MWPR Client News

Wesley Snipes Plots MLK, J. Edgar Hoover Expose

2010-10-21T00:36:00.004-04:00

Deadline New York
By Mike Flemming

EXCLUSIVE: Facing a 3-year jail stretch after a long battle with the IRS, Wesley Snipes has become the catalyst for a feature that explores FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover's campaign to discredit Martin Luther King Jr. -- and the fatal guilt carried by the Hoover henchman charged with wiretapping King's phone and pulling dirty tricks. Snipes tells Deadline that he is producing and hopes to play a role in the Justin Stamm-scripted Code Name Zorro, one of several projects Snipes is percolating under his Maandi Media Productions banner. Snipes wouldn’t go into a lot of detail into his current IRS situation, other than to say “It’s all good, put it like that." But the actor, who recently brightened up the ensemble of Brooklyn's Finest but had to be replaced in Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna because he couldn't leave the country, is itching to get busy again. He has been using that energy to get a sit down with King's son, Martin Luther King III, and Snipes said he came away with a family endorsement for a film that asks hard questions about how King was persecuted by Hoover's FBI because the leader viewed the civil rights leader as a threat and a potential impediment to the Vietnam War. Snipes fell in love with the script and is producing with 4 Reel Entertainment's Diana Stamm, Ed Elbert and Tony Oppedisano.

"I’ve got a lot on my plate right now, and this is an important project that has my focus," Snipes told me. "Acting is my main lane, and I’m planning to expand that, taking the success of films like Blade and marinating that into something that flourishes.” So, how about another turn as the iconic Marvel Comics vampire hunter? “Maybe we get around to doing another Blade, except, from what I’m reading, every other actor is talking about playing him, and nobody is talking to Wesley," he said. "How strange that they don’t come and talk to me about it.”

Code Name Zorro takes an interesting approach into the life of MLK. It's focus is the final moments in the life of former assistant FBI director William Sullivan, who headed Code Name Zorro, Hoover’s covert program designed to subvert King’s influence over the civil rights movement by tarnishing his reputation. Sullivan was charged with wiretapping King’s phones, and orchestrating such dirty tricks as giving King's wife audiotapes of the civil rights leader's conversations with other women. While he was enmeshed in the assignment, Sullivan was gung-ho. After MLK's famous "I have a dream" speech during the March on D.C., Sullivan wrote to Hoover: "We must mark [King] now, if we have not done so before, as the most dangerous Negro of the future in this nation." He added that it "may be unrealistic to limit ourselves as we have been doing to legalistic proofs or definitely conclusive evidence that would stand up in testimony in court or before Congressional Committees."

The script takes the position that Sullivan's conscience about such outrageous behavior caught up to him, and that he felt conflicted about his actions because he admired King's efforts, but never spoke up before the assassination. He then bared Hoover and the bureau's dirty laundry to journalist friend Jack Taylor for a book Sullivan hoped would expose his boss as a hypocrite and a tyrant. Right after telling his story, Sullivan was shot and killed -- it was called a "hunting accident" -- shortly before testifying about the killings of King and John F. Kennedy before the House Select Committee on assassinations. A sanitized version of the book eventually appeared. Snipes will produce with 4 Reel Entertainment’s Diana Stamm, Ed Elbert and Tony Oppedisano, with Dan Meachum exec producing.

Snipes said he shared a lawyer with King's son, and will tie the picture into the Atlanta-based King Center For Nonviolence. Snipes will help find a director and actors to create a package that will be shopped for financing. It has become a crowded market for movies about both King and Hoover. Lee Daniels has been circling Selma, a drama about Dr. King’s civil rights march; HBO is turning Taylor Branch’s MLK book series into a 7-hour miniseries with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions, and DreamWorks and Steven Spielberg have Ronald Harwood writing an MLK film being done with his estate. On the Hoover front, Clint Eastwood will direct a film that has Leonardo DiCaprio set to play Hoover. While Snipes has had his own troubles with a federal agency, that didn't draw him to the tale of MLK's collision with another branch of government.

“It’s not so much the persecution angle,” he told me. “I was attracted to the whistleblower dynamic. It's a challenging situation for a man to be in, to be among the shadowy and most powerful men in the world, who exposed information to mislead the public. What an interesting conflict and life dilemma. It makes for good drama and there are great roles for actors to play these historical figures who are part of a whole story that many of us weren’t aware of.”

Wesley Snipes Fights for New Trial...Again - e! online

2010-08-27T00:30:00.001-04:00

It's not the first appeal, and who knows if it'll be the last! What we do know is Wesley Snipes is no quitter.

After what was thought to be a sure-fire road to prison, the Blade star has proven that he can whittle his way out—or at least prolong the sentence.

So here we go again.

Snipes' lawyers filed motion for a new trial, along with a request for new jurors, after being convicted back in 2008 of tax evasion in Florida. The celeb and his persistent team claim that he was denied his fifth and sixth amendment right to a fair trial.

Snipes claims his defense team received emails after the trial was over from two jurors, who claimed three of the other jurors "told us [Snipes] was guilty before they even heard the first piece of evidence," TMZ reports.

According to attorney Daniel Meachum, Snipes' appeal is based on jury misconduct and the government's failure to disclose details of criminal charges lodged against witness and former accountant Kenneth Starr.

Starr was arrested in June on charges of money laundering, fraud and making statements to federal officials.

The actor and his team's motion follows the court's Monday ruling that Snipes would not have to surrender to a U.S. marshal on Sept. 2.

Read more:

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b197259_wesley_snipes_fights_new_trialagain.html#ixzz0xmG3nShN

wesley snipes fights for new trial...again - e! online

The Park Church Opens a New Christian School | fox charlotte | top stories

2010-08-27T00:12:00.000-04:00

Students and parents in Charlotte will have one more option when it comes to choosing a middle school. A new private school in East Charlotte is preparing for its first group of students.

The Park Church is opening the Bethune Mays Classical Academy at its Independence Blvd. location – the building that formerly was the Charlotte Merchandise Mart.

The Park purchased the building in 2006, and since that time Bishop Claude Alexander has wanted to open a school there. “Students tend to fall through the cracks in those sixth to eighth grade years, and so, it was really important to me – that early – to begin thinking about doing something in the middle school area,” he said.

Dr. Christina Christian, Head of School, says the curriculum will be a Christian Classical Education. “Our focus is really to prepare the students for their future,” she said.

The school opens its doors on Wednesday, and the sixth grade currently has six students. School officials plan to add more students and grade levels.

The school is located on the fourth floor of The Park. All other tenants in the building will remain there, and all shows like The Southern Home Show, will go on as they have in the past.

the park opens a new christian school fox charlotte top stories

SNIPES’ LEGAL TEAM FILE MOTIONS AND SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT

2010-07-31T16:27:00.003-04:00

SNIPES’ LEGAL TEAM FILE MOTIONS
AND SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT
The Legal Drama Continues…

ATLANTA, GA (July 29, 2010) – It continues to be misreported that Actor Wesley Snipes’ convictions were for tax evasions when in fact it was failure to file returns.

The legal problems of internationally known action star Wesley Snipes officially started in 2006 when he was indicted with two other co-defendants in tax charges including conspiracy and failure to file taxes. The IRS was asking that Snipes be found guilty on all of these charges and sent to a federal prison for 17 years. Even though Snipes has over the past 15 years lived either in New York, Los Angeles or New Jersey, the government sought to have Snipes tried in Ocala, Florida with the co-defendants.

In a trial that lasted almost three weeks before an all white jury, Snipes was acquitted of all charges except three misdemeanors for failure to file. In May 2008 federal Judge Hodges sentenced the actor to three years for the misdemeanor convictions but granted his motion for bail pending his appeal. The other two co-defendants were found guilty on all felony charges.

The legal defense team, led by Atlanta Attorney Daniel R. Meachum, filed an appeal with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which sits in Atlanta, challenging the sentence of three years for the three misdemeanor charges and for Ocala being the incorrect place where Snipes was tried.

On July 16, 2010, the Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions of Snipes and it was widely reported that Snipes would be going to prison to serve the three year sentence.On July 21, the government filed a motion that the bail for Snipes be revoked and that the court order him to begin serving his prison sentence.

In a most bizarre turn of events the key witness in his trial, Ken Starr, who had been Snipes’ accountant, was arrested and indicted for fraud in creating and running a $80 million Ponzi scheme defrauding such well known celebrities as Caroline Kennedy and famous photographer Anne Lebowitz, Sylvester Stallone, Uma Thurman and Martin Scorsese.

During Snipes’ trial the defense had argued that the reason Snipes left Starr was because Starr had defrauded him causing him to seek other tax representation. It is believed that Starr was under investigation by the same agency that was prosecuting Snipes – at the same time he was testifying for the government against Snipes.

After reports that Snipes’ appeal had been denied, Defense Attorney Daniel R. Meachum was contacted by email by a juror in Snipes' case stating that there were three jurors who from the beginning of the trial decided that Snipes was guilty even before any evidence or testimony had been presented in direct opposition to the instructions of the Court.

A similar juror’s action was revealed in former Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens’ criminal case causing the judge to throw out his conviction.

The defense team for Snipes has filed several motions including a motion to interview the juror because the courts do not allow attorneys to have contact with jurors even after the case is completed.It seems that the government who sought to convict and imprison Snipes has quite a series of events to explain and overcome.

In what was reported as a watch for Snipes reporting to prison may turn out to be something quite different than what was originally reported.

Author Dr. Bell Video

2010-03-28T15:09:00.002-04:00

http://www.careergpsthebook.com/ella_bell_video.php

Ella L.J. Edmondson Bell, Ph.D., is the founder and president of ASCENT‐Leading Multicultural Women to the Top, as well as an Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. She is considered by industry to be one of the leading experts in the management of race, gender, and class in the workplace. PepsiCo, American Express, Intel, Goldman Sachs, Booze Allen Hamilton, U.S. Department of Labor are among her clients. Dr. Bell is also the coauthor of the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed book Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity (Harvard Business School Press).

She has written several articles for Essence magazine and also the monthly “Working It” column. Frequently quoted by journalists, Dr. Bell has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Boston Globe, Black Enterprise, Newsweek, Working Mother, and Fast Company. Her latest book, Career GPS: Strategies for Women Navigating the New Corporate Landscape (Amistad) offers proven techniques for all women wishing to advance their careers in the fast changing world of corporate America.

Guy Inc. has to adapt to a new world – now

2010-02-25T23:08:00.003-05:00

Charlotte Observer
February 24, 2010
by Ron Stodghill

Here’s a sobering paradox: This year, business headlines around the world will doubtlessly center around men – big, powerful, frighteningly overpaid men. We’ll get accounts of Brian Moynihan’s struggles to fix Bank of America, tales of Steve Jobs’ latest gizmo at Apple, Ben Bernanke’s maneuvers at the Federal Reserve.

Yet meanwhile, the U.S. Labor Department is quietly telling another story: that the American workplace is no longer a man’s world, at least not statistically. That’s right, while most of us were busy jawboning about everything from Tiger to tea parties, women finally marched their way into the working majority last month, holding 50.3 percent of the nation’s nonfarm payroll jobs, according to labor reports.

Of course, we’ve known for some time that Guy Inc. was ripe for a takeover. Back in 1987, a think tank called the Hudson Institute published a landmark study that predicted, among other things, that by the year 2000 working women would account for 47 percent of the labor force. The forecast not only forced us to rethink our assumptions about the future face of corporate leadership, but also condemned many of us to countless boxed-lunch “diversity” seminars.
Those epic predictions, hastened by an economy that pummeled such male-dominated industries as manufacturing, have come to pass. Unfortunately, slower to come is any real proof that corporate America is ready to cede the reins to its female workers to reflect their growing ranks.

“There’s a storm brewing,” says Ella L. J. Edmondson Bell, an associate professor at the Tuck School of School of Business at Dartmouth University and a former UNC Charlotte professor. “We’re not developing the talent pool of women in the workplace. And it’s not like we’re finally there. No, we’ve been there.”

In her new book, “Career GPS: Strategies for Women Navigating the New Corporate Landscape,” Bell offers some grim numbers on the lack of parity between professional men and women. Only 28.6 percent of all executive managers in the U.S. are women, and only 7.4 percent of first-level managers are women. “The person you pass the baton to may not be Jack, Hugh, Bob or Richard,” she writes. “It may well be Carla, Nancy, Maria, or Kusum, but only if you have prepared.”

That could be wishful thinking. Earlier this month, Catalyst, the nonprofit advocacy group for professional women, published its own blistering report on workplace disparities, noting that women from elite MBA programs lagged behind male counterparts “in advancement and compensation starting from their first job and were less satisfied with their careers.”

It’s time for Guy Inc. to loosen up and get in touch with, well, its feminine side. With more than half of the work force now occupied by women, it’s shameful that there are so few female power brokers to back up those impressive numbers. The top brass of corporate America can’t remain on top forever, nor should they expect to. Bringing women up can’t be viewed as a matter of compromise. The numbers show it’s more a matter of survival.

Link to article

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/02/24/1268707/guy-inc-has-to-adapt-to-a-new.html

A Look At the Career of Veteran Actor Wesley Snipes

2010-02-25T14:59:00.002-05:00

Link to The Washington Post photo gallery:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/gallery/2010/02/25/GA2010022502485.html

Wesley Snipes & Antoine Fuqua Discuss Their New Film, 'Brooklyn's Finest'

2010-02-24T14:07:00.001-05:00

MWPR Client News: Actor Wesley Snipes discuss his role in "Brooklyn's Finest" during recent PA Tour.

Link to RollingoutTV.com interview
Wesley Snipes & Antoine Fuqua Discuss Their New Film, 'Brooklyn's Finest'

Attorney Daniel R. Meachum Honored as Advocate of the Year by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition

2009-10-19T16:57:00.005-04:00

MWPR Client Daniel R. Meachum

Attorney Daniel R. Meachum received the Advocate of the Year Award at The Keep Hope Alive Gala on Friday, October 16, 2009. Hosted by Rev. Jesse Jackson, The Rainbow PUSH Coalition and, the Citizenship Education Fund, the gala closed out their 10th annual Creating Opportunity Conference in Atlanta, GA held October 15-16, 2009.

Daniel R. Meachum, Esq. is the founder of Daniel R. Meachum & Associates, LLC and has over 20 years experience in complex litigation, premises liability, products liability, construction/design defect, labor and employment law, sports & entertainment law, commercial transactions, mergers & acquisitions, and residential & commercial real estate. Committed to the outcome from the first consultation, Meachum has represented numerous high profile clients and has a 97% success rate. He lives his firm’s mission by creating a team, building a strong case and striving for the best service and outcome for his clients.

In addition to his legal prowess, Meachum was recently named member of the North Carolina Central University Foundation Board of Directors. He has also given his time and talent to West Philadelphia YMCA Board of Managers, West Philadelphia Mental Health Consortium, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, Georgia Trail Attorneys Section and Georgia Entertainment and Sports Law Section.

Meachum, who remains humbled by the Advocate of the Year award, walked the “green carpet” with Jesse Jackson and additional honorees during the much anticipated gala event. Additional honorees included: Charles Johnson, The Honorable Robert Ford, Doug and Ryan Stewart, Gregory Lloyd, Herbert Dennard, Gail Davenport, Moses Brown, The Honorable Shirley Franklin, Vicki Palmer, The Honorable John Lewis and Roland Martin. The event highlighted the civic and economic contributions of key leaders in the community.

Meachum shared with the audience, “It has been a privilege to practice law all over the United States; a privilege that was made possible by those who preceded me and set standards of excellence. Those such as: Justice Thurgood Marshall, Lawrence Douglas Wilder, Charlotte E. Ray, Charles Hamilton Houston, Patricia Roberts Harris....” He continued, “All of these great men and women stood for the proposition of excellence and perseverance and determination and hard work.”

The purpose of the annual Creating Opportunity Conference is to revive hope for those devastated by job and home loss, recover from economic calamity with new investments in industry and infrastructure, and renew efforts to create a level playing field for workers and children.

The Keep Hope Alive Gala celebrates Jackson’s birthday and benefits the work of Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Citizenship Education Fund and families facing foreclosure.

ATTORNEY DANIEL MEACHUM BECOMES NEWEST MEMBER OF NCCU FOUNDATION BOARD

2009-09-14T17:52:00.010-04:00

THE NCCU FOUNDATION, INC. WELCOMES TWO NEW MEMBERS
TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MWPR CLIENT│ Daniel R. Meachum, Esq.

DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of two new directors, Mary D. Jacobs, Ed.D., and Daniel R. Meachum, Esquire. Jacobs and Meachum will join the board at its next meeting on Wednesday, September 16, 2009.

“These two individuals offer an array of professional experiences that will strengthen the capacity of the board,” said LaTanya Afolayan, executive director of the NCCU Foundation. “The University and the Foundation will certainly benefit from their expertise and energy.”

Jacobs is a former Durham County Commissioner and also a former member of the Durham City Council. She is currently a real estate broker in Durham and has served on several community non-profit boards including the Durham Visitors and Convention Bureau, the YMCA, and most recently the United Negro College Fund. Jacobs received a Bachelor of Science degree from Bennett College, a master’s degree from North Carolina Central University and a doctorate in adult and community college education from North Carolina State University.

Meachum is an attorney in Atlanta, Ga., with more than 20 years of experience in complex litigation, premises liability, products liability, and entertainment and sports law. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Carolina Central University and completed law school at Howard University. Meachum has been admitted to the bar in the Georgia Superior Court, the Georgia Supreme Court, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. His community affiliations include the West Philadelphia YMCA Board of Managers, where he served as chairman. Meachum’s other memberships include the Board of Directors of the West Philadelphia Mental Health Consortium; 100 Black Men of Atlanta; Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity; and the Georgia Trial Attorneys Section, Georgia Entertainment and Sports Law Section.

The North Carolina Central University Foundation exists to foster and promote the growth of higher education in North Carolina and specifically at North Carolina Central University. The foundation was created under the leadership of Chancellor Albert N. Whiting in response to an increasing need for private support, and incorporated in June of 1972 by the Secretary of State.

Members of the NCCU Foundation Board of Directors serve as ambassadors for NCCU and raise money from private sources for scholarships, endowed professorships, and a variety of purposes in support of higher education. According to Chairwoman Frankie Perry, “The members of the Board of Directors of the NCCU Foundation recognize that private funds have become more essential now more than ever to nurture the excellence that characterizes this university. We welcome the exceptional talent of Dr. Jacobs and Attorney Meachum.”

The offices of the North Carolina Central University Foundation, Inc. are located on the campus of North Carolina Central University in the lower level of the William Jones Building. For more information, call (919) 530-7397.

North Carolina Central University is the first publicly supported liberal arts college for African-Americans and this year, U.S. News & World Report ranked NCCU among the top ten HBCUs in the country. As NCCU celebrates its Centennial Year, a diverse student body of more than 8,500 students is enrolled in programs such as law, business, library science, nursing, education, and biotechnology.

COMING IN JANUARY

2009-09-12T16:25:00.006-04:00

MWPR CLIENT│ Dr. Ella Bell

Synopsis:

A timely and thought-provoking book for any woman looking to advance up the corporate ladder and optimize her performance in any work environment, no matter the state of the economy

The workplace is constantly in flux, and even now there are opportunities open to women. But in order to take advantage of new opportunities, one must master the current rules for corporate success. Career GPS is an essential tool every professional woman must have to define personal success, determine the position that’s right for her—from extreme jobs such as CEOs and other executive managers to more “intrapraneurial ones”—and figure out what it takes to reach her goals.

Drawing on her experience teaching at some of the country’s most elite business schools and her work with women across a variety of fields and corporations from Fortune 500s to start-ups, Dr. Ella L.J. Edmonson Bell, PH.D offers guidelines to help women forge their own pathways to professional success. From learning how to maximize a review to optimizing the chances for advancement, she has proven, specific advice. Whether it’s becoming a 24/7 power executive or just a Good Corporate Citizen who has more time to spend with aging parents and children, Career GPS shows any woman how to get what she really wants—in the job that suits her needs.

Author:

Ella LJ Edmonson Bell, Ph.D. is founder and president of ASCENT-Leading Multicultural Women to the Top, as well as the Associate Professor of Business Administration, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Dr. Bell is also the co-author of the ground-breaking and critically-acclaimed book Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity (Harvard Business School Press). She has written several articles for Essence Magazine, and wrote the monthly “Working Smart” column. Frequently quoted by journalists, Dr. Bell has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune, and Fast Company, among many other business and general audience publications. She lives in Hanover, New Hampshire and Charlotte, NC.

Published by HarperCollins

For more information: Monica Wood MWPR, Inc. 704-430-6300 or info@mwprinc.com

New Brooklyn Park Church Engages Local Community in Festival that Kicks Off Two Weeks of Special Services

2009-09-07T17:15:00.007-04:00

MWPR CLIENT│ Freedom Temple AME Zion

New Brooklyn Park Church Engages Local Community in Festival that Kicks Off Two Weeks of Special Services
Prophetic preaching from Rev. Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, Rev. Dr. A.C.D. Vaughn, Bishop Kevia Elliott, Bishop Vashti McKenzie, Bishop Dennis Proctor and more

Brooklyn Park, MD -Freedom Temple AME Zion Church, recently relocated from West Baltimore, will host a Brooklyn Park Community Festival on Saturday, September 12 at 900 Church St. The festival, which runs from noon until 5 p.m., will offer entertainment, free food, clothing give-a-ways, children’s activities and school supply give-a-ways. Familiar to many Brooklyn Park residents, Pastor John Krach of Maryland Church on the Rock will be a guest speaker.

Freedom Temple’s special services to dedicate its building begin Sunday, September 13th at 10:45 a.m. and run for two weeks. The full schedule is below:

September 13th
10:45 a.m.

Rev. Leslie Barnett Davis, Pastor
Patterson Asbury AME Zion Church

Rev. Scot Moore, Pastor
Judah Temple AME Zion Church

4 p.m.

Bishop Warren M. Brown, Presiding Prelate
Mid-Atlantic II Episcopal District AME Zion Church

September 15th
6:45 p.m.

Rev. Dr. Leah White, Pastor
Greater Faith Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. A.C.D. Vaughn, Pastor
Sharon Baptist Church

September 16th
6:45 p.m.

Pastor Allan Gorman
Harford Community Church

Pastor Marshall Prentice
Zion Baptist Church

September 17th
6:45 p.m.

Pastor Fiifi Penstil
House of Worship

September 18th
6:45 p.m.

Rev. Dr. Rita J. Colbert, Presiding Elder
Washington District AME Zion Church

Rev. Dr. Alvin Durant, Pastor
Union Wesley AME Zion Church

September 20th
10:45 a.m.

Rev. Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, Pastor
Freedom Temple AME Zion Church

4 p.m.

Pastor Precious Davis
Living Water Church

Bishop Kevia Elliott, Pastor
The Lord’s Church Ministries

September 22nd
6:45 p.m.

Rev. Lester A. McCorn, Pastor
Pennsylvania Avenue AME Zion Church

Bishop Dennis Proctor, Presiding Prelate
Western Episcopal District AME Zion Church

September 23rd
6:45 p.m.

Rev. Dr. Alvin Hathaway, Pastor
Union Baptist Church

Bishop Vashti McKenzie, Presiding Prelate
13th District AME Zion Church

September 24th
6:45 p.m.

Pastors Tom and Rosalind Schwind
New Covenant Tabernacle

Rev. Alyce Walker Johnson, Pastor
Full Gospel AME Zion Church

September 25th
6:45 p.m.

Rev. Dr. Ruth Travis, Pastor
Evergreen AME Church

Pastor Angel Nuñez
First Bilingual Christian Church

For more information, visit the Freedom Temple website at http://www.freedomamez.org/ or call 410/636-4747.

Park Ministries plans eastside Fest

2009-08-16T16:20:00.004-04:00

MWPR CLIENT│ The Park Ministries

Park Ministries plans eastside Fest
Free event at former Merchandise Mart will include entertainment, job bank and lots more.

By Marty Minchin
Posted: Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009

The Park Ministries will celebrate its neighbors in east Charlotte next weekend with The Park Fest.

Three years ago, The Park Ministries – formerly University Park Baptist – bought the Charlotte Merchandise Mart on Briar Creek Road. The Park Fest will be on the property and will be an “opportunity to have the community and the church to come together for a day of fun, enjoyment and empowerment,” said church spokeswoman Monica Wood.

The Park Fest, from 10 a.m. to 6p.m. Saturday, will include everything from live entertainment to meet-and-greets with candidates for the Charlotte City Council and mayor.

Wood said the event was the vision of Bishop Claude Alexander Jr., senior pastor of The Park Ministries. It will “provide a tangible example of what The Park can and will offer to the members of the church and the residents of the Eastside community.”

The Park Ministries already has about 8,000 members who attend church at campuses on Beatties Ford Road and on Lancaster Highway in South Charlotte. The church plans to convert part of the 529,000-square-foot building on Briar Creek Road into a 100,000-square-foot sanctuary that could hold 5,000 people for each service.

“We are building a multi-faceted campus that not only meets the needs of our congregation but also the needs of the region, in terms of space for business development, conferences and performances,” Alexander said in a news release. “ … The Park will be able to significantly increase outreach to the community, expanding our more than 80 ministries to include more business, civic and youth development programs.”

The Park Fest will offer a taste of those ministries, providing a job bank and opportunities for people who come to be “informed, empowered and engaged in the areas of politics, economic development, education and employment” at the event, according to church information.
Ministries that are already going on in the area include job assistance and training, youth programs, a singles ministry and emergency assistance to people in need. The Park Ministries hopes to soon add civic, business and child development programs.

Event planning began several months ago, and teams of church members have organized it, Wood said.

The event is free and open to the community. The day will include shopping stalls with wares from local artisans and food for purchase.

Marty Minchin is a freelance writer.

Link to article: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/272/story/84367.html

The Park Ministries Hosts First Annual The Park Fest

2009-08-03T18:00:00.004-04:00

MWPR CLIENT│ The Park Ministries

The Park Celebrates with Its Eastside Neighbors

Aug. 22: Live Music, Civic Forums, Shopping, Dining, Family Fun and More at The Park Fest

Charlotte, N.C., —Three years after purchasing the Charlotte Merchandise Mart, The Park Ministries (formerly University Park Baptist Church) is opening its doors to celebrate with area neighbors. The Park Fest, a celebration of fun, family and faith, will take place on Aug. 22. The event will include live entertainment, meet-and-greets with candidates for mayor and city council, a job bank, shopping stalls featuring local artisans, and a host of food options available for purchase.

“We are building a multi-faceted campus that not only meets the needs of our congregation but also the needs of the region in terms of space for business development, conferences and performances,” said Bishop Claude R. Alexander Jr., senior pastor of The Park Ministries. “The Park Fest will welcome our church family and the surrounding community to our campus at the former Merchandise Mart and celebrate the expanded resources that are being brought into the community through The Park. With 529,000 square feet of space, The Park will be able to significantly increase outreach to the community, expanding our more than 80 ministries to include more business, civic and youth development programs.”

What:
The First Annual The Park Fest

Local Music Stage featuring The Park Ministries Choir, Urban Ministries Choir,Daniel Davis, Emanuel and more

Food and gift vendors

Family fun, rides, games and prizes

“State of the Eastside Panel” and “Mayoral Forum”

Employment Security Commission Jobs Bus Health and Community Service Fair—Information to help you navigate CMS, DSS and others

Workshops on Health and Wellness, Careers and Surviving the Recession

When:
Aug. 22, 2009
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Where:
The Park Expo and Conference Center (formerly the Charlotte Merchandise Mart)
2500 East Independence Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28205

Website: http://www.theparkministries.org/

Cost of admission: Free!

