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TOWANDA BRAXTON LAUNCHES AGE-DEFYING SKIN CARE LINE "LADYBUG SKINCARE" - AVAILABLE NOW!

5/20/2020

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NEWS SOURCE:  ​CR8

TOWANDA BRAXTON LAUNCHES AGE-DEFYING SKIN CARE LINE "LADYBUG SKINCARE" - AVAILABLE NOW!

Purchase Ladybug Skincare Here
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Towanda Braxton is finally letting fans know her secret to her flawless skin. Known as the "Responsible One" of the Braxtons, Towanda has deemed it as her responsibility to help others combat wrinkles, acne, dull skin, and other skin impurities with her new cosmetic line, "Ladybug Skincare."
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Towanda has always had a keen interest in the beauty and skincare industry since she was a child, but after meeting the “Skin God” Charlotte Wilson of Glow Skin Enhancement, she took actions into her own hands. Towanda decided to take her acquired knowledge and create her very own skincare line called “Ladybug Skincare” backed by Charlotte Wilson. The products are created for all skin types, and gives the user a young, natural, and refreshing glow. Her mission is to educate others on how to keep their skin looking and feeling healthy, one step at a time. With that, she plans on spreading her knowledge across the world, and become a Go-To for all things skin care. The affordable line features A Bar Day & Night Soap, Timeless Ageless Morning Toner, Timeless Ageless Day Moisturizer, Timeless Ageless Night Lotion, Anti Aging Serum, and Glow Sunscreen.

Towanda Braxton is known to the world as an internationally acclaimed singer, actress, entrepreneur, and executive television producer. Best known for her current role as the star of WEtv’s hit series, Braxton Family Values. The dynamic creative transitioned to acting, after auditioning and being accepted to the distinguished Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. Towanda had her acting premier in Misguided Behavior, directed by and starring Carl Payne.

"After you turn 40, your skin changes a bit and the products you used in your twenties don’t work anymore. Partnering with Charlotte Wilson was important to me because Age is timeless, and I want to help women reflect that in their skin," Towanda says in an exclusive Rolling Out interview.

Lady Skincare can be purchased exclusively on ladybugskincare.com.
​

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Mushiya Tshikuka formerly of We TV's Cutting It In the ATL wins the BB Icon Award.

​Following a seven year hiatus, the BB Icon Awards has returned. The legendary awards show pays homage to professional stylists, barbers, educators, influencers, and entrepreneurs with notable impact on the world of  beauty and style. 

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Actress Keke Palmer's Hair Story:  Bronner Bros International Beauty Show

During the Bronner Brothers International Beauty Show, Keke Palmer shares her story of hair love.

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Bella Rose Passion: The Future of EVERYBODY's Lifestyle

​Bella Rose, of Bella Rose Passion, shares her inspirational story of becoming a business owner with When We Speak TV.  Because of her hard work and dedication, her products can be found in stores like Macy's and Walmart.  

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Hammonds House Museum Presents A Virtual Evening with jessica Care moore on May 29

5/12/2020

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​​Atlanta, GA --- Join Hammonds House Digital for An Evening with jessica Care moore. She will read poetry from her new book, We Want Our Bodies Back, and engage in conversation with Hammonds House Executive Director Leatrice Ellzy Wright on Friday, May 29 at 7 pm. Tickets to this virtual event are free, but an RSVP is required. Register HERE.
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jessica Care moore is the founder and CEO of Moore Black Press, executive producer of Black WOMEN Rock! and founder of the literacy-driven Jess CARE Moore Foundation. An internationally renowned poet, playwright, performance artist, and producer, she is the 2019 and 2017 Knight Arts Award Winner, 2016 Kresge Arts Fellow, NAACP Great Expectations Awardee, and an Alain Locke Award recipient from the Detroit Institute of Arts. moore is the author of The Words Don’t Fit in My Mouth, The Alphabet Verses the Ghetto, Sunlight Through Bullet Holes, and the critically acclaimed Techno Choreopoem, Salt City. Her work has been published in numerous literary collections and she has performed on stages all over the world including The Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the London Institute for Contemporary Arts. moore lives and writes in an historic Detroit neighborhood with her son, King Thomas.
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​Reflecting her transcendent electric voice, We Want Our Bodies Back is a searing poetry collection filled with moving, original stanzas that speak to both Black women’s creative and intellectual power, and express the pain, sadness, and anger of those who suffer constant scrutiny because of their gender and race. Fierce and passionate, moore argues that Black women spend their lives building a physical and emotional shelter to protect themselves from misogyny, criminalization, hatred, stereotypes, sexual assault, objectification, patriarchy, and death threats. We Want Our Bodies Back is an exploration—and defiant stance against—these many attacks.  You can purchase copies of the book HERE from Charis Books & More.
 
