Starring NCCU Theatre graduate, Stephen Barrington aka Joe Crack and written by, Mr. Otis Lyons aka Vegas Don ex-gang leader, ex-drug dealer turned community activist.

A life rendition of the typical street corner inner city drug dealer, portrayed by the
extremely talented Barrington, Joe Crack has a God given talent, he’s an outstanding
writer and a spoken word poet. But like many youth he’s been lured by the fast money
in the streets. During the course of his life of hustle and crime, Joe never seem to
realize that the fast money that he makes is costing him more than he’s regrettably
paying. Unfortunately like many of todays youth, Joe doesn’t take heed to the warning
signs to let his street life go and eventually the streets will cost him more than he’s
prepared to pay. The moral of the story is, no one prosper being involved in street life.
This production will inspire the whole family, be prepared to scream, dance, shout,
cry and laugh, Ridin wit’ Joe Crack is going to take you on an emotional ride.

Campaign 4 Change produces this anti-gang, anti-drug dealer production, that
is designed to change the mindset of todays youth, especially teens, gang members,
school drop outs, detention centers, group homes and prisons. This production
consist of poems, magic, special effects, keynote speakers, live musical entertainment
to deliver a very compelling message.

New Slam Website – www.bullcitypoetryslam.com

Special Christmas Celebration – Come experience some of the best poets in the Carolina’s on December 18th @ the Hayti Heritage Center!

Jambalaya Soul Slam presents…
The Gift of Words: A Christmas Celebration!
December 18th
Show is at 8pm
Hayti Heritage Center

Featuring DJ D.A. ALLDAY spinning hot new neosoul music
Featured guest performer!
We will be giving away CDs by some of soul music’s bright new stars!

Hosted by Dasan Ahanu

Admission is just $5 with non-perishable food item
We will be donating these to the Food Bank. Please help make the holidays special for a family in need.

Participating poets are free and  must sign up before 8:30.

Winners receive cash prize and an invitation to Team Finals in April to compete for a spot on the 2010 Bull City Slam Team.

MATURE CONTENT!

For more information please call the Hayti Heritage Center at (919) 683-1709 ext 28.

To learn more about slam go to www.poetryslam.com/.

The Hayti Heritage Center will “Celebrate Kwanzaa” on Saturday and Sunday, December 26 & 27 nightly at 7:30 pm in the historic St. Joseph’s Performance Hall, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham. Doors open at 6:30 pm where a variety of vendors have been invited to display and sell their cultural offerings to the community. At 7:30 renowned chorographer, founder and artistic director of the African American Dance Ensemble, Baba Chuck Davis will light the Kinara, while providing words off wisdom and explanation of the Kwanzaa principals UMOJA- Unity and KUJICHAGULIA- Self Determination. The event is free and open to the public.

The two day celebration is a focus on movement featuring The Magic of African Rhythm, on the 26th and Collage Dance Company, under the director of Sadia Shukar and Toni K. Hall, Hayti’s dance company- in-residence on the 27th.

The Magic of African Rhythm’s (The Shabu Family) unforgettable performances display the vibrancy of Africa’s many rhythms. “Dundun! Sangban!, Kenkeni!” Audiences chant the names of newly learned drums making music on and off the stage. Meaningful stories are told in both authentic song and original dance choreography. In the midst of the drama, skilled dancers appear to fly, leaving onlookers in an awe of swirling raffia skirts and headdresses. Drums, dance, costumes, song and story carry audiences across the colorful spectrum of the entire continent. Acclaimed for our unique ability to communicate and engage multitudes of ages, races, and abilities, audiences join us onstage in jubilant celebration.

Collage Dance Company is a group of young dancers and musicians working together to explore African and African American dance and music traditions. Members ranging in ages from 9 – 20, represent youth from across the Triangle including Cary, Raleigh, Garner, and Durham. Company members serve as role models of self-determination and unity for other African American youth today in our community. Beyond performance, the company is also known for the unique learning environment it provides its members. Former dancers describe it as a cross between a finishing school and a nurturing, extended family–a place where “you see girls transforming before your eyes into vibrant, confident, assertive young people.

On January 1st, 2010 the community will join the African American Dance Ensemble and Chuck Davis for the culminating program at the Durham Armory, downtown for KWANZAAFEST 2010. Doors open at 12 noon until 6pm. This event is free and open to the public.

Kwanzaa is an African American holiday celebrated from December 26 through January 1. It is based on the agricultural celebration of Africa called “the first fruits” celebrations, which celebrate the times of harvest, gathering, reverence, commemoration of the past, recommitment to cultural ideals and celebration of the good.

Kwanzaa was created out of the philosophy of Kawaida, which is a cultural nationalist philosophy that argues that the key challenge in black peoples’ lives is the challenge of culture, and that what Africans must do is to discover and bring forth the best of their culture, both ancient and current, and use it as a foundation to bring into being models of human excellence and possibilities to enrich and expand our lives.

It was created in the midst of our struggles of liberation in the 1960’s and was part of our organization US” efforts to create, recreate and circulate African culture as an aid to building community, enriching black consciousness, and reaffirming the value of culture grounding for life and struggle.