For additional information visit http://www.theparkministries.org/.

About The Park: Founded in 1905 as a Charlotte, N.C.-area church, The Park Ministries has grown from fewer than 500 members in 1990 to more than 8,000 members today. Leading this growth has been The Park’s senior pastor, Bishop Claude R. Alexander Jr. One church operating on two campuses—Beatties Ford Road in northwest Charlotte and Lancaster Hwy. in south Charlotte—The Park Ministries offers more than 80 outreach programs benefitting the local Charlotte-area, the southeast region and Africa. In 2007, The Park Ministries purchased The Charlotte Merchandise Mart—a 529,000-square-foot multi-faceted destination that includes conference and banquet space, restaurant and retail development as well as exhibition space for trade shows. Once renovations are complete, The Park Center will boast a 100,000-square-foot sanctuary that will accommodate more than 5,000 people for each service.

MWPR Client News: East side church to put down roots in Brooklyn - baltsun.com

2009-07-27T09:21:00.004-04:00

MWPR CLIENT│ Freedom Temple AME Zion

The John Wesley African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church has served the East Baltimore community for 82 years, the last 58 of them in a cozy, pitched-roof meeting-house on Ashland Avenue, in the shadow of the Johns Hopkins medical campus.

Across the street, a sign on an empty block of land welcomes visitors to the "Science and Technology Park at Johns Hopkins." Next to that, another post tells church members to park there. But the Rev. Frances "Toni" Draper, who's led this congregation for seven years, knows that soon there will be few places for them to park at all.

The burgeoning science complex and its accompanying redevelopment project, set on land once overrun by drug dealers, addicts and rats, have swallowed dozens of acres. More than 500 buildings have been demolished in the first phases of the $1.8 billion effort and more than 400 families moved, many of whom once worshipped with Draper. Now the development is a factor in the church's relocation as well.

Come Sunday, the 130-member AME Zion Church, christened after the founder of Methodism, will worship in Brooklyn on the dividing line between Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County. It will also take on a new name, Freedom Temple, to reflect a renewed goal of combining people from all walks of life - every race, generation, ethnicity, income level and educational background - into one congregation."It fits in that it's more modern, and it's a church of freedom," Draper said. Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass worshiped in AME Zion churches, which developed two centuries ago as a black denomination of the Methodist church.

Draper had just finished giving the last Sunday sermon at John Wesley and was already looking ahead to the first at Freedom Temple. The facility, serendipitously located at 900 Church St., has more bathrooms and can accommodate people with disabilities. It has 5 acres, seven commercial garages, a community center and room to grow, Draper said. She dreams of beginning a school on the property one day.

Upstairs, on the landing just outside the sanctuary entrance, another pastor hones fresh visions for his own church in Draper's abandoned space.The Rev. Stephan Colbert, who already leads a school as the principal of Dunbar High, got what Draper called the "divine hookup." City of Hope Ministries, his fledgling Baptist mission church with a smaller congregation, is losing its worship space at the end of the month, just in time to move into Draper's.

"It worked out perfectly," said Colbert, who's worked as an educator in this community for 25 years and helped shape three of its generations. His coming-in settles Donald Gersham's fears. He's the president of the area's Save Middle East Action Committee, and he considers the current church an anchor."I did not want them to leave," he said after Sunday services. "But knowing that another church is coming in to continue the legacy makes it no problem at all."

Baltimore Sun Video Coverage of C4C Football Camp

2009-07-03T11:11:00.001-04:00

"Pro Athletes" Giving youngsters a head start in life

2009-07-03T10:48:00.006-04:00

MWPR CLIENT│ Retired NFL Player Keion Carpenter

Baltimore Sun by Arin Gencer arin.gencer@baltsun.com
July 3, 2009

For nearly a week, dozens of Maryland youths have rubbed elbows with the pros on the football field, picked their brains and even caught a glimpse of a real Super Bowl ring.

But they also took time to talk about the challenges they face daily: choices about drugs, about girls, about school.The 80 or so boys and young men participated in a new football camp called Commitment 4 Change, which aims to teach children from ages 8 to 17 how to better play the game - and equip them with what they need to succeed both on and off the field.

The five-day camp, which included students from throughout the Baltimore area and beyond, was organized by retired Atlanta Falcon Keion Carpenter and former Green Bay Packer Antonio Freeman, both Baltimore natives. A number of other professional athletes and high school coaches appeared throughout the week, armed with advice and plenty of shouts to go around during practice.

"They're learning life lessons that are going to help them in any walk of life," Carpenter, who co-hosted the event with Towson University, said of the students.Before setting foot on the field, the young athletes filed into the student union building at Towson, where the camp took place this week, for morning and afternoon sessions on "real-life issues" such as drugs, gang and domestic violence, and SAT and college preparation. The set-up, Carpenter and others said, mirrored the style of the NFL, with morning meetings before field practice. And the setting, on a college campus, exposed the youths to what lies beyond grade school, Carpenter said.

"We want to give these guys a head start," said Freeman, a graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, who brought his Super Bowl XXXI ring for the kids to see. "With a good foundation, anything's possible.

"Having that foundation laid by men who have achieved success certainly helps, several of the athletes said."They came from the same type of environment, or worse, that we came from," said Marcus Dudley, a rising senior at Woodlawn High, Carpenter's alma mater, in Baltimore County. "Just seeing them ... you get a goal set in your mind.

"Sammie McKay, who will be a senior at the Lake Clifton high school campus in Baltimore this fall, said hearing their stories and how they rose up to where they are inspired him. He also appreciated the discussion sessions, during which the camp's leaders have taught them "how not to be like the ones ... making dumb decisions." Having gotten into trouble a couple of times for fighting while trying to protect his younger brother, he said, he's learned that he needs to try talking it out "before I just throw a punch."During one Q&A session, the former and current professional athletes, along with school coaches, were hammering home lessons while answering questions ranging from what an NFL practice is like to how they decided where to go to college.

Fewer than 1 percent of college players make it into the NFL, they said - so maybe one student among the dozens at the camp might, said Tommy Polley, a former Baltimore Raven who graduated from Dunbar High in Baltimore. "But all of y'all in here could get a college scholarship."At one point, Carpenter picked up a bag. He asked: If they were told that there was $100,000 inside that they could have if they went to school and got good grades, "how many of you would do that?

"Every hand shot up."That's all a college scholarship is, y'all," he said. "Why is it so hard for us to do what we're supposed to do? ... You guys control your own destiny."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/bal-md.co.football03jul03,0,6190554.story

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.'s Statement on Passing of Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T22:15:00.002-04:00

MWPR CLIENT │ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY

BALTIMORE, MD (June 25, 2009) – “Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. mourns the death of a pop music icon, Michael Jackson. As we observe Black Music Month and make plans to celebrate Motown’s 50th Anniversary at our 103rd Anniversary Convention in New Orleans, we join with the world in sharing our sadness of this loss.

“As a child growing up in the late 1960s and 1970s, Michael Jackson and his brothers were a part of the fiber and fabric of America and gave me and many members the songs and sounds of our youth. I recall watching the on the Ed Sullivan show. It was my pleasure to see Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five in Atlanta in 1971 at the first Martin Luther King Birthday concert at the old Atlanta City Auditorium. I shall never forget it. As a historian I accumulated a large collection Jackson Five memorabilia,” remembers Skip Mason, General (national) President.

Our prayers go out to the Jackson family. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will celebrate his legacy and the great musical contributions that he and his brothers made while at Motown during our Public Program in New Orleans on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel.

BALTIMORE FOOTBALL GREATS BRING PRO’S TO TOWSON FOR ONE REASON...

2009-06-22T22:29:00.003-04:00

MWPR CLIENT│ Retired NFL Player Keion Carpenter

BALTIMORE FOOTBALL GREATS BRING PROS TO TOWSON FOR ONE REASON…TO TEACH YOUNG PLAYERS THERE IS MORE TO FOOTBALL THAN THE GAME!

BALTIMORE, MD (June 22, 2009) – Keion Carpenter grew up on the west side of Baltimore. Antonio Freeman grew up on the east side. Both men excelled in football in high school, went to college and then made it to the N.F.L. – Keion played for the Atlanta Falcons – Antonio for the Green Bay Packers.

Along the way life taught these players that there is more to the game – more to life than just football. That is the untaught lesson of the game and one these men want to share with tomorrow’s athletes. Keion and Antonio want to empower young minds to explore life and all its possibilities beyond the gridiron.

So now – they will be bringing Baltimore children, boys and girls – face to face with other current and former pro players in a summer camp at Towson University. This camp will be like none other. It is called “Commitment 4 Change” and it marries education and the fundamentals of life, which coincidently are one in the same. The basic principals are:

Trust
Listening=Leading
Knowledge is Power
Good Sportsmanship
Unity

“The goal of Commitment 4 Change is to give campers an experience unlike any they have ever had at prior camps. We want our campers to walk away not only learning and enhancing their footballs skills as taught by Pros, but to also apply the lesson they will learn to life after camp. We want each camper to know their outlook on life is bigger and better than what they have known, and that anything is possible. These lessons will be taught through the exploration and discussion of Trust, Listening = Leading, Knowledge is Power, Good Sportsmanship, and Unity,” shares Baltimore native Keion Carpenter, Retired NFL Player and C4C co-host.

Among the invited pros are:
Alge Crumpler – Tennessee Titans
Vinney Fuller – Tennessee Titans
DeAngelo Hall – Washington Redskins
Ed Hartwell – Former Baltimore Raven/Atlanta Falcons
Ronnie Heard – Former Atlanta Falcon
Bryant Johnson – San Francisco 49ers
Erik King – Tennessee Titans
Kevin Mathis – Former Atlanta Falcon
Jason Murphy – Tennessee Titans
Tommey Polley – Former New Orleans Saint
Peerless Price – Former Buffalo Bill/Atlanta Falcon
Bart Scott – New York Jets

Event Schedule
Saturday June 27, 2009
All-Star vs. Your-Star (Pros vs. Joes) celebrity flag football game:

Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
1400 W. Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, MD 21209

Time: 10:00 am - 12 pm Tailgate
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm Autograph Session
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Pros & Joes Game

June 28, 2009 – July 2, 2009
Commitment 4 Change Football Camp:

Towson University
8000 York Road
Towson, MD 21252
Attendees are to report to the Student Union entrance of the campus.

8:00-8:30 Sign In and Breakfast
8:30-9:30 Group Workshops
9:45-11:45 Instruction on the Field
12:00-1:00 LUNCH
1:00-3:00 Instruction on the Field
3:00-3:30 Group Discussion
3:30-3:45 Dismissal

*Thursday July 2 will be the Awards Ceremony

NFL players share stories, advice with young students | miller, lima, boys - Local News - LimaOhio.com

2009-06-18T13:49:00.001-04:00

MWPR CLIENT│ Retired NFL Player Keion Carpenter

LIMA - It's not every day you get to meet two former NFL players in a personal setting.

But nearly 25 ninth-graders had the pleasure of hearing two men tell their story as part of Gov. Ted Strickland's initiative, Closing the Achievement Gap, for increasing the graduation rate among minority boys.

Antonio Freeman, former wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, and Keion Carpenter, former defensive back for the Atlanta Falcons, discussed their lives, the importance of education and how they got to where they are today.

Bryan Miller, coordinator for Lima Senior High School's CTAG, said they work specifically with ninth-graders. The boys were housed at the Metro University Student Housing in Lima for one week during a Total Man Workshop.

"We have academic, social and athletic students, and we want to show them how to become the best they can be," Miller said.

Miller said based on the students' eighth-grade year there are four criteria in which they can be eligible to enter CTAG's program - failing two or more subjects, being absent 36 or more days, being overage for the grade level, and being suspended for five or more days.

Freeman said coming to Lima interested him because the future of teenagers is important.

"We want to give them the knowledge and tools to be successful workers in life," Freeman said.

Carpenter said he wants to empower people with knowledge.

"If my life journey can help someone then I owe it to them," Carpenter said.

The two friends have been traveling and helping children around the country for the past 10 years.

"We're more powerful together," Freeman said. "We're here because of each other."

Both men agreed that they try to tell children to think ahead and set goals.

David Miller, co-owner of Urban Leadership Initiative based out of Baltimore, helped bring the two NFL players to Lima. He focuses on ways to motivate and inspire young boys to stay in school.

"We don't want these boys to give up," David Miller said. "The importance of [higher] education is they can't go unless they do the schoolwork in high school."

This is David Miller's second year working with CTAG.

"There's an insane rate of boys going to jail and it's sad to see little kids locked up," he said. "We need to focus more money into prevention, it's worth the investment."

Chesean Knuckles, a 15-year-old sophomore at Lima Senior High School, has been involved in CTAG for the past year.

"I've become more grown up and know more responsibility now," Chesean said. "My grades have improved a lot."

He said he enjoyed meeting the two NFL players and being able to relate to them. He hopes to play basketball in college.

"I learned that rich people still go through the same things as me," he said.

NFL players share stories, advice with young students miller, lima, boys - Local News - LimaOhio.com

Alpha General President Invited to the White House for Town Hall Meeting on Fatherhood

2009-06-18T13:23:00.005-04:00

MWPR CLIENT │ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY

BALTIMORE, MD -- Two days before fathers are officially honored and recognized around the world, for the important role they play in both the lives of their family and the communities in which they live; United States President Barack Obama will kick off a national dialogue on fatherhood at a Town Hall Meeting.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s General (national) President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., has been invited with other national presidents to attend the Town Hall Meeting on Fatherhood at the White House this Friday, June 19th at 2pm.

In April 2009, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the world’s oldest collegiate Greek-lettered organization of African-American males wrote President Obama a letter encouraging him to create a White House Council on Men and Boys after he formally established the White House Council on Women and Girls.

“The invitation by the White House is indeed a welcomed one. I look forward to personally hearing how President Obama plans to address an issue that is near and dear to Alpha. As the oldest African-American Fraternity, our members serve as the prototype of what a good father looks like,” shares Mason.

A year-long effort – the purpose of this initiative will be to explore all of the ways in which national organizations, like Alpha, are combating the problem of absentee fathers, the need for financial and educational assistance, all in an effort to learn how the White House will be able to work together to support proven methods that serve to strengthen fathers, families and communities.

After the Town Hall Meeting, the Obama Administration will host Regional Town Halls on Fatherhood across the country, throughout the summer, where they plan to work with organizations like Alpha to explore which programs and initiatives work and identify areas where more can be done.

Since being founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Alpha Phi Alpha has supplied voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. Through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., John Hope Franklin, Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, Cornel West and many others, the fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the fight for civil and human rights and social change—for all Americans.

Alpha’s mission is to develop leaders and promote brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for all communities. A few examples of how Alpha has, and continues to, improve all communities includes their strategic partnerships with Big Brothers Big Sisters; Boy Scouts of America; March of Dimes; American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, and the American Cancer Society. Also, for more than three decades, the fraternity has worked to prevent unwanted pregnancy through the Project Alpha program which teaches teenaged-pregnancy prevention to young males. Alpha also teaches HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

For years, Alpha has provided scholarships to deserving young men. This year, Alpha is implementing a new initiative, "From the Highchair to Higher Education". Its primary focus is to provide boys, at the youngest age possible, the best opportunity to successfully make it through high school and college.

Mason stated, “Alpha looks forward to serving as an active partner with the White House to ensure fathers receive the tools needed to be successful.”

Firm no longer represents Vick

2009-05-07T00:00:00.004-04:00

MWPR│CLIENT NEWS RELEASE

Effective immediately, Atlanta Attorney Daniel R. Meachum will no longer be managing the legal and personal affairs of imprisoned NFL Player Michael Vick. Through written and electronic communications, both Meachum and Vick agreed it would be in the best interest of everyone involved to dissolve all formal agreements. Meachum expressed, “I am a fan and supporter of Mike. He is a good man who deserves to receive all opportunities afforded him. I wish him much success as he prepares to reenter society and potentially professional football.”

Meachum is the Founder and Chairman of Daniel R. Meachum & Associates, LLC, based in Atlanta, GA. Touted as one of the country’s premiere litigators, corporate and entertainment attorneys, Meachum has successfully represented a variety of some of Hollywood’s most elite celebrities, corporate executives, and NBA and NFL stars; ranging in diverse matters in state and federal courts at both the trial court and appellate court levels, as well as in arbitration, and boasts an unparalleled record of successful achievements, including successfully trying 122 out of 126 major jury trials and arbitrations. His law practice is an exclusive boutique firm that represents municipalities, universities, individuals, companies, nonprofit organizations, athletes, entertainers, and entertainment organizations. The firm concentrates its practice in complex litigation, products liability, labor and employment law, entertainment and sports law, commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions.

To learn more visit http://www.dmeachumlaw.com/

Media Inquiries: Contact Monica Wood │MWPR, Inc. at 704-430-6300 or clientnews@mwprinc.com

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity announces their new Executive Director

2009-05-06T15:02:00.000-04:00

MWPR CLIENT │ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY

Former Communications Director will head the Nation’s Oldest Fraternity

Baltimore, MD — The nation’s oldest African-American Greek-lettered organization of collegiate men announced the appointment of its new Executive Director. Former Communications Director and, more recently, interim executive director, William Douglass Lyle officially took the position of Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. effective May 1st.

“As a member of an organization that is making our communities more vital, developing future leaders by guiding our young men from the Highchair through Higher Education, it is an honor to serve as the executive director at this juncture in our history,” says Lyle.

Currently, an active member of Delta Lambda Chapter, Lyle was initiated into Xi Chapter at Wilberforce University, in Wilberforce. Ohio.

Reporting directly to General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., Lyle will manage the day-to-day operations as chief administrator and supervisor of the fraternity’s General Office headquartered in Baltimore, MD. The appointment was formally announced in the “First 100 Day” Report presented to the fraternity by Mason on May 4th.

“William Lyle brings the experience of working at the headquarters, relevant skills and forward prospective that this fraternity needs in this age of change and progress,” said Mason. “He represents the future vision and face of the fraternity and I am personally confident that Lyle will be a key asset in accomplishing our goals.”

For eight years, Lyle has held key positions within the General Office including managing the look, feel and messaging of the Fraternity as Director of Communications. He also directed the development and production of the fraternity’s publications and web-based content. Prior to his membership in Delta Lambda, Lyle was active in Xi Chapter serving as Corresponding Secretary, Vice President, President, and Assistant District Director. He has served as Advisor of Beta Alpha Chapter on the campus of Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD.

Lyle also has extensive community and civic involvement. For several years he has served as the ministry leader for the Children’s Ministry for Restoring Life International Church and has been an annual fundraiser supporter of the March of Dimes, one of the fraternity’s oldest and strongest community partnerships.

As Executive Director and Chief Operating Office, Lyle is charged with managing the Membership, Communications and Administration Departments; implementing all mandates and resolutions approved by the General Convention; serving as custodian of all official records of the fraternity including information on each member; secretary to the Board of Directors; and, key fundraiser for the fraternity in support of the General President and Board of Directors.

ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC.
Founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has continued to supply voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community's fight for civil rights, through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, Retired Senator Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity through its college and alumni chapters serves the community through nearly a thousand chapters in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. For more information visit http://www.apa1906.net/.

President Obama urged to create White House Council on Men and Boys

2009-04-21T10:10:00.002-04:00

MWPR CLIENT │Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity sounds alarm
on precarious condition of America’s young men

BALTIMORE, MD – One of the leading organizations of men in America has asked President Obama to create a White House Council on Men and Boys.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the world’s oldest collegiate Greek-lettered organization of African-Americans recently wrote the president a letter encouraging him to create the council after Mr. Obama formally established the White House Council on Women and Girls.

“Mr. President, we are keenly aware of the challenges that face women and girls. However, we believe a focus must also be placed on men and boys,” wrote the Rev. Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., general president of Alpha. “As a father of a six-year old son and an eight-year old daughter, like you I want to make sure that there are well-educated, responsible and community-oriented men for them to look up to as they grow and develop.”

According to a 2006 report by the Schott Foundation for Public Education, only 35 percent of black male students graduated from high school in Chicago and only 26 percent in New York City. Only a few black boys who finish high school actually attend college, and of those who enter college, nationally, only 22 percent finish with a degree.

On the education front, Alpha has for years provided scholarships to deserving young men. The fraternity expanded that effort in 2008 with the new Alpha Phi Alpha Charitable Foundation, thanks in part to a startup grant from former Massachusetts Senator, and Alpha member Edward Brooke. And this year, Alpha Phi Alpha is implementing a new initiative, From the Highchair to Higher Education. Its primary focus is to provide boys, at the youngest age possible, the best opportunity to successfully make it through high school and college.

The fraternity has offered to partner with the White House to make the new council a reality. Mason says the following critical needs should be addressed by the council: Health promotion and preventive initiatives for men and boys; academic and social development initiatives; manhood and fatherhood accountability initiatives.

To read the letter to the president in its entirety go to www.apa1906.net.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has continued to supply voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community's fight for civil rights, through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, former Senator Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity through its college and alumni chapters serves the community through nearly a thousand chapters in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. For more information visit www.apa1906.net.

Alpha Phi Alpha Stands in partnership with Tom Joyner on Health Initiative

2009-03-31T10:19:00.004-04:00

MWPR CLIENT │Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC STANDS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NATIONAL RADIO HOST TOM JOYNER IN “TAKE A LOVED ONE TO THE DOCTOR DAY”
Chapters across the country will mobilize on April 7, 2009

BALTIMORE, MD – Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the oldest African American Greek-lettered organization of collegiate men joins Tom Joyner, host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, in encouraging members to participate in ‘Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day, ’national health initiative.

As stated in a recent press release, TJMS shared that April is national minority health month. The goal of the partnership between the “Divine Nine” is to mobilize 14,000 plus sorority and fraternity members to participate in the ‘Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day,’ events scheduled for April 7th in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. along with other Tom Joyner Morning Show affiliates.

Within the communities they serve, including the key markets that TJMS will have a presence, chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha across the country will mobilize groups that include themselves, their families and their neighbors to transport their loved ones to visit their doctors and healthcare physicians.

General (national) President of Alpha Phi Alpha, Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. stated, “Historically, the men of Alpha Phi Alpha have always played a major role in health issues concerning the African-American community.” “We are proud to be a partner in such an important and worthwhile effort. And, we salute Tom Joyner and his foundation for its 7 year history. It has truly made an impact within the African American community.”

“Through our new health campaign entitled, "The Dr. Henry Arthur Callis African American Male Health Initiative", Alpha continues to make a conscious and deliberate effort to address the many health disparities plaguing the African American community through our signature programs and strategic partnerships,” acknowledged Michael A. Smith, MD, National Chair, Health and Wellness Committee. Its slogan is “LIVE WELL – O SIX” which stands for O-Opt for a healthy lifestyle choices; S-Seek opportunities to learn more about health; I-Identify health issues in our communities; X-eXtinguish health disparities.

The fraternity’s efforts include, but are not limited to:

Project Alpha – One of the fraternity's oldest national programs. For over 20 years, Project Alpha has worked in collaboration with the March of Dimes to help young men make responsible decisions concerning HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases. It also provides education on sexuality, fatherhood and the role of males in relationships.

American Cancer Society® – A national partnership where chapters through collaboration with the ACS stress the importance of education and screening, particularly for prostate and colon cancers which disproportionately affect African Americans. Alpha chapters have participated in actual prostate screening events as well as provided resources and assistance in educational activities throughout our communities.

American Heart Association/American Stroke Association – A national collaboration where brothers/chapters stress the importance of lifestyle changes, education and screenings to reduce the risks of heart related illness in our communities. Brothers register to become "Stroke Ambassadors" to help educate the public on signs and symptoms and risk factors associated with strokes and hypertension. Also, through a series of AHA sponsored workshops, Brothers become CPR certified and are prepared to actually save the lives of people in our communities.

State Farm® 50 Million Pound Challenge – A national collaboration where brothers actively participate in the challenge, bringing with them family, friends, and associates to participate as well. The project is designed to modify lifestyle choices to combat the obesity epidemic in America and thus close the disparity in minority communities for diseases affected by obesity such as heart attacks, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers.

HIV/AIDS Awareness – Alpha has developed a “call-to-action” to decrease the new cases of HIV /AIDS surfacing in some inner city communities in endemic proportions. In addition to HIV/AIDS education, through collaborations with the Department of Health and Human Services and the fraternity’s national program, Project Alpha, Alpha stresses the need for and providing actual screenings at Alpha conventions and at local health agencies. In addition, Alpha's past and present General Presidents participate in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's "Heightened National Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis among African Americans" aimed at increasing awareness and participation of African American organizations in combating HIV/AIDS.

March of Dimes – A national partnership where Alpha Phi Alpha members coordinate and participate in raising awareness and funding for the March of Dimes to combat problems associated with premature deliveries, low birth weight babies and birth defects. For the past two years Alpha Phi Alpha has led the way, being ranked #1 in fundraising in the category of fraternal/community-based organizations.

For additional information on Alpha’s involvement in “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day” along with the fraternity’s entire list of programs and initiatives visit www.apa1906.net.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has continued to supply voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community's fight for civil rights, through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, Retired Senator Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity through its college and alumni chapters serves the community through nearly a thousand chapters in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. For more information visit www.apa1906.net.

Michael Vick is banking on return to NFL | ajc.com

2009-03-31T10:05:00.001-04:00

MWPR CLIENT │ Daniel R. Meachum, Esq.

Michael Vick is banking on return to NFL
By JEREMY REDMON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, March 29, 2009

Michael Vick’s plan to climb out of bankruptcy partly depends on the suspended star suiting up again for the NFL after he gets out of prison.

The embattled Atlanta Falcons quarterback is hoping to earn as much as $10 million a year or more, according to court filings in his bankruptcy case. Under the plan he submitted to the court, Vick would keep the first $750,000 of his annual income over the next five years. After that, a percentage would go to his creditors based on a sliding scale.

Vick, who is nearing the end of a 23-month federal prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting conspiracy, could learn the fate of his bankruptcy plan this week. Bankruptcy Judge Frank J. Santoro is set to consider whether to confirm the plan at a hearing starting Thursday in Newport News, Va. Last week, Vick left federal prison in Leavenworth, Kan., for transport to Virginia for the hearing.

In a March 4 court filing, Vick’s attorneys say he “has every reason to believe upon his release, he will be reinstated into the NFL, resume his career and be able to earn a
substantial living.”

“He is hopeful to play quarterback,” Daniel Meachum, an attorney and business manager for Vick, said in an interview. “There is no person with his talent in that position in all the league.”
The NFL suspended Vick indefinitely in 2007 after the details of his plea deal in the dogfighting case became public. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told USA Today last week that he wants to see true contrition from Vick before he considers lifting his suspension. Vick’s sports agent, Joel Segal, did not respond to requests for comment.

Gil Brandt, a senior analyst for NFL.com, predicted Goodell would give Vick another chance to play, possibly after sanctioning him again. But he said Vick, who holds the NFL single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback, would stand a better chance of making a team at a different position such as running back.

“The guy is a talented player, but he is going to be away from football for at least three years,” said Brandt, former vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys. “I think it is very, very hard if you are a skill-position player like a quarterback to spend three years away from football and perform at the level that you performed before you were suspended.”

Many hurdles

Vick, meanwhile, remains on the Falcons’ suspended roster. Last month, the team announced it was trying to trade him. In November, The Associated Press contacted the NFL’s other 31 teams about acquiring Vick. Most refused to comment, citing league tampering rules. However, six teams said they would not shut the door on acquiring Vick.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the NFL should not reinstate Vick unless he passes a test showing he does not have an antisocial personality disorder.

