper preparation could enable a person to overcome the finality of death. The objects on display, including coffins, jewels and statuary from the Brooklyn Museum's extensive, world-renowned collection, introduce visitors to the mysteries of mummification, the funeral procession and rituals that prepared the entombed deceased for passage to the underworld, the final judgment of the gods in determining the disposition of the soul and the idealized afterlife. The objects in the exhibition were created over a period of more than 4,000 years.
To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum has been organized by the Brooklyn Museum.
Tracey Snelling: Woman on the Run
Oct. 7, 2011-Jan. 8, 2012
Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery

Tracey Snelling's sculptures of vernacular buildings, streets and rundown neighborhoods show a keen sensitivity to the psychological tensions and hidden narratives of small town America. A large tableau of wooden structures, videos, projections and other mediums, Woman on the Run provides a film-noir-like setting for a crime story in which a mysterious woman is sought for questioning in a murder.
Tracey Snelling: Woman on the Run is organized by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
About the Frist Center
Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., is an art exhibition center dedicated to presenting the finest visual art from local, regional, U.S. and international sources in a program of changing exhibitions. The Frist Center's Martin ArtQuest Gallery features interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Gallery admission to the Frist Center is free for visitors 18 and younger and to Frist Center members. With possible exception for some specially-ticketed exhibitions, Frist Center admission is $10.00 for adults and $7.00 for seniors, military and college students with ID. College students are admitted free Thursday and Friday evenings, 5-9 p.m. Discounts are offered for groups of 10 or more with advance reservation by calling (615) 744-3247. The Frist Center is open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays, 1-5:30 p.m., with the Frist Center Cafe opening at noon. Additional information is available by calling (615) 244-3340 or by visiting our Web site at www.fristcenter.org.
Source: Frist Center for the Visual Arts

CONTACT: Ellen Jones Pryor, +1-615-243-1311, epryor@fristcenter.org,
ejpryor@aol.com, or Emily Harper Beard, +1-615-744-3331,
ebeard@fristcenter.org
Web Site: http://www.fristcenter.org/

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
19 Aug 2010
23:30	2011 Frist Center Exhibition Schedule Features Andy Warhol, Art of India, Egyptian and Shaker Cultures, Northern Renaissance Paintings
16:45	'Manna From Heaven' for U.S. Wheat Exporters
14:00	Delta Launches Special Introductory Fares to Monrovia, Liberia
18 Aug 2010

President Goodluck Jonathan, Stop Fooling Nigerians On Facebook

President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, majority of Nigerians are not on Facebook and do not care whether you are on Facebook or not.
Being on Facebook is not what they need.

They want to see you address the brazen acts of corruption in your office and the National Assembly.

They want to see you order the IG to stop the illegal toll-gates called police check-points on the streets and highways in Nigeria.

They want to see you prosecuting your corrupt political godfathers who have been indicted for corrupt practices in the Halliburton Bribery Scandal, Siemens Bribery Scandal, your wife, Mrs. Patience Jonathan involvemement of 104 million naira and 13.5 million dollars money laundering case and others you have ignored while you have been chasing shadows on Facebook.

They want to see you addressing the endless cases of pensioners who are suffering and dying.

They want to see an end to doctors going on strike.

They want to see an end to collapsing public schools at all levels of education.
Where did IBB, OBJ and AA get the millions of dollars for establishing private universities?

Do not squander and waste billions of naira on 50th Independence Anniversary of Nigeria.
Spend the billions of naira on modern health care services for Nigerians who cannot afford foreign medical trips.

You do not need new planes for your Presidential Fleet.

Your current Minister of Information and Communications is a square peg in a round hole. She seems confused and would be more competent in the Ministry of Health.

The list is endless.


HOW MANY NIGERIANS HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET?

President Goodluck Jonathan is only fooling Nigerians on Facebook.

Let him face our realities on the streets, towns and villages.

Being on Facebook is not adding anything to our GDP or GNP.

Being on Facebook will not eradicate corruption in Nigeria.


Stop pretending on Facebook and come down to the streets of Nigeria and face the realities of the crimes and evils of your ruling party.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the most corrupt political party in the history of Nigeria and Nigerians would be better and safer without the PDP.