Kwanzaa is celebrated by millions of people of African descent through out the world African community. As a cultural holiday, Africans practice it from all religions, traditions, all classes, all ages and generations, and all political persuasions on the common ground of their African ness in all its historical and cultural diversity and unity.
To find out more about KwanzaaFest contact AADE at (919) 560-2729 or HHC at (919) 683-1709. You can also visit our web site at http://africanamericandance.org.

Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise Universal Access: Human Rights

In September 2000, at the United Nations Millennium Summit, world leaders agreed to a set of measurable goals for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental, degradation and discrimination against women. These are the Millennium Development Goals.

One of these goals is to stop the spread of AIDS around the world by 2015.
Our leaders made this promise. It is now up to them and us to keep it.

At this moment-

• 33 million people around the world are living with HIV
• 1.1 million People in the U.S. are living with HIV
• Every 9-½ minutes another American is infected with HIV
• 23,363 people in N.C. are living with HIV/AIDS
• 1,344 people in Durham are living with HIV/AIDS
• 20% of them don’t know their status
• Half of them are under the age of 25
• Early Diagnosis and treatment means people with HIV can live healthy, active lives

On Tuesday, December 1, 2009 WORLD AID DAY DURHAM will be observed at the Hayti Heritage Center at 6:30 PM- 8:30 PM. The theme: Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise Universal Access: Human Rights. The public is invited to attend.

Food, Entertainment, Testimonials and more. Please bring a can food item to donate to the food bank. For more information contact: Randy Rogers 560-7675.

The program is sponsored by the WAD committee with support from the Durham County Health Department and many others. Program Partners include Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina (AAS-C), Caare Inc., NC Dept. of Public Instruction, Duke Center for Community Research, Duke Center for AIDS Research (Duke CFAR), Duke University AIDS Research and Treatment Center (DART), Durham County Health Department Durham County Plain Talk Program, Project StraighTalk, Project STAND), Durham Faith Community on HIV/AIDS, El Centro Hispano, Jóvenes Lideres en Acción, Lincoln Community Health Center (Early Intervention Clinic), LinCS2 Durham, North Carolina Central University (Project SAFE, Student Health and Counseling Services, Dept of Public Education, Partnership for a Healthy Durham, Piedmont HIV Health Care Consortium, Planned Parenthood of Central NC, Research Triangle Institute (RTI), UNC Center for AIDS Research (UNC CFAR), UNC AIDS Clinical Trial Unit (ISIS Project) .

Youth Acknowledgments
Drucilarettes, The EDGE, Girl Scout Troop 496, Gleaners M.E., JA Carter, Joven A Joven, Teens Against Consuming Tobacco (TACT), Teen Voices.

Special Acknowledgements
City and County Leaders, Cynthia Rogers, Dr. Sharon Elliot-Bynum PhD and Caare Inc., Duke CFAR, Emmanuel AME Church Youth Choir, Galen Rosser, Gary Wein, Hayti Heritage Center, Jamie Patterson, Lady Lyk Dance Team, Lynda Bell NPH, Nay Ung, Rev. Frederick Davis (1st Calvary Baptist Church), Savory Fare, V. Dianne Pledger, UNC CFAR, WAD Committee, Washington Duke Inn, Pharmaceuticals—Abbott Laboratories., Bristol- Myers Squibb Inc, Gilead Inc, GlaxoSmithKline, and Tibotec Therapeutics.

North Carolina Jazz Ensemble Performs Annual Holiday Concert
The Joy of Music with Special Guest Vocalist Brandi Q. Hancock
December 13 in St. Joseph’s Performance Hall

Purchase Tickets Now

The North Carolina Jazz Ensemble performs THE JOY OF MUSIC, an annual holiday concert with special guest vocalist Brandi Q. Hancock Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 4:00 pm. A pre-concert reception will begin at 3:00 pm for ticket holders. They will be performance standard jazz arrangements and a selection of holiday classics.

The NCJE was founded in 1980 by Stanley Baird and Oliver Hodge. The seventeen piece group has traveled throughout the state of North Carolina performing at colleges, universities, cultural centers and at private event. Members of the organization are from Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Asheboro and Charlotte.

Brandi Q. Hancock is the lead vocalist for Mixed Water, a jazz/soul fusion band from Cary, NC where she is also a private vocal and theatre coach. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Music-Vocal Performance and Theatre- Directing from Shaw University in 2003. While attending Shaw University she was an active member of the University Choir, Gospel Choir as well as the lead vocalist for the Shaw University Jazz Ensemble I and Shaw Players. She appeared as the character of Alice in the TNT made for TV movie Freedom Song starring Danny Glover and Loretta Devine. Brandi is delighted to be joining the NC Jazz Ensemble for this evening performance.
The NC Jazz Ensemble is currently in residence at the Hayti Heritage Center. The concert is sponsored by the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) founded in 1975, is an African American cultural and educational institution deeply rooted in the historic Hayti community of Durham, North Carolina. SJHF is dedicated to advancing cultural understanding through diverse programs that examine the experiences of Americans of African descent – locally, nationally and globally. The Foundation is committed to preserving, restoring and developing the Hayti Heritage Center, the former St. Joseph’s AME Church, a National Historic Landmark, as a cultural and economic anchor to the greater Durham community.

Tickets are on sale now for $10 general admission. They can be purchased on line at www.hayti.org or call (919) 683-1709 ext. 21; or at the Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham.