Carlo L’Chelle releases her debut album, “The Book of my Revelation”

Carlo L'Chelle recently released her debut album, The Book of my Revelation.(Photo Credit: Tamra Goodson)

From a young age Carlo L’Chelle was on the path to the creative and performing arts.  By