CASH IN THE APPLE FOR
7-21-16
By Cash Michaels
FATHER OF
“THE QUIET STORM” – For many of us “old school” folks who grew up with black FM
radio, the legendary “Quiet Storm” was a special time every night when you
could hear your favorite slow jams, and nothing but slow, romantic music, all
night long.
For
couples, it was that magic time of night to cuddle up, share a glass of wine,
and just simply relax. Needless to say, many a baby was conceived during the
“Quiet Storm,” no matter what city you were listening in.
That’s why
it was with great sadness when word came last week that the “father” of the
Quiet Storm, Vaughn Harper of WBLS-FM in New York, died at the age of 71.
Harper, who had the kind of smooth, deep, velvety and of course sexy voice that
women loved, and men envied. Kind of like a Barry White on steroids.
Harper was
very popular on WBLS-FM, where he began in 1976. He started the Quiet Storm in the early 1980s,
and the format soon found itself duplicated on black radio stations across the
country, and has become an institution.
I was young
and trying to get into radio at the time. I was also star-struck, and wanted to
meet some of my favorite DJs from WBLS, so I would sponsor special Thursday
night events at Manhattan discos featuring folks like WBLS morning man Ken
“Spider” Webb and Quiet Storm host Vaughn Harper.
For the
Harper event, I would tape several hours of his show, and then edit the
highlights together into a single production to playback for the crowd before
bringing Harper out to speak and do his thing. Of course, because I was making
money, I had to pay Harper for being there, but it was all good. He got money
and a chance to meet all of the girls he
wanted, and I got to briefly hang out with a local star and pump him for
information about to get into the radio business, plus show – off my production
skills.
I would be
lying if I didn’t admit I was also angling for a job (or at least a
recommendation to work) at WBLS. That was a draem for many of us budding
broadcasters.
Needless to
say, I never saw Vaughn Harper again, even though I continued to listen, of
course. He was great at what he did, and no one did it better.
Thanks,
Vaughn Harper, and GOD bless your soul.
You were one of the true legends of New York radio, along with Frankie Crocker,
Ken Webb, Vy Higgensen and Lamar Renee. I learned from all of you. Thank you.
WENDY’S BIG
MOUTH – Apparently talk show hostess Wendy Williams has been running her mouth
so much lately that it’s costing her business.
It was
recently during the “Hot Topics” segment
of her popular syndicated TV show. Williams seemed to have a problem
with the existence of historically black college and universities, and, of all
things, the NAACP.
“I would be really offended
if there was a school that was known as a historically white college. We have
historically black colleges. What if there was the National Organization for
White People, only? There’s the NAACP,” Williams said.
Looks like Wendy has gotten like Fox
News token negro Stacey Dash. That’s sad, indeed.
Cash in the Apple - honored as the Best
Column Writing of 2006 by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.
Columnist Cash Michaels was also honored by the NNPA for Best Feature Story
Journalist of 2009, and was the recipient of the Raleigh-Apex NAACP’s
President’s Award for Media Excellence in Sept. 2011.
Until
next week, keep a smile on your face, GOD in your heart, and The Carolinian in
your life. Bye, bye.
-30-
NCNAACP DEMANDS
FREEDOM
FOR KALVIN SMITH,
DONTAE SHARPE
By Cash Michaels
Contributing Writer
The NC
NAACP is once again joining with the movements to free Kalvin Michael Smith and
Dontae Sharpe – two black men supporters say were falsely accused, convicted
and imprisoned for crimes they did not commit –in “major statewide actions” to demand that Gov. Pat McCrory and State
Attorney Gen. Roy Cooper “… compel justice and hasten the Department of
Justice…” to release them.
"It is immoral to
forget the pain of those behind bars so easily-- though they may be separated
from us by concrete walls and the label of criminal, they are our brothers and
sisters, and they are God's children,” Rev. Dr. William Barber, president of
the NCNAACP, said in the statement.
Kalvin Smith is serving
up to 29 years in prison, charged with the December 1995 brutal assault in
Winston – Salem of an assistant store manager, even though there was no
physical evidence connecting him with the crime. Witnesses placed Smith on the other
side of town at the time, and subsequent investigations, including by a retired
FBI agent, note that the Winston-Salem Police Dept.’s original investigation
was shoddy at best.
Atty. Gen Cooper,
however, has refused to join with
Smith’s attorneys to ask for a new trial.
Dontae Sharpe has been
serving a life sentence since 1994 for a murder during a drug buy in
Greenville. Sharpe was reportedly offered a plea deal by the Pitt County district
attorney for time served, but turned it down, saying that he could not accept
it for a crime that he did not commit.
The Duke University
Wrongful Convictions Clinic is working on Sharpe’s case.
In a recently released
statement, the NC NAACP and the NC NAACP’s Youth and College Division
designated Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31 as not only special days of
advocacy for Sharpe and Smith in Greenville and Winston-Salem respectively, but
also days of tribute to the work and memory of the late Darryl Hunt.
At
the age of 19, Hunt as falsely convicted of a 1984 Winston-Salem murder. He
served 19 years in prison, even though DNA evidence proved him innocent a
decade before he was released. After his release, Hunt worked diligently to
help other victims of false prosecutions. Darryl Hunt died last March.
The civil rights
organization has previously called for justice in both cases, most recently
last March when the NC NAACP joined with the families of Smith and Sharpe in
calling for the governor and state atty. general to intercede on their behalf.
“We are sending a message in North Carolina to
all those running for elected office,” Rev. Barber said. “People of
good-will will not end our advocacy on behalf of these two innocent men, Dontae
and Kalvin, until they are set free and their convictions vacated.”
“This miscarriage of
justice must end and courageous leadership must emerge ,” Barber continued. “It
is no longer acceptable in the state of North Carolina to play politics with
the lives of Black men and Black women, and hope the civil
rights community and our allies stand by quietly. We must all cry out
against this injustice committed in our names. United, we can bring about a
lasting change. “
At press time, the event
locations for July 30 -31 were yet to be announced.
-30-
FOXX LOOKING FORWARD
TO NEXT WEEK’S DNC
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
In 2012, then Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx
faced a challenge few mayors face in a lifetime – bringing the Democratic
National Convention to his city, and moving heaven and earth o make sure that
it was successful.
President
Barack Obama was vying for his second term in office, and with the eyes of the
world focused on the Queen City, Foxx had to make sure everything was right.
“It was an
incredible experience, not only for Charlotte and for me, but for North
Carolina just being at the epicenter of our political system for a week,” Foxx
recalls. “The exposure for the state, the businesspeople that got exposed to
North Carolina and subsequently decided they wanted to locate businesses there.
The people who got a taste of the sweet tea in North Carolina and decided they
wanted to move there.”
“There are
so many ripple effects of hosting something like that,” he continued, “and the
thing I’m most proud of is that the city pulled something like that off without
a hitch.”
Four years later, now US
Transportation Sec. Anthony Foxx doesn’t have to shoulder any worries about the
DNC, this time in Philadelphia next week for four days. Unless something major
happens along I-95, all Sec. Foxx has to do is attend, and support his party’s
nominee, former US Sec. of State Hillary Clinton.
“This is
the most important election in all of my lifetime,” Foxx said in a phone
interview from Washington, D.C. last week.
“With so much progress being made under the current [Obama]
administration, the great risk is that the progress will stop, or we might go
into reverse [with the election of Republican Donald Trump in November.”
“You’ve got
someone in Sec. Clinton who understands the great challenges our country faces,
someone who has been tested in so many ways, and who is the most prepared
person to serve the country. My hope is not only that she wins the election,
but that North Carolina leads the way.”
Anthony
Foxx accepted the position to head the US Dept. of Transportation in July 2013.
He leads an agency with over 55,000 employees and a budget exceeding $70
billion. His primary job is to oversee the nation’s interstate roads, bridges
and railways, making sure they are safe and efficient.
Like many
Democrats, Sec. Foxx was pleased that Clinton’s primary rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders,
finally endorsed her last week, for it means a more unified party going into
next week’s convention. But also like fellow Democrats, Foxx has no idea who
Clinton will finally choose as a vice presidential running mate.
Thus far,
senators Elizabeth Warren [D-MA] and Tim Kaine {D-VA] are considered the most
popular candidates from which Clinton could choose from. Kaine is seen as the
more moderate of the two.
“I think
the most important thing for Sec. Clinton is picking somebody who can be a good
partner with her,” Sec. Foxx said. “Somebody who maybe has a different take on
things, but who has her respect , who is going to be able to execute on things
that she directs, but will give her an honest, and different read than what she
would get elsewhere.”
Finally,
with just six months left before the next president assumes office in January,
Sec. Foxx reflected on the legacy of President Barack Obama.
“He is an
amazing person. You have to be amazing to accomplish many of the things he’s
been able to accomplish. History is
going to be very kind to him, having confronted the worst economic conditions
since the Great Depression, to go from losing three-quarter of a million jobs
in single months when he came into office to now having the longest streak of
months of job growth in the country’s
history That’s pretty impressive.”
Sec. Foxx
continued, “ The work the president did to close the gap in health care,
helping so many people – 20 million plus who didn’t have health care access before. The work he’s done in
international affairs, tracking down [Osama] bin Laden. Efforts he’s taken to
clean up our environment.”
The president has been a game-changer
in so many ways,” Sec. Foxx concluded, “and I think all of us should be proud
of him.”
-30-
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