~ By Orikinla Osinachi

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
19 Aug 2010


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Pelosi Statement on Final American Brigade Combat Team Exiting Iraq
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Little League World Series Fans: Explore Williamsport's 'Outfield;' Boost Your Social Media Standings
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Côte d'Ivoire / L'ONUCI organise une séance de sensibilisation à un environnement électoral apaise à Ndebo
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Côte d'Ivoire / L'ONUCI apporte un nouvel appui pour l‘encasernement des ex combattants
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EAC Secretary general congratulates new Kenya minister OF EAC
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EAC Secretary General congratulates president Kagame on election victory
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Harris Supports Red Cross Flood Relief Efforts in Pakistan

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Video Feed: Governor Rendell Releases Poll Showing Transportation Funding Support
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Black Journalists' Group Calls for Forum on 'Talk Show Hate'
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VH1 Save The Music Foundation to Honor John Mayer and The ASCAP Foundation at The VH1 Save The Music Foundation's 2010 Gala Presented by LG Mobile Phones
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Cal/OSHA Adopts Revised Heat Safety Regulations
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XBRL US Labs Launches Brix Project, Releases Brix iPhone App
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New Session on 'The Power of a Positive No' Debuts at Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School
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To Keep Reducing Smoking, Washington Leaders Must Restore Funding for Successful Tobacco Prevention Program
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Law Pivot Launches Its Confidential Legal Question and Answer Service for California Technology Companies and Lawyers
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Greek Americans to Port Authority: Rebuild Ground Zero Church
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St. Louis Fed's Bullard Discusses the Outlook for the U.S. Economy and Monetary Policy
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Simmons College Named a 'Best College' by U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes.Com
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Experts to Florida PSC: We Told You So!
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Bicyclist Rides from Alaska to Florida to Raise Funds and Awareness for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health
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The Real Deal, Philly Style: Cafe Martorano Files Lawsuit Against Rhode Island Imitator
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U.S. Appeals Court Reinstates Claim That Controversial Diet Drug Redux Should Never Have Been Offered to American People
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Growing Number of Americans Who Say Barack Obama is a Muslim

9 Aug 2010 05:01 Africa/Lagos



New Pew Research Center Survey Reveals Growing Number of Americans Who Say Barack Obama is a Muslim

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that a substantial and growing number of Americans say that Barack Obama is a Muslim, while the proportion saying he is a Christian has declined. More than a year and a half into his presidency, a plurality of the public says they do not know what religion Obama follows.

According to the survey, nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) now say Obama is a Muslim -- an increase from 11% in March 2009. Only about one-third of adults (34%) say Obama is a Christian, a sharp decrease from 48% in 2009. Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama's religion is. The survey was completed in early August, before Obama's recent comments about the proposed construction of a mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center.

The belief that Obama is a Muslim has increased most sharply among Republicans (up 14 points since 2009), especially conservative Republicans (up 16 points). But the number of independents who say Obama is a Muslim has also increased significantly (up eight points). There has been little change in the number of Democrats who say Obama is a Muslim, but fewer Democrats today say he is a Christian (down nine points since 2009).

The new poll, conducted between July 21 and Aug. 5 among 3,003 respondents, also examines the link between Americans' perception of Obama's religion and their opinion of his job performance, and covers views on the President's approach to religion, including the influence of his religious beliefs on policy decisions. In addition, the survey explores Americans' attitudes toward churches' involvement in politics and religion's influence on American life and government, and looks at religion's impact on voting preferences for the upcoming 2010 congressional races.

The report, including a summary and topline questionnaire, will be accessible on the Forum's new Web feature, "Religion & Politics 2010," which provides a variety of election resources, including:
-- Poll analyses and survey reports on topics related to the midterm
elections
-- Links to news stories about religion-related issues impacting 2010
congressional and gubernatorial races around the country
-- "Election news briefs" highlighting interesting articles and common
themes making news headlines

The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life conducts surveys, demographic analyses and other social science research on important aspects of religion and public life in the U.S. and around the world. As part of the Washington-based Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy organization, the Pew Forum does not take positions on any of the issues it covers or on policy debates.
Source: Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life

CONTACT: Liga Plaveniece of Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion &
Public Life, Communications Coordinator, +1-202-419-4586
Web Site: http://www.pewforum.org/

President Barack Obama Speaks on Ending the War in Iraq

Good afternoon,

Shortly after taking office, I put forward a plan to end the war in Iraq responsibly. Today, I'm pleased to report that -- thanks to the extraordinary service of our troops and civilians in Iraq -- our combat mission will end this month, and we will complete a substantial drawdown of our troops.

Over the last 18 months, over 90,000 U.S. troops have left Iraq. By the end of this month, 50,000 troops will be serving in Iraq. As Iraqi Security Forces take responsibility for securing their country, our troops will move to an advise-and-assist role. And, consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, all of our troops will be out of Iraq by the end of next year. Meanwhile, we will continue to build a strong partnership with the Iraqi people with an increased civilian commitment and diplomatic effort.