“Michael has stated publicly that he thinks what he did was wrong and he is kind of reformed,” said Dan Shannon, a PETA assistant director. “But our feeling is that more than his word is needed at this point to show whether or not he understands what he did was wrong.”

On July 7, about seven months after he was sentenced to federal prison, Vick filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. He listed 30 creditors, including the Atlanta Falcons and the Internal Revenue Service. The largest of Vick’s creditors was Joel Enterprises with a claim of $4.5 million.

Andrew Joel, a Richmond sports agent, filed a lawsuit against Vick in 2006 claiming he reneged on an endorsement deal. As of December, Vick had $16 million in assets and $20.4 million in debts, court records show.

His efforts to clear his debts hit a hurdle last week when the U.S. Labor Department accused him of illegally spending about $1.3 million in pension plan funds for his own benefit, including paying his bankruptcy attorney and restitution ordered in his dogfighting case.

In a complaint filed in Vick’s bankruptcy case, the Labor Department alleges Vick and others violated federal employee benefits law by making a series of transfers — between March 2007 and July 2008 — from a pension plan sponsored by his celebrity marketing company MV7. The company sponsored a retirement plan for nine current and former employees. Vick failed to show his $1.3 million in debt to the plan in his bankruptcy filings, according to the complaint.
In addition, several of Vick’s creditors and other parties have filed objections to his bankruptcy reorganization plan, including the IRS, the Virginia Department of Taxation and the regional U.S. trustee’s office. Joel Enterprises filed a complaint Thursday alleging Vick transferred property and cash to relatives and friends in the year before he filed for bankruptcy to defraud his creditors. The complaint also alleges that Vick misrepresented his assets.

Vick’s bankruptcy attorneys did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The hearing could last two days. Then Vick will head back to prison in Leavenworth, officials said.

Vick is scheduled to be released two months early from prison to home confinement on May 20 because there is no room available in local halfway houses, Meachum said. Vick will be sent to a house he owns in Hampton, Va.

“He has been the poster boy for all of the bad things about dogfighting and all the bad things about athletes, so he has a nervous energy,” said Meachum, who said he recently spoke with Vick by phone. “He wants to try to get his life together.”

Michael Vick is banking on return to NFL ajc.com

SPORTS: Vick Switches Attorneys | News You Should Know | BET.com

2009-03-24T09:51:00.001-04:00

MWPR CLIENT│ Daniel R. Meachum, Esq.

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who’s soon to be released from prison, has decided to switch up on defense attorneys. Billy Martin, perhaps best known for such high-profile clients as Allen Iverson, Jayson Williams and Monika Lewinsky, is being replaced by Daniel Meachum, an original member of Vick’s defense team. Meachum has signed an exclusive three-year contract to represent Vick, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. “Yes, I’m representing Mike again,” said Meachum. “My concern is helping Michael get back to his family and surround him with people like Julius Erving, Tony Dungy and Bishop T. D. Jakes. We need people around him who can help him and his family get back on the right track. I’m more interested in that than anything else.” Vick is scheduled to be released from federal prison to a halfway house in May. On July 21, he officially will be released from federal custody after a 23-month sentence for charges stemming from dogfighting. The NFL has suspended Vick, and the Falcons are seeking to trade his contract rights. His attorneys want the star quarterback reinstated. “He has served his time,” Meachum told the newspaper. “He’s remorseful for his mistakes. I hope they give him another opportunity, but football will take care of itself.” As for reports that Vick has been writing a book during his stint behind bars, Meachum said, “That may or may not be in the making. That would too premature right now. But I’m committed to helping Mike get back on his feet.”

SPORTS: Vick Switches Attorneys News You Should Know BET.com

Official Statement on Natasha Ellie's involvement in the Chris Brown and Rihanna ordeal

2009-03-24T00:02:00.000-04:00

MWPR│CLIENT NEWS RELEASE

The recent reports stating the latest mystery woman who text messaged Chris Brown which allegedly sparked the infamous domestic attack on girlfriend Rihanna to be Natasha Ellie is unproven. These reports and innuendos are absolutely and uncategorically untrue. Several weeks ago, when contacted by Star Magazine and others, both Ms. Ellie and her agent, LaShawnna Stanley stated that she was not the woman who sent text messages to Mr. Brown. Ignoring that information, Star Magazine chose to act irresponsibly with disregard and malice and forged ahead to run the story anyway. Readers who are both fans of Rihanna and Chris Brown have interpreted the untrue report as being based in fact and are now unfairly and abusively harassing Ms. Ellie on her My Space page and at her residence.

Trusted to report only “the facts”, Social Media Outlets such as X17 Xclusive and The Hollywoodgossip.com, currently claiming to have “researched” the story have done anything but that. Once again, Ms. Ellie emphatically states that she has never been in the company of Mr. Brown professionally or personally. In her words, “I have never met him or spoken with him”. This innocent young woman’s life has unfairly been pulled into what is now a very tragic and painful situation between two young people. Because of negligent journalism on the part of media outlets seeking to be the first to break the latest news, in an atmosphere of sensationalism, the result of which has forever changed the life of Ms. Ellie. Ms. Ellie has reached out to well-known trial attorney Daniel R. Meachum, of Atlanta, who represents such celebrities as Wesley Snipes and most recently engaged by Michael Vick, to represent her interests. They are demanding a retraction be drafted immediately. Continuing to report such false innuendos is nothing more than a malicious intent on the part of the publishers and will in fact result in legal actions.

Distributed by MWPR, Inc., PR Agency of Record for Attorney Daniel R. Meachum
clientnews@mwprinc.com l 704-430-6300

MWPR Client News: Michael Vick switches defense attorneys | ajc.com

2009-03-23T23:38:00.001-04:00

MWPR CLIENT│Daniel R. Meachum, Esq.

NFL: ATLANTA FALCONS
Michael Vick switches defense attorneys
New counsel says book by Falcons QB possibly ‘in the making’
By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday, March 23, 2009
Dana Point, Calif. — Embattled quarterback Michael Vick, with his potential release to a halfway house looming, has switched criminal defense attorneys.

Daniel Meachum, an original member of Vick’s defense team, has signed an exclusive three-year contract to represent Vick.

“Yes, I’m representing Mike again,” said Meachum on Monday, adding that he “withdrew” from the case and was not fired from the original defense team.

Billy Martin of Washington, D.C., and Lawrence Woodward of Virginia Beach had been making court appearances for Vick in criminal matters. Martin and Woodward did not immediately return phone calls.

Meachum, of Atlanta, has represented high-profile athletes before. Joel Segal, Vick’s agent, will continue to represent him in football matters.

“My concern is helping Michael get back to his family and surround him with people like Julius Erving, Tony Dungy and Bishop T. D. Jakes. We need people around him who can help him and his family get back on the right track. I’m more interested in that than anything else.”
Vick may be released from federal prison to a halfway house in late May. His scheduled released date from federal custody on dogfighting charges is July 21.

He is currently suspended by the National Football League, while the Atlanta Falcons are seeking to trade his contract rights.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has refused to comment on Vick’s potential re-instatement.
“He has served his time,” Meachum said. “He’s remorseful for his mistakes. I hope they give him another opportunity, but football will take care of itself.”

Vick allegedly has written a book while in prison and is seeking co-authors and a publisher.
“That may or may not be in the making,” Meachum said. “That would too premature right now. But I’m committed to helping Mike get back on his feet.”

Michael Vick switches defense attorneys ajc.com

Local church to sponsor teen summit

2009-03-09T15:35:00.002-04:00

MWPR CLIENT │The Park Ministries

Local church to sponsor teen summit

By Glenn Burkins – March 9, 2009
QCityMetro.com

A year after it launched a conference for young black males, The Park Ministries of Charlotte is doing it again -- this time with a teen summit designed for both genders.

The ELEVATE summit is scheduled for Saturday, March 21, at University Park Baptist Church on Beatties Ford Road.

Youth Minister Jacotron Potts said the day-long summit will offer gender-specific sessions focused on learning, living and leading. He compared growing up with riding an elevator.

“For young people to go to the next level in their lives, they’ve got to learn the right buttons to push,” he said. “They can’t get to the next level pushing the same buttons. We want to give them an opportunity to see the other options, the other buttons they can push.”

The ELEVATE summit grew out of last year’s all-male conference sponsored by the Young Black Male Leadership Council. That event, part of Crossroads Charlotte, drew close to 200 teens, some from as far away as Gaston and Greensboro.

“As a church, we felt it important to be able to provide an opportunity to empower our young girls, and we didn’t do that last year,” Potts said. “So we wanted to make sure we included that this year.”

Teen Health Connection, a Charlotte nonprofit, will conduct a session for girls on health issues. A separate session for boys will be led by Reggie Singleton, director of The Male’s Place, a program run by the Mecklenburg County Health Department.

The health session will deal with diet, exercise and other health issues. Another gender-specific sessions will stress the importance of education and life-long learning. A third will focus on helping teens develop their leadership skills.

“The premise is that those three areas -- leadership, learning and living -- if dealt with appropriately, would set a young person up to have the kind of quality of life we believe God has called them to have,” Potts said.

The parents session is meant to reinforce the information provided in the teens sessions. “It does us very little good to talk about the things that we think are important to young men and women as they grow and not have a conversation with their parents,” said Potts.

The church has set a limit of 300 students, 100 parents and 50 volunteers.

Teens and parents hoping to attend must pre-register at the church or online. The deadline is March 14.

