The chance of a lifetime...

ATLANTA, Georgia - Ann Nixon Cooper, 106 years old, lived during a time when blacks and women did not have the right to vote. Now she relishes the opportunity to vote for the first African American presidential nominee, Barack Obama. She proudly boasts that she is ready to see the first black president. "I ain't got time to die," she said.

Ms. Cooper and her late husband Dr. Albert Cooper have always been involved in the black social movements of the time. "Our days and nights were just social affairs," she said. The home was a center of Atlanta's black society and the scene of many parties. Celebrities, including the late singer Nat King Cole, dropped in to visit.

The road to the White House is still a long winding perilous journey filled with uncertainty and Ms. Cooper was poignant in pointing out the significance of the Obama nomination. "Even if he didn't win, I was happy for him just to be nominated," said the former socialite. "

With her usual eloquence and grace she gleefully voted early this year for her candidate. She offers to young people some very sound advice for happy living.

"Keep smiling. No matter what, you get out and vote. Vote your choice."


Read the full story at: Cnn.com

SOULFUL COMEDIC VOICES SILENCED

Sad times have filled the air, no the entire entertainment scene. The gaudy laughter and the rhythmic treble of two of our strong African-American black men have been silenced. Bernie Mac (50) and Isaac Hayes (65) are gone. Their lives ended with such symmetrical strokes suffocatingly and swiftly.














































The news of Bernie's sudden passing with complications of pneumonia and sarcoidosis on Saturday was still being absorbed by the entertainment community when the gut wrenching news of Isaac Hayes being found dead in his home provided the finishing blow to fans of both iconic men.



Bernie Mac born Bernard Jeffery McCullough in 1957, died in a hospital in his hometown of Chicago. The unbelievable news of the one of the "Kings of Comedy" who was arguably just reaching the prime of his celebrity, gives little solace to those fans of his age group, who ponder what could have been done to keep him here with us.

Root.com Internet columnist Gary Dauphin said, "The need to find reasons for what are often unexplainable turns in a life story can be so strong that we will lay measures of blame at the feet of the dearly departed themselves." So, would having better health habits in his youth given us more time to relish in his passionate pursuit of funny? Hard to say as his actual killer has yet to be determined but was by all accounts an effect of a disease that seeks out it's victim without many precursors to ward off it's effects. The disease sarcoidosis occurs mostly in people ages 20 -40, African-American, especially women, and people of Asian, German, Irish, Puerto Rican and Scandinavian origin. (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

America had finally given Bernie his wish to be on TV. He had recently enjoyed an extended run as a lovable father figure on "The Bernie Mac Show" and with recurring roles in "Oceans 11", "12" and "13" the Mac-man had only begun to reach the tip of the iceberg in his career which extended beyond his stellar stand-up resume. Sadly his wife Rhonda McCullough had implored him "Don't leave me," as she sat by his bedside but he could only shrug his shoulders, reports Hollywood.com.



"She said that when she knew he was tired... he signalled to her that his body was tired."

With tearful eyes many fans began Sunday in earnest still wrapping our collective minds around how it could be that Bernie Mac was now gone, we were rocked by the news that "Black Moses" had also punched his ticket to the pearly gates. Isaac Hayes A*K*A Black Moses was found dead in his home near a treadmill, early Sunday morning. Perhaps Bernie wanted a little soulful funk to soothe and smooth his journey the great comedy club in the sky.

In the mid 80s, I had only begun to learn how to truly enjoy music but after hearing Isaac's rendition of Burt Bacharach's hit "Walk On By", as a youth sitting on my grandmother's porch in the West Dallas projects, I got a glimpse of what losing real love felt like. My Granny (Thelma Lockhart 1928 - 2008), who recently passed on herself would always have her AM transistor radio tuned to Soul 730 in Dallas and I cut my teeth on the truth, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel and soul. The melodic and majestic swells of his voice as the song begins takes you to the dark and lonely place where the pain is just too much to bear. But, still you push back and pretend that you just don't want anyone to care because all that's left is your foolish pride.



His career which spanned several decades will be remembered most for the memorable creation that was the music from the movie Shaft. The soulful swagger of the entire 1970s "black is beautiful" movement is depicted in every way as sensual thumping of the bass in title theme song comes to mind. As the horns begin to softly blend over top of the majestic bass tones the skin begins to tingle then the violins and flutes send your ears soaring higher and higher into the stratosphere. The "He's a bad mutha...shut yo mouth" is the icing on a the soulful cake that socks it to you.

Although, both men have gone on to glory, their undeniable marks on the face of entertainment and music will never be duplicated but their memories will live on forever in the hearts and minds of us all. Rest in peace dear friends, you will be missed.