A few weeks ago, men and women from one of the most deployed brigades in the U.S. Army, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, returned home from Iraq. The Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden were at Fort Drum to welcome the veterans home and spoke about their personal experiences as a military family:

Our commitment to our troops doesn't end once they come home -- it's only the beginning. Part of ending a war responsibly is meeting our responsibility to the men and women who have fought it. Our troops and their families have made tremendous sacrifices to keep our nation safe and secure, and as a nation we have a moral obligation to serve our veterans as well as they have served us.

That's why we're building a 21st century Department of Veterans Affairs. We've made one of the largest percentage increase in the VA’s budget in 30 years, and we're dramatically increasing funding for veterans' health across the board. In particular, we're delivering unprecedented resources to treat signature wounds of today's wars—Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Our sacred trust to take care of our veterans goes beyond simply healing the wounds incurred in battle. We must ensure that when our veterans leave the Armed Forces, they have the opportunities they need to further their education and support their families. Through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, some 300,000 veterans and families members have pursued a college degree. Others are taking advantage of job training and placement programs.

My Administration will continue to do our part to support the brave men and women in uniform that have sacrificed so much. But supporting our troops and their families is not just the job of the Federal Government; it's the responsibility of all Americans.

As we mark this milestone in the Iraq war and our troops continue to move out of Iraq, I hope you'll join me in thanking them, and all of our troops and military families, for their service.

Sincerely,
President Barack Obama

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time 18 Aug 2010 13:25 Additional Assistance to Peacekeeping Training Centers in Africa

19:08 Darfur / UNAMID Daily Media Brief

18:45 PROFNET EXPERT ALERTS: 'Ground Zero Mosque' / Ethics vs. Legality / Rwanda 17:49 Pelosi Statement on Cordoba House

17 Aug 2010 20:50 CAIR-NJ Thanks Governor for Islamophobia Warning

African Media and New Business Models in Cameroon

A24 Media Supports Media Forum to Tackle Issue of Funding for African Media and New Business Models in Cameroon )


Funding African Media in an Age of Uncertain Business Models will be
the main theme of the African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) when it meets
in Yaoundé, Cameroon in November.

The Forum is the flagship programme of the African Media Initiative
(AMI) and is the only annual gathering of African media owners and
operators from around the continent. “The main objective of the
Forum is to facilitate the emergence of an African media sector that
is professional, financially sustainable, technologically adaptable
and socially responsible,” according to Amadou Mahtar Ba, AMI CEO.

The Forum, which will take place on the 18th and 19th November, is
being hosted by the Spectrum Media Group, one of the largest
broadcasters on the continent, which operates out of West and Central
Africa. Over 250 participants including CEOs, managing directors,
publishers and media leaders from Africa and beyond are expected to
attend. The organizers have reported an over five-fold increase in
number of participants attending when compared to the first AMLF which
was held in Dakar, Senegal in 2008

This year’s Forum will be organized around both plenary sessions and
working groups that will run simultaneously. The topics will be
Financing; Technology and New Business Models; and Ethics, Leadership
and Social Responsibility.

The co-chairs of the 2010 Forum are: Joyce Barnathan, President of the
International Center for Journalist (ICFJ), USA, Papa Madiaw Ndiaye,
CEO and Founder of the Advanced Finance & Investment Group, USA,
Reginald Mengi, Executive Chairman of IPP, Tanzania and Salim Amin,
Chairman, A24 Media and Camerapix, Kenya

“AMLF is honoured to have these leading professionals co-chair the
2010 Forum. We believe that their skills, views and experience will
provide invaluable input in discussions around how to improve the
media landscape in Africa and how to empower media to play a greater
role in promoting democracy, human development and economic growth on
the continent,” said Mr Mahtar Ba.

For more information, please contact:

Edith Muthoni Meme

+254 (0) 710 972 596

Noreen Wambui Nthiga

+254 (0) 722 210 842

Vimbai Kadenhe

+27 (0) 785 299 108

amlf2010@africanmediainitiative.org

7 of 10 LGBT Americans Say U.S. Remains Far from Gender Equality

7 Aug 2010 12:07 Africa/Lagos


7 of 10 LGBT Americans Say U.S. Remains Far from Gender Equality

90 Years After Enacting Women's Suffrage, LGBT Americans See Greater Evidence of Inequalities Still Facing 21st Century Women

NEW YORK, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1920, 144 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, women in the United States achieved the right to vote. Ninety years later, the issues of gender equality remain debated and unresolved.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100517/NY06256LOGO )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100517/NY06256LOGO )

Among all American adults, 63% agree that the U.S. still has a long way to go to reach complete gender quality. While three-quarters of women (74%) agree with this, so do just over half of men (52%). By comparison, when this question is posed to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults, 73% say the U.S. still has a long way to go, including 95% of lesbians (an especially notable finding when compared with 74% of heterosexual females.)
When querying whether things are fine between men and women, the nation is split - just over half of Americans (52%) disagree that things are fine between the genders while 43% say things are fine. But men and women have a different take on the situation with over half of men (55%) believing things are fine compared to just one-third (32%) of women who say the same.


However, when these overall findings are contrasted with the attitudes of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender adults, the differences become even sharper. Only 22% of lesbians (and 32% of gay men) suggest that things are fine between genders, as well as only one-third or 34% of all LGBT adults sampled.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,412 adults surveyed online between June 14 and 21, 2010 by Harris Interactive including 341 adults who self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender by Harris Interactive, a global market research and consulting firm, in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public relations and marketing communications firm with special expertise in the LGBT market. [Please note that this survey was designed to measure the general attitudes and beliefs of American adults about the changing roles of men and women in society - and not specifically about issues surrounding gender identity and expression nor about continued discrimination towards transgender Americans.]
Whether the issue of gender equality should be addressed is another question in these times with so many other pressing concerns. Three-quarters of U.S. adults (74%) agree that they do not think gender equality is perfect, but there are more pressing issues to fix first. And men and women are in agreement on this (74% of men agree as do 75% of women). A smaller majority (59%) of LGBT adults agrees that while gender equality is not perfect, there are other priorities requiring attention.


Women and Work
Some of the discrepancies the still unratified Equal Rights Amendment was intended to correct were chronic inequities in the workplace among men and women. Seven in ten Americans (69%) say that women often do not receive the same pay as men for doing exactly the same job; which rises to nearly eight in ten (79%) LGBT Americans.
Three in five of all U.S. adults (62%) and 72% of LGBT adults agree that women are often discriminated against in being promoted for supervisory and executive jobs. Women are much more likely than men to agree with this but almost half of men also agree with both sentiments. Four in five women (80%) and 96% of lesbians agree that women often do not receive the same pay for the same job compared to 58% of men (71% of gay men). Three out of four women (yet 93% of lesbians) agree women are discriminated against in their promotions compared to 48% of all men (and 69% of gay men).


For LGBT Americans, do these findings sound familiar?
In ninety years many things have changed for women in this country simply beginning with the right to vote. And some may argue things are better, but there is still the undercurrent that there are issues, especially when it comes to pay and employment, where things have not yet approached an equal footing with men.
Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications, which specializes in LGBT marketing and trends, notes that, "LGBT Americans, who most likely recognize the consequences of their own workplace and social inequities are especially sensitive to perceived discrimination in all forms. For gay Americans, these may be life lessons that mirror their own experiences - and demonstrate that the divide today between men and women remains as real as the evidence of unfair and unequal treatment still shown to women in public life."
TABLE 1
GENDER EQUALITY TODAY
"On another subject, August of this year will mark the 90th
anniversary of women receiving the right to vote in the United
States.
How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about
gender equality in the United States


Click here for more Details.

The Inglorious Basterds of Nollywood

The Inglorious Basterds of Nollywood

Have you seen Quentin Tarantino's highest-grossing film Inglorious Basterds?
You have to know the "Inglorious Basterds", a group of Jewish-American guerilla soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine during the Nazi occupation of France in World War 2 and the role they played to understand the following analysis of the fifth column posing and posturing as the leaders of Nollywood, but are actually the exploiting and plundering the film industry.

Nollywood is no longer the second largest movie industry in the world as reported by UNESCO. The UNESCO report was based on statistics of the quantity of home videos produced in Nigeria when Nollywood was at its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s before rampant piracy and the economic downturn changed the fortunes of Nollywood and left most of the stakeholders in dire straits.

The worst hit have been the English speaking practitioners dominated by Igbos, but the more down-to-earth and better organized Yoruba practitioners have managed to weather the storm, while the other producers of videos in Edo, Hausa, Efik and Ibibio have been doing their best in spite of their own professional inadequacies.


There are those who are the Real McCoy of the Nigerian film industry like the foremost Nigerian filmmaker Dr. Ola Balogun, Chief Eddie Ugbomah, Francis Oladele, Brenda Shehu, Sadiq Balewa, Tunde Kelani, Femi Lasode, the Adesanya brothers, Ladi Ladebo, Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Mildred Owoh,Tade Ogidan, Tony Abulu, Francis Onwuchie, the Amatas. Femi Odugbemi, Kunle Afolayan who is bearing the mantle of the legacy of his father Adeyemi Afolayan, aka “Ade Love”, Joe Brown, Didi Chika, Lucky Onyekachi Ejim, Gugu Michaels, Faruk Lasaki, Chike Ibekwe, Mark Kusare, Kenneth Gyang and the new kids on the block, Niyi Akinmolayan and Chineze Anyaene whose first features "Kajola" and "Ijé: The Journey" are outstanding indicators of the future of the Nigerian film industry. The other Real McCoy can be found in the heart and soul of Nollywood, such as the accomplished Amaka Igwe, Fidelis Duker, Lancelot Imasuen, Teco Benson, Kingsley Ogoro, the ambitious team of Emem Isong and Desmond Elliot and those in the same league with them.

2
Separating the sheep from the goats, let us now look at the good, the bad and the ugly in Nollywood.

“Nollywood habours lots of greedy producers.”
~ Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Sunday Punch, August 1, 2010.

Notable role models and outstanding key players in Nollywood such as Enebeli Elebuwa, Okey Ogunjiofor, Ejike Asiegbu, Madu Chikwendu, Justus Esiri, Olu Jacobs, Joke Jacobs, Prince Jide Kosoko, Pete Edochie, Glory Young, Ngozi Ezeonu, Joke Silva-Jacobs, Rachel Oniga, Saint Obi, Hilda Dokubo, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Chika Onu, Zeb Ejiro, Chico Ejiro, Kingsley Ogoro, Lancelot Imasuen, Teco Benson, Emem Isong, Shan George, Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Francis Duru, Charles Okafor, Jim Iyke, Ramsey Noah, Riita Dominic and others in the same League have been busy trying their best to rejuvenate the ingenuity of the heyday of Nollywood. But there are those who have resorted to dirty partisan politics contrary to professional ethics. They are running a get-rich-quick racket in Nollywood.


Yes, desperate times call for desperate measures, but going bonkers will only worsen the situation. Frustration often pushes people to acts of desperation in the struggle for survival or trying to catch up with the Joneses. The critical state of Nollywood is also bringing out the best and the worst characters of the principal practitioners and other stakeholders as shown by the petty squabbles in the guilds. The squabbles of the opposing camps and factions of those at loggerheads have left the troubled guilds in disarray and opportunists are fishing in the troubled waters.

You have to see Quentin Tarantino's highest-grossing film so far Inglorious Basterds to understand the following dramatization of the analysis of the crisis in Nollywood.

Those who attended the so called unveiling of the logo of the illegal AMP-Eko International Film Festival on July 29, 2010, reported the roll call of the those posing and posturing as the movers and shakers of Nollywood as almost everyone turned out in the best outfit from the wardrobe with roguish smiles on the red carpet. But among them were pirates, failed filmmakers, incompetent administrators and their sycophants making up the panoramic rogues’ gallery.
Many of them were taking sides in partisan politics as they supported the gubernatorial quest of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the former governor of the apex bank and were disgraced when he lost. And now they have rushed to endorse President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to contest in the presidential election in 2011.

These inglorious desperados of Nollywood who have run out of ideas for new movies are either ganging up to hijack a film festival as part of their retirement plan, heal the wounds of their bruised egos or to settle scores.
They have used all sorts of foul play in conceit and deceit to mislead many ignorant green horns, disillusioned practitioners and stakeholders like lying to Chief Eddie Ugbomah to chair an international film festival they have attempted to hijack since last year when they lost in the power tussle over how to share the booty from the 6th ION International Film Festival held in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

I wonder what lies they would have told Chief Eddie Ugbomah who already has dismissed them in Nollywood is nothing wood posted on NigeriaFilms.com, Nollywood At Large on Tue, 15 May 2007. And I do not think supporting trademark piracy is part of his agenda as he has defined in Repositioning Nigerian Film Industry, My Agenda posted in Nollywood Affairs on Wed, 18 Feb 2009, of NigeriaFilms.com. I trust that the veteran filmmaker is too intelligent to be fooled by these corrupt desperados.

Azuh Amatus of the Daily Sun said there is no longer sanity in Nollywood, because all that has been bastardized.
We have to expose the inglorious bastards who have bastardized Nollywood and secure the future of the Nigerian film industry.


~ By Orikinla Osinachi

If The 2011 Presidency Requires Bold Mixing Then Let In Oshiomhole

IF THE 2011 PRESIDENCY REQUIRES BOLD MIXING THEN LET IN OSHIOMHOLE

In essence, Nigeria functions primarily as a society of labor. The spirit of labor does not embed itself in any political house as in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) or any other national party.

The Nigerian people both in spirit and in body love to labor and therefore they appear to be divinely, subjectively and objectively drawn to a leader who in spite of his or her political affiliation or membership sees the subjects of human struggle, daily toil, and manual effort as beyond religious, ethnic and political boundaries.

If the Nigerian society has a personality it may be colored with qualities and characteristics in the likes of passion, enterprising, collaboration, appreciation, fashionable, patronage, pride, toughness, favoritism, idiosyncrasy, respectability, tribalism, slow change and trustworthiness.

In the face of the complex nature of the nation, a leadership style that crosses these diverse characters is what the country requires at this time. It is possible that one of those individuals is the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adam Oshiomhole. He sees the people’s issues and struggles as worth fighting for and defending even if it affects his own person in terms of leaning from personal and leadership shortcomings.

In the face of a constructive criticism from a national, traditional and corporate leader like Chief Peter Ojemen with regard to poor infrastructures in Edo State, he is not the type to take a personal or emotional response to correctional critique.

Instead he builds on open and good critique and strategically reconstructs special suggestions into meaningful works for the benefit of the people.

The current general belief is that Governor Oshiomhole, is a man of all flexible political and strategic sides who appears ready to boldly mix with anything or person as long it is all about the public good. In this regard he is a person that could be a part of the presidency and of importance, strictly on national grounds

He has shown the need for independent political thought as evidenced in his public actions that if ideas are of benefit to a group of people he is willing to listen irrespective of whether the ideas emanate from an oppositional or one’s own party. As such he is not the type to dismiss any leader simply on the basis of ethnic or political membership.

If truth be told he does not appear as one that is inherently tied to the doctrines of a political party, therefore making him fully ripe to run with any one with different party label and work across political lines. He has always being daring and loves to take on risky courses.

The long standing disruptive fight between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) saw some degree of understanding when he boldly involved himself, all for the sake of introducing a win-win atmosphere between all involve—faculty, students, parents and the government.

As we know there is the historical bitterness that marks partisan behaviors as in the case of the political climate that sometimes surround relationship between a President from a particular party and leaders from another party. Such is the case of the U.S. President Barak Obama, a Democrat and some heads in the Republican oppositional party where political divide sometimes become so wide that it affect national work.

As it has been known, Oshiomhole has shown that political divide must never be allowed to slow down State or national functioning. He is remains a model and a symbol of cross- political harmony as evidenced by his flexible relationship to members of various political parties across the nation.

He seems from time to time to show an act of flexibility with his apparent positive interaction with President Goodluck Jonathan, of the PDP, an oppositional party to the Governor’s party-ACN.

It was not long ago that the Governor would show to the Nigerian people that when a leader champions any good course for the betterment of a needy area as with the underprivileged populations, that individual deserves the collective praise and respect irrespective of that person’s political party and aaffiliation. Such was the case of the Edo North Senator, Engineer Yisa Braimoh who single handedly financed a special school for persons with physical limitations. The Governor in spite of differences in political affiliation between both of them, saw the benevolence of Senator Braimoh as what is of importance to the people and reasoned that he is a man that deserves to remain the senate. Why? Because the Senator’s work goes beyond political affiliation, and like the Governor the Senator has also shown by his good deeds that what is important is not what party one belongs to but how one uses their individuality, and leadership and blessings to bring to bear worthy outcomes for the people.

As always the Governor has shown his distinctiveness in his deeds and works. This leads to the question of how often does a Nigerian leader engage in various manual or altruistic service without the limelight of the media?

This he often engages in as it was the case of helpless victims in a ghastly automobile accident that he personally took to a local hospital when he came upon them on the highway.

He has shown that if Nigeria is to move towards open democracy, the psychology of “godfatherism” or subjective command of power and influence by a single or a few persons’ on a whole state or nation must be reconditioned and replaced with equal access and opportunity irrespective of one’s state in life.

His far reaching work in various international and national bodies as they relate to labor wages, the role of privatization, the role of functional insurance system, the fight against AIDS and the need for progressive constitution uniquely make him a wanted man who deserves to be helping on a national level for the good of the people.

He has shown that higher humane standards should be pursued at all time as was revealed in his constant labor battle with the post military government of Olusegun Obasanjo .

He believes in the power of the rule of law as he demonstrated in his gubernatorial war of 19 months until his resumption into office in November of 2008. In spite of the struggles he endured which included arrest, he believes that the matter of unity is far beyond political, religious and tribal lines, and that progressive unity is the ultimate end of a good struggle.

He believes the nation will be well served with leaders who are confrontational and sacrificial, at least when in comes to matters of adequately executing public serves.

He has shown time and time again that those huge Corporations that show insensitivity to the people’s heath and safety must be confronted. And such was the case of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation whom he legally threatened for their contaminated kerosene that resulted in loss of lives and destruction of properties some years ago. He believes the victims or their families should be compensated for the sake of justice.