To help defray costs, The Park Ministries is accepting cash or in-kind donations, Potts said. The summit also needs small items to give away as prizes or to go into gift bags.

IF YOU WANT TO GO:

What: ELEVATE Teen Summit 2009

When: Saturday, March 21Time: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Where: University Park Baptist Church, 6029 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte

Cost: Free if pre-registered (No on-site registration)

Registration: http://www.upbc.org/index.php?option=com_dtregister&task=listevents or visit the church

Local church to sponsor teen summit

Alpha Phi Alpha commemorates Bloody Sunday - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - pitchengine.com

2009-03-06T15:20:00.003-05:00

MWPR CLIENT │Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Alpha Phi Alpha commemorates Bloody Sunday
Honors pioneers who braved Selma, Alabama voting-rights struggle

BALTIMORE, MD – This weekend millions of Americans and citizens of the world will pause to remember the “bloody” struggle for voting rights that took place in Selma, Alabama 44 years ago on March 7, 1965.

Members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the nation’s oldest African-American Greek-lettered organization of collegiate men will play a prominent role in the remembrance during a series of special commemorative events in Selma beginning this weekend. The theme of the five-day program is “Education, The Next Bridge To Cross.” Commemorative events include educational seminars, a play and a symbolic slow ride to Montgomery to commemorate the Bloody Sunday march.

“As a country we owe a tremendous debt to those who organized and participated in the march called Bloody Sunday,” said Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., the (national) general president of Alpha. Mason said. “It took the courage of everyday people to shine the light on the injustices black people were enduring in the South at that time, and on behalf of Alpha Phi Alpha, I express gratitude for the sacrifices made on that historic day.”

On March 7, 1965 hundreds of ordinary citizens set out to march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama on their way from Selma to the state capital in Montgomery. Coordinated as a peaceful demonstration, the march was organized to draw attention to the cruel and unjust treatment of blacks in the Jim Crow South. Although police were waiting in riot gear on the other side, the marchers bravely proceeded across the bridge where they were pummeled by clubs and choked by tear gas. Network news cameras captured the bloodshed, and the media coverage of what came to be known as “Bloody Sunday” brought an increased awareness to the plight of people of color in the South. Two weeks later, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed.

Mason will pay tribute to the participants of the1965 March to Montgomery, a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. During the Sunday-morning service at the historic First Baptist Church, Mason will discuss the critical role the people of Selma played in getting African Americans the right to vote. He will also speak on the fraternity’s new initiative to educate black boys, “From the Highchair to Higher Education.”

A mass meeting will be held immediately after the service with the commemorative march to start at 2 p.m.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has continued to supply voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community's fight for civil rights, through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, Retired Senator Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity through its college and alumni chapters serves the community through nearly a thousand chapters in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. For more information visit http://www.apa1906.net/.

Alpha Phi Alpha commemorates Bloody Sunday - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - pitchengine.com

MWPR Client Mention: Tying it all together: teens learn the correlation between outer and inner greatness.

2009-02-10T10:53:00.002-05:00

MWPR Client │Keion Carpenter

Excerpt from Black Enterprise, December 2008 by Ayana Dixon

"I've been to 12 different cities sharing with anywhere from 300 to 500 students at a time, and I didn't go alone," says Ellis, who is also an ordained minister and author of Restoring the Male Image: A Look From the Inside Out, (Xulon Press; $13.99). Attorneys, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, pastors, local politicians, and even celebrities such as retired NFL safety Keion Carpenter and singer Kenny Lattimore have all come together with Ellis. Macy's, Lord & Taylor, the Black Retailers Action Group, and Men's Wearhouse have also partnered with the initiative, donating ties for the young men to keep. Last year, Ellis says he invested approximately $45,000 of his own money to launch the program. Today, Tied to Greatness is an official 501(c)3 nonprofit (donations are accepted via the Website), and Ellis is working on securing corporate sponsorships for the 2009 tour, which kicks off January 20th in New York City. The tour is expected to stop in cities including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, and Newark, New Jersey.

Full article: Tying it all together: teens learn the correlation between outer and inner greatness.

MWPR Client News: Wesley Snipes' 3-year sentence was fair, prosecutors say -- OrlandoSentinel.com

2009-02-08T21:44:00.002-05:00

MWPR Client │ Attorney Daniel R. Meachum

Wesley Snipes' 3-year sentence was fair, prosecutors say
Stephen Hudak Sentinel Staff Writer
February 1, 2009

LAKE COUNTY - Wesley Snipes' three-year sentence for failing to file tax returns was fair considering the Orlando-born movie star's "contempt for tax laws" and "apparent lack of remorse," federal prosecutors argued last week in a written response to Snipes' appeal.Snipes, star of the science-fiction trilogy Blade and other films, wants a federal appeals court in Atlanta to throw out his convictions and sentence, which he has not begun to serve.The graduate of Orlando Jones High School was convicted exactly a year ago of three misdemeanor counts of willfully failing to file a tax return. He also was acquitted of two felonies accusing him of conspiring to defraud the IRS.The actor's appellate lawyers, Peter Goldberger and Daniel Meachum, contend that the sentence -- the maximum for his offenses -- was excessive and unfair.

Wesley Snipes' 3-year sentence was fair, prosecutors say -- OrlandoSentinel.com

MWPR Client News: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - Alpha Phi Alpha encourages everyone get tested for HIV

2009-02-08T21:33:00.003-05:00

MWPR Client │ Alpha Phi Alpha

NEWS RELEASE (Originally posted 2/6/09)

Alpha Phi Alpha encourages everyone get tested for HIV
Fraternity promotes National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the oldest African-American Greek-lettered organization of collegiate men, is fighting to increase awareness about the AIDS epidemic that has claimed millions of African-American lives.

Alpha joins the coalition of organizations participating in National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD); a national mobilization effort designed to encourage African Americans to get educated, get tested, get treated, and get involved with the fight against HIV/AIDS, as it continues to devastate Black communities.

Fraternity president Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. says Alpha Phi Alpha is not only encouraging every fraternity member to get tested, but every member of the community.“Our work is to make sure that we die on time, not before time,” said Mason, the newly installed general (national) president of Alpha. Mason has made African-American male health and education of black boys from the “high chair to higher education” the centerpieces of his four year term which began January 1.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) AIDS is a major health crisis in the black community.

Although African Americans account for only 13 percent of the U.S. population, blacks represent 49% of new HIV/AIDS cases reported each year. African Americans infected with HIV/AIDS also face other disadvantages; shorter survival times and more HIV/AIDS related deaths than other ethnic groups. Dr. Michael A. Smith, an Alpha and physician who practices medicine, concurs that HIV/AIDS poses a health emergency for African Americans. In addition to the grim CDC statistics, Smith says that many African Americans with AIDS live shorter lives because they lack access to proper medical care.

“In order to curtail the spread of HIV infections, we must make HIV testing and education a priority in our communities,” said Smith. “Simply knowing one’s HIV status can go a long way in slowing the AIDS epidemic.”

“Historically, Alpha Phi Alpha has always played a major role in health issues concerning the African-American community,” said Mason. “Now we’re asking every member of Alpha Phi Alpha to get tested for HIV/AIDS. If every Alpha man gets tested, we’ll be able to definitively say that hundreds of thousands of African American men now know their HIV status.’”

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is Saturday, February 7, 2009.

pitchengine.com - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - Alpha Phi Alpha encourages everyone get tested for HIV

MWPR Client News: Wesley Snipes' defence rests in tax fraud case

2009-02-08T20:45:00.001-05:00

MWPR Client │ Attorney Daniel R. Meachum

Wesley Snipes' defence rests in tax fraud case
The Associated Press (Clip&Copy)

Actor Wesley Snipes' defence team unexpectedly rested its case in his tax fraud trial Monday, cutting in half a proceeding once expected to last a month. Closing arguments are now scheduled for Tuesday, when the news will be focused on Florida's primary election. “We chose not to call witnesses because there was no need to.

The government prosecutors have put on a case that simply does not come close to meeting the standard of its burden of proof,” Snipes lawyer Daniel Meachum said in a statement.

The move means there will not be any more stars in the courtroom. A number of notables were on Snipes' witness list when the trial began two weeks ago, including Sylvester Stallone, Muhammad Ali, Spike Lee, Tom Brokaw and Woody Harrelson.

“It was obvious after we went over the evidence the government presented that we could move on to closing arguments immediately and get a just acquittal for Wesley on all counts listed in the indictment,” Meachum said.

Snipes, Eddie Ray Kahn and Douglas P. Rosile are named in an eight-count indictment. Snipes and the co-defendants allegedly stopped filing his federal tax returns in 2000, demanded some US$11 million in refunds on taxes previously paid and tried to settle other U.S. Treasury debts with fake cheques.

Snipes' lawyers say he was the victim of unscrupulous accountants and sincerely believed he did not have to pay taxes.

Kahn, the alleged ringleader of a tax protest group Snipes joined in 2000, refuses to defend himself in court. Rosile has a lawyer but he has taken a back seat in the trial to Snipes' large defence team.

All three are charged tax fraud and conspiracy, while Snipes faces six additional charges of wilful failure to file a return from 1999 to 2004. The actor faces a potential sentence of 16 years in prison, while Kahn and Rosile could get 10. However, sentences that long are extremely rare in these cases.

Globe and Mail: Wesley Snipes' defence rests in tax fraud case