Hammonds House Museum is generously supported by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Fulton County Arts and Culture, and the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

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WHAT DO YOU SPEAK?
Singer/ Songwriter: Julie Dexter
 ​

Singer/Songwriter, Julie Dexter shares some inspiration on When We Speak TV.

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RIVERFRONT JAZZ FESTIVAL- DALLAS TEXAS

​Come along with When We Speak TV, to the Lone Star State for the annual Riverfront Jazz Festival, in Dallas, Texas, presented by Visit Dallas, The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, and many more great sponsors.  

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Rhonda Ross (daughter of Diana Ross) speaks with When We Speak TV

​We had so much fun speaking with Rhonda Ross and she was so super cool and down to earth!  We feel so blessed for this opportunity and hope that this interview inspires you!!!! 

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NEW MUSIC ALERT: Arrested Development's Speech Drops 1st Solo EP in 14 Years!!!

5/5/2020

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Yep..you read the topic correct.  Speech Thomas from the Grammy Award winning group, Arrested Development dropped some new music.  Go and get it!!!

Purchase "Expansion Pt.1" by Speech

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For those of you that may not know, Speech has also been a guest on When We Speak TV, as well as, we got a chance to speak with Speech on the red carpet of Black Music Honors in 2019, in which Arrested Development was honored.

WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT AT BLACK MUSIC HONORS

AND GUESS WHAT ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT FANS????
A new Arrested Development album is wrapping now and is expected in June!!!
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​One Jail.  One Recording Studio.- 16 Bars

​​16 BARS is a feature length music documentary that offers a rare glimpse at the human stories — and songs — that are locked away in our nation’s jails and prisons.

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​Gospel singer, Yolanda Adams, shares a message of encouragement to Jermaine Sain

​During the 2019 Black Music Honors, Yolanda Adams was presented the Gospel Music Icon Award and received a beautiful musical tribute from Jekayln Carr, Kelly Price, and Le'Andria Johnson.   We had the pleasure of speaking with Yolanda Adams, during the red carpet event.

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BLACK MUSIC HONORS RED CARPET INTERVIEWS

​Honorees of the 2019 Black Music Honors included:
Xscape, Tamia, Yolanda Adams, Arrested Development, Freddie Jackson, and a special tribute to Bill Withers.

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NEW MUSIC ALERT: “BABY MAMA” BY BRANDY FEATURING CHANCE THE RAPPER

5/1/2020

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NEWS SOURCE: CR8
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Purchase Baby Mama by Brandy featuring Chance The Rapper
Just in time for Brandy is back with a very special tribute for all mothers across the globe.  Brandy releases her long-awaited, empowering new single “Baby Mama” featuring Chance The Rapper today via Brand Nu Entertainment/Entertainment One (“eOne”). Produced by Hit-Boy & Brandy, thehorn-laden track is an ode to raising her daughter Sy’rai and a larger anthem to all mothers working hard to support their family. The single is currently available on digital platforms worldwide and will be impact radio on May 4. The song premiered this morning via iHeart Media stations across the country, and will be played every hour on the hour today until 10 PM local time.
Brandy says, “My new single is about embracing the strength and fortitude needed not only in motherhood, but in life.  I’m am thrilled that Chance joined me on this track, and I hope my fans find it as uplifting as I intended it to be!”
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Photo Credit: Derek Blanks
Following the single’s release, BET will premiere the official “Baby Mama” video on Monday, May 4 via, BET JAMS, and BET SOUL, and BET.com beginning at 12 noon ET.   Directed by Derek Blanks, with creative director Frank Gatson, the video features a glowing and vibrant Brandy. ​
“Baby Mama” is the follow-up to Brandy’s GRAMMY-nominated, hit single with Daniel Caesar, “Love Again,” which soared to #1 on the Urban AC chart late last year.

Since emerging with her 4x-platinum self-titled debut album in 1994 (released when Brandy was only 15-years-old), this trail-blazing pioneer has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and is ranked one of the best-selling female artists in American music history by the RIAA, having sold over 11 million albums in the United States. During her reign she recorded five albums: In 1998 - Never Say Never (1998), Full Moon (2002) Afrodisiac (2004), Human, and 2012 - Two Eleven (2012). Brandy has also earned scores of awards, including a Grammy, an AMA, two Soul Train Music Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, three Billboard Awards, four MTV Awards, six Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, two Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, and four BMI Awards.
 
“Baby Mama” will be featured on Brandy’s highly anticipated forthcoming album out later this year.  Fans can stay updated on new music and more by logging onto www.4everbrandy.com.
​FOLLOW BRANDY:
Instagram: @brandy
Twitter: @4everbrandy
Facebook: @foreverbrandy
Tik Tok: @brandy
Snapchat: @TheNextBrandy

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One Jail.  One Recording Studio.- 16 Bars

​16 BARS is a feature length music documentary that offers a rare glimpse at the human stories — and songs — that are locked away in our nation’s jails and prisons.

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​Rhonda Ross (daughter of Diana Ross) speaks with When We Speak TV

​We had so much fun speaking with Rhonda Ross and she was so super cool and down to earth!  We feel so blessed for this opportunity and I hope that this interview inspires you!!!! 

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Singer Major. Salutes When We Speak TV

​During the 2019 Black Music Honors Red Carpet, singer, Major., salutes When We Speak TV of Atlanta.

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AJC Peachtree Road Race Moves to Thanksgiving Day in 2020

5/1/2020

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NEWS SOURCE:  Atlanta Track Club

AJC Peachtree Road Race Moves to Thanksgiving Day in 2020

Planning Underway to Ensure Safety for 51st Running of Iconic Race
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​Atlanta will celebrate family, fitness and the Founding Fathers this fall as the AJC Peachtree Road Race moves from the Fourth of July to Thanksgiving Day in 2020. The 51st Running of the Peachtree will take place on Thursday, November 26,  Atlanta Track Club announced today. It marks the first time in the event’s history that it will not be held on July 4.
“As Atlanta and the nation continue to take precautions to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19, we understand that Peachtree participants, volunteers, medical staff and the other first responders who keep them safe need more time to prepare for this year’s race,” said Rich Kenah, race director of the Peachtree and Atlanta Track Club’s executive director. “We are thankful for the opportunity to move forward together with all of Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day in a responsible and safe format.”  ​
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More than 45,000 people have already registered for this year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race. All confirmed participants will remain registered with no further action needed. Current registrants will also have the option to complete the race virtually, move their entry to 2021 at no charge, transfer to a new participant, donate their registration fee to Atlanta Track Club’s community initiatives or receive a refund. A full list of options can be found here. 
​Additionally, Atlanta Track Club plans to reopen registration for the Peachtree on August 31 –September 6 for members of the Club. For non-members it will open September 7 and will close on September 13 or when the event reaches capacity. Kilometer Kids Charity entries will remain open throughout the spring and summer. 
​The Club also announced efforts to plan and implement new safety measures at this year’s race including fewer participants on each start line, longer separation between waves, reimagining hydration stations and working with MARTA to get people to and from the event. 
“As it has been for 55 years, health and safety is Atlanta Track Club's top priority. COVID-19 has pushed us to review our best practices and protocols in the areas of event and program safety,” Kenah said. “As this situation evolves and changes, we will make decisions based on the advice and information the Club receives from health experts.”
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​Participants who chose to pick up their numbers in person will be able to do so at the Peachtree Health & Fitness Expo on November 23, 24 and 25 at the Georgia World Congress Center. This year’s Peachtree Junior for children ages 14 & under will be held on Friday, November 27. Registration is open now.
​The AJC Peachtree Road Race will replace the Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5K, Mile and Dash, which will be canceled for 2020. The Triple Peach Series presented by Mizuno will instead include the Publix Atlanta Half Marathon on February 28, 2021. Those registered for the Triple Peach will be automatically registered unless a refund is requested
A full list of questions and answers about the 2020 AJC Peachtree Road Race can be found here.

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AJC PEACHTREE ROAD RACE

​​AJC Peachtree Road Race, organized by Atlanta Track Club, is the largest 10K in the world .

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50th Running of Peachtree Road Race Breaks Records in 2019

​The 50th Running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race re-wrote the event’s history books with four brand new event records and the fastest 10K ever run on U.S. soil.

​READ MORE

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NEW MUSIC ALERT: AWARD WINNING ARTIST KIERRA SHEARD RELEASES NEW SELF-TITLED ALBUM KIERRA

4/21/2020

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​GRAMMY® and Stellar Award-winning artist, actress and entrepreneur, Kierra Sheard, released her highly anticipated album KIERRA (Karew Entertainment / RCA Inspiration). Marking her sixth studio album and first project with RCA Inspiration. KIERRA includes the songstress’ latest single “It Keeps Happening,” and the popular anthem “Don’t Judge Me,” featuring Missy Elliott. Also, the album is accompanied by the release of a new video for another single, the atmosphere moving, “Something Has To Break (Live)” featuring Tasha Cobbs Leonard. 
With a mission to deliver uplifting music, KIERRA provides a fitting sanctuary amid these difficult times, “Faith and inspiration have been the driving force of my career. We’re going to get past this. We have to. The Lord has so many things for so many of us to do,” Kierra shares. 

The album includes 15-tracks with sounds ranging from Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop, and Gospel, and features some live recorded songs which Kierra performed before a sold out crowd in her hometown of Detroit, MI. Demonstrating her lyricism, Kierra either wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks on the album including the beautiful ballad “Grateful,” the authentic and raw “Human,” and “Better.” Assisted by a dynamic team, KIERRA features production from her frequent collaborators, Harmony “H-Money” Samuels and her brother J. Drew Sheard, as well as songwriters Mia Fieldes, Varren Wade, Edgar “JV” Etienne, Justin Brooks and rising Chicago artist Sir the Baptist. In addition to Missy Elliott and Tasha Cobbs Leonard, the album features vocals from other star Gospel Artists Todd Dulaney, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Le’Andria Johnson and Kierra’s nephew Jacob Sheard.
On top of her new music, Kierra is celebrating the fifth anniversary of her fashion line, Eleven60, which is available at Macys.com. Showcasing her versatility and range as an artist, Kierra continues to act and co-stars in the Lifetime biopic, The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel, which premiered on April 11th to 2.7 million viewers. In the film she depicts her mother, legendary gospel artist, Karen Clark Sheard. ​
For additional information, visit:
Website: https://www.iamkierrasheard.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kierrasheard/
Instagram: @kierrasheard
Twitter
: @kierrasheard

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​First Ladies of Gospel: The Clark Sisters Biopic Soundtrack

​Music lifted from the original film will be available worldwide digitally on Monday, April 13th via Releve Entertainment distributed by Tyscot and Warner Music Group.

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GOSPEL SINGER, YOLANDA ADAMS, SHARES A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO WHEN WE SPEAK TV!!

​​During the 2019 Black Music Honors, Yolanda Adams was presented the Gospel Music Icon Award and received a beautiful musical tribute from Jekayln Carr, Kelly Price, and Le'Andria Johnson.

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WHAT DO YOU SPEAK? PASTOR: CANTON JONES ​

​Canton Jones is a singer, rapper, songwriter, producer, vocal arranger, pastor and entrepreneur, as well as a dedicated husband and father of 4.
Canton Jones has featured on projects with Kierra Kiki Sheard, James Fortune, Pastor Charles Jenkins, John Waller, Tye Tribbett, and many others.

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Atlanta Track Club Introduces The Distance

4/20/2020

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News Source: Atlanta Track Club

Atlanta Track Club Introduces The Distance
​Initiative Offers Workouts, Resources and Virtual Experiences to Stay Healthy and Active at Home
​Atlanta Track Club introduced a new initiative aimed at helping runners and walkers in Atlanta and around the world stay healthy and active while staying at home. Atlanta Track Club's The Distance is a free online resource for running workouts, training programs, live strength classes, challenges, diet and health information and more, all created by the Club's expert staff, coaches and partners.
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"We may not be able to run together, but we are all in this together," said Rich Kenah, Atlanta Track Club's executive director. "Atlanta Track Club has been focused on health and safety for 55 years. This pandemic has given that focus a new direction as we explore not just how to stay active, but how to stay active in a time of social distancing. Running City USA is ready for the challenge."

The Distance will feature weekly running and walking workouts for advanced, intermediate and beginners; running games for children, weekly nutrition advice and beginning Monday, April 20, live strength and mobility classes on YouTube weekdays at 8 a.m. In the coming weeks, The Distance will include virtual running, jumping and throwing challenges that will provide a level of friendly competition during a time when races and meets are unable to held. 
As the recommendations from health experts around exercising during this pandemic evolve, The Distance will create content for runners and walkers to reflect the changes.
​ "We will truly go the distance with this project," said Kenah. "As you work to understand how to continue to fit running and walking into the rapidly changing world we live; we are here to help."
​ You can find The Distance at thedistance.atlantatrackclub.org.  #TheDistanceATL

​​About Atlanta Track Club

Atlanta Track Club is a nonprofit committed to creating an active and healthy Atlanta. Through running and walking, Atlanta Track Club motivates, inspires and engages the community to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.
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​With more than 30,000 members, Atlanta Track Club is the second largest running organization in the United States. In addition to the AJC Peachtree Road Race (peachtreeroadrace.org) – the largest 10K running event in the world, the Publix Atlanta Marathon, PNC Atlanta 10 Miler and Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, Atlanta Track Club directs more than 30 events per year. Through the support of its members and volunteers, Atlanta Track Club also maintains a number of community initiatives including organizing and promoting the Kilometer Kids youth running program to metro Atlanta youth, honoring high school cross country and track and field athletes through Atlanta Track Club’s All-Metro Banquets and supporting the Grady Bicycle EMT program. For more information on Atlanta Track Club, visit atlantatrackclub.org.

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PEACHTREE ROAD RACE

Today, the AJC Peachtree Road, organized by the Atlanta Track Club, is a citywide tradition of 60,000 amateur and professional runners, attracting some of the world's elite 10k runners, and is the largest 10K running event in the world. And that's not all, the AJC Peachtree Road race also includes a wheelchair race.

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Watch Goodie Mob on the Season Finale of UNSUNG on TV One

4/15/2020

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News Source: CR8

TV ONE'S ACCLAIMED SERIES UNSUNG 
WRAPS THE SEASON WITH LEGENDARY 
RAP GROUP GOODIE MOB
THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 19 AT 10P.M. ET/9C
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Photo Credit: TV One
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Photo Credit: TV One
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Photo Credit: TV One
TV One's award-winning documentary series UNSUNG shines a spotlight on legendary rap group Goodie Mob on Sunday, April 19 at 10 p.m. ET/9C.
Atlanta hip hop quartet Goodie Mob changed the rap game in the mid-90s. With distinctive flows backed by dope beats, they helped create a new lane for Southern rappers in a time when New York and LA dominated hip hop. Instead of boasting about what they had or what they did in the streets, the group focused its lyrics on messages of inspiration and social justice. With multiple gold albums and irresistible hits, like “Dirty South”, “Black Ice”, and “Cell Therapy”, Goodie Mob cemented their place in hip hop. When group member CeeLo left to pursue a solo career and found huge success, it threatened to end the group for good.  In this episode of Unsung, all four members of Goodie Mob, along with friends and family, including Big Boi, T.I., and Killer Mike, come together to tell their story. 
​For more information on UNSUNG visit TV One's YouTube Channel and check out exclusive, behind-the-scenes content on www.tvone.tv.
Viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on TV One's Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@tvonetv) and the UNSUNG Facebook (@tvoneunsung) using the hashtag #UNSUNG.
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Photo Credit: TV One
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The Nicholas Payton Trio LIVE at The Gallery at RAVINE

3/3/2020

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News Source: Atlanta Jazz Festival
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In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, the Atlanta Jazz Festival, Inc. presents the sensational sounds of the Nicholas Payton Trio, featuring GRAMMY Award-winner Nicholas Payton, drummer Kenny Washington, and bassist Peter Washington on Wednesday, April 1, at the Gallery at RAVINE.
A dynamic multi-instrumentalist known for his rich and poetic sounds, Nicholas Payton imbues traditional rhythms with a modern, urban energy.
​Whether collaborating with the rapper Common, touring with artists like Elvin Jones, or paying tribute to Louis Armstrong, Payton strives to pay homage to the past while pushing music forward.

In his latest release, “Relaxin’ With Nick”, recorded live at SMOKE in Harlem in collaboration with Kenny Washington and Peter Washington, the trio curates a set from previously recorded works that intentionally showcase facets of legendary rhythm sections.
PUrchase tickets
​To learn more about Nicholas Payton and listen to his music, visit his website at www.nicholaspayton.com.

All sales are final. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.
PURCHASE TICKETS

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Being A Musician: Guitarist Rod Harris Jr.

​Grammy nominated guitarist, Rod Harris Jr shares with When We Speak TV the joy of being a musician.

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​America’s Marathon Weekend Wraps with 13,000 on the Run at Publix Atlanta Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K

3/2/2020

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​A day after Atlanta hosted the finest marathoners in the country at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon, runners filled the streets of this city once again as more than 13,000 participated in the Publix Atlanta Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K. Wrapping up a celebration billed as America’s Marathon Weekend, the race attracted runners from across the country on a running tour of Atlanta on a picture-perfect day.
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​Five of the six men and women who finished on the Trials podium – the first six runners on Team USA – acted as official starters for the race on Sunday morning, with women’s champion Aliphine Tuliamuk, Molly Seidel, Sally Kipyego, Abdi Abdirahman, and Jake Riley shouting words of encouragement to the runners on Marietta Street as the sun rose over Atlanta.
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From there, the races wound through Atlanta, with participants ultimately crossing the same finish line that saw Olympians crowned just one day before.
Benjamin Kopecky, of St. Louis, Missouri, won the men’s marathon in a time of 2:29:49. Kopecky opened up a sizable gap and won the race by nearly five minutes on the course that traveled through Edgewood, Martin Luther King National Historic Park, Piedmont Park, Grant Park, the Atlanta University Center, and underneath the Olympic Rings and Cauldron structure from the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
​“It’s a notoriously difficult course and I love running hills,” Kopecky said. “I’m actually trying to complete marathons in 50 states and so today was state number 33. It was a fantastic weekend overall, and I don’t think we could have asked for anything better.”
In the women’s race, Abigail Cember from Philadelphia, PA, ran 3:00 on the dot to take the victory. She led from start to finish, hanging on over the hills at the end of the course to keep the win in hand.
“The atmosphere was awesome,” Cember, in town to support her Philadelphia Runner Track Club teammates in the Trials, said after her race. “Atlanta has had so many friendly vibes. I was leading for most of the race so I heard a lot of people screaming out ‘girl power!’”
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In keeping with the Olympic theme of the weekend, 2016 Zimbabwean Olympian Pardon Ndhlovu won the half marathon in a blistering time of 1:07:17 – more than five minutes faster than last year’s winning time on the same course.
On the women’s side, Nina Zarina of Arlington, Virginia and originally from Moscow, blazed her own speedy time, running a 1:16:14 to take the victory.
“I was worried that Atlanta would be very hilly,” Zarina said. “But it was like a running party here. It was wonderful because I had inspiration from before from watching the Trials and then I had a chance to run in the same city and put into action your inspiration.”
The half marathon featured three other notable Olympic legends crossing the finish line as well. 
​Four-time Olympian Meb Keflezighi was the first of those, as he spent the morning pacing the 1:40 half marathon group to a time of 1:39:37. The former Olympic marathoner noted that in previous years he would have found himself running the tangents at the Trials the day before, but this year was excited to “give high fives and keep them going to their goal.”
The next Olympian across the line was three-time Olympic gold medalist Gail Devers, who raced her first-ever half marathon and ran a 1:53:54. Known previously for her sprinting and hurdling prowess, Devers trained with the Club’s In-Training program and pushed herself to an 8:41 average mile this morning. She had company from another 1996 Olympian – shot putter John Godina, who finished in 2:02:03. The two-time Olympic medalist ran his first half marathon in his return to the city that saw him win silver in 1996.
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The first race of the morning was won by Craig Lutz, a two-time NCAA All-American in the 10K for the University of Texas who was in Atlanta to watch the Trials. The 27-year-old blazed a 15:09 to take the win over Nicholas Turco from Boulder, CO. On the women’s side, Ellyn Atkinson ran a 17:52 to take the victory in a tight race over Jacquelyn Abanses, who was six seconds behind.
As the day came to a close, so too did America’s Marathon Weekend, which began on Thursday with the America’s Marathon Weekend Experience, saw more than 600 children cross the Trials finish line at the Publix Atlanta Kids Marathon, crowned six Olympians, and then celebrated distance running in all of Atlanta. The weekend, which allowed Atlanta Track Club to intertwine elite racing and citizen distance running, brought tens of thousands to downtown Atlanta over the course of three days.
“America’s Marathon Weekend was created to bring together every member of the running community in a way that has never been done before, said Atlanta Track Club Executive Director Rich Kenah. “As the final finisher of the Publix Atlanta Marathon crosses the finish line, we’re excited to see the impact of this weekend on Running City USA and on this city’s Olympic future.”
Registration is already open for next year’s Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend, which will take place on February 27 and 28, 2021.
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