Recently he openly corrected some personnel in his Executive council and even corrected his Commissioner of Health over the slow execution of a health-related project while at the same time same time ushering praises to the Commissioner in areas of the State projects were good performances are observed.

In other words, Oshiomhole always find it commanding to speak out only when it is about magnifying things that are of significance to the peoples’ overall progress.

If the Nigerian people are about pure development, growth, reform and progress, they should find a national place and mat for Oshiomhole to stand on and work.

He appears as a man who is idealistic, practical, simple, down to earth, and understands the psychological importance of risk taking, of constructive propaganda, of political maneuvering, and of shared politics as long as all these tactics lead to a better living, a better way and a better road to a great nation.


~ By John Oshodi

John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D , DABPS, FACFE, is a Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and the Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs--Behavioral Science, North Campus, Broward College, Coconut Creek, Florida. joshodi@broward.edu

UN Envoy Advocates Strong Law Enforcement for Sustainable Peace in Liberia

13 Aug 2010 17:55 Africa/Lagos

UN Envoy advocates strong law enforcement for sustainable peace in Liberia


MONROVIA, August 13, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The senior UN Envoy in Liberia, Ellen Margrethe Løj says the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), together with its international partners, remains steadfast in supporting the Liberia National Police (LNP) to be fully and independently capable of tackling law enforcement challenges in post-conflict Liberia. Decorating 120 officers of the Nigeria Formed Police Unit (FPU) with the United Nations Peacekeeping Medal in the Liberian central city of Gbarnga, she stressed that “effective law enforcement is necessary for Liberia to achieve a steady state of security and sustainable peace.”

Acknowledging the crucial role the LNP will play in next year's elections, Ms. Løj said “it will be extremely important for us to see increased development of the LNP, especially as we approach the elections in 2011,” adding, “the international community has been forthcoming with support towards this end, though much still needs to be done.”

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) pointed out that the successful conduct of the elections would indicate to both the international community and Liberians that the country had taken control of its democratic process, saying this would be a major step towards rebuilding a peaceful and stable nation. She noted that it would take hard work and sacrifice to build a peaceful and stable Liberia, anchored on democratic principles, the rule of law and human rights. However, she said, “I am confident that Liberian people will take that challenge upon their shoulders.”

Turning to the Nigerian police officers, SRSG Løj praised their generosity and the numerous humanitarian services they had carried out in the local communities. “I know you have provided free medical treatment to many Liberians, bringing the humanitarian face of UNMIL closer to the communities,” she told the Nigerian peacekeepers, assuring them that their “acts of compassion and generosity will long be remembered.”

The UN Envoy lauded Nigeria for its unwavering commitment to UN peace efforts, describing the country as a committed ally of the world body. She applauded Nigeria's outstanding contribution to peace and stability in Liberia, noting that “Nigerians are cherished and well respected in Liberia because of their selfless contribution to the country.”

Dignitaries present at the ceremony included the Nigerian Charge d'Affaires a.i., Mr. Essesien Ntekim; UNMIL Force Commander, Lt.-Gen. Sikander Afzal; UNPOL Commissioner Gautam Sawang; Director of Mission Support, Mr. Hubert Price; Sector ‘A' Commander, Brig.-Gen. S.Z. Uba; Sector ‘B' Commander, Brig.-Gen. MD Mozammel Hossain; and Nigerian FPU Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police Peter Jegede. Others were, visiting Assistant Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police Force, Abubakar Sardauna, and LNP Central Liberia Regional Commander Assistant Commissioner Daniel Gotojuwee.

After the ceremony, SRSG Løj visited the Gbarnga Central Prison and inspected the security fence being erected around the prison by the UNDP. She expressed satisfaction over the major improvements the correctional centre had witnessed in terms of security, and provision of recreational facilities for the inmates since her last visit a year ago. The SRSG called for more involvement of the inmates in agricultural activities as part of skills acquisition and to improve their nutritional intake.

Source: Mission of UN in Liberia

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“Word, Shout, Song: Lorenzo Dow Turner Connecting Communities through Language”

“Word, Shout, Song: Lorenzo Dow Turner Connecting Communities through Language” On View at the Anacostia Community Museum through March, 27, 2011

Example of Gullah speech as recorded by Lorenzo Dow Turner – Transcription

Washington, DC, August 11, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — The Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum presents the groundbreaking exhibition “Word, Shout, Song: Lorenzo Dow Turner Connecting Communities through Language” on view from Aug. 9 through March 27, 2011. Curated by Alcione Amos and the first exhibition based almost entirely on one of the museum’s special collections, “Word, Shout, Song” looks at the life, research and scholarship of Lorenzo Dow Turner, perhaps the first African American linguist. It also focuses on how his discoveries linked communities in Africa to the New World through language.

“In assembling this exhibition, most exciting to me was how I was able to connect words from Portuguese, Gullah and English to their African origins, 80 years later, based on Turner’s work in the 1930s,” said Amos. “His work is still relevant today.”

“Word, Shout, Song” is three stories in one: scholarship and success against the odds, a quest to crack a linguistic code and a discovery spanning continents. The exhibition presents Turner’s pioneering work, which in the 1930s established that people of African heritage, despite slavery, had retained and passed on their cultural identity through words, music and story wherever they landed. His research focused on the Gullah/Geechee community in South Carolina and Georgia, whose speech was dismissed as “baby talk” and “bad English.” He confirmed, however, that quite to the contrary the Gullah spoke a Creole language and that they still possessed parts of the language and culture of their captive ancestors. Turner’s linguistic explorations into the African diaspora led him to Bahia, Brazil, where he further validated his discovery of African continuities.

The exhibition begins with a look at Turner’s early life. He was profoundly influenced by his Howard University-educated father—a fourth-generation freed man forced to flee his home after an altercation with a white man—on the importance of academic excellence. Turner (1890-1972) obtained successively higher degrees in English from Howard, Harvard University and the University of Chicago. Denied teaching positions at white institutions, he built his career in academia at several black colleges, including his alma mater where as a student he had become interested in languages. A summer stint teaching at the now-South Carolina State University, however, is where he first heard and was captivated by the Gullah dialect. Convinced that the speech pattern was not illiterate English but instead a distinct language incorporating words and structure from African languages, Turner focused his interest into a lifelong project.

Turner studied various African language, including Twi, Ewe, Yoruba, Bambara and Wolof as well as Arabic, to make linkages to Gullah vocabulary. Through his pursuit of information, he often became the first African American member of many organizations, including the Linguistics Society of America.

“Word, Shout, Song” recounts his travels to South Carolina and Georgia and abroad to London, Paris and, finally, Africa to record and compare the speech of hundreds of informants. His journeys feature fascinating stories of adventure and discovery as well as the difficulties he encountered with bulky equipment and remote access.

A major linguistic achievement occurred when Turner determined the possibility that the “ring shout,” a Gullah religious dance, was directly inherited from enslaved Muslims—the name “shout” derived from the Arabic word Sha’wt, which had to do with movement around a sacred object rather than sound. Resulting from Turner’s early Georgia recordings is a later major discovery by scholars Joseph Opala, Tazieff Schmidt and Cynthia Koroma who, in 1990, realized that a song passed down through generations connected the Mende people of Sierra Leone to their American descendents in Georgia.

A section of the exhibition focuses on Turner’s research on culture in Bahia where a much larger number of Africans had been brought as captives than to the United States, along with the same languages influencing the Gullah. African survivals were particularly seen in the Afro-Brazilian religion, Candomble, and when informants recognized words in the Sea Island recordings, Turner, again, saw language connecting the worlds of the African diaspora. Turner’s many writings, presentations and publications included his book, Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect, published in 1949, and still the standard reference for Creole language research today.

Highlights of “Word, Shout, Song” include:

* The Bilali Diary written by a Muslim slave
* Turner’s recording device and special-character typewriter
* The vestment of a Candomblé initiate
* Rare recordings of Gullah speech and songs and rare photographs of informants produced by Turner
* Audio and written comparisons of words that are similar and from languages spoken in the Americas and Africa
* The section “Singing for the Ancestor: A Song that Made the Roundtrip to Africa”
* The section “The Black Seminole: The Gullah that Got Away” that recounts the history of fugitive slaves from Georgia and South Carolina, whose descendents are now found in Florida, Mexico and Texas and who speak an ancient form of Gullah

About the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum

The Anacostia Community Museum opened in southeast Washington in 1967 as the nation’s first federally funded neighborhood museum. Adopting its current name in 2006, the museum has expanded its focus from an African American emphasis to examining the impact of contemporary social issues on urban communities. For more information on the museum, the public may call (202) 633-4820, (202) 633-1000 or (202) 633-5285 (TTY); for tours, call (202) 633-4844. Website: anacostia.si.edu.

Note to editor: Images for publicity can be obtained from http://newsdesk.si.edu.
Media website: http://newsdesk.si.edu; http://anacostia.si.edu (media room)

Media Contact:
Marcia Baird Burris
(202) 633-4876
(202) 320-1735 (cell)
bairdburrism@si.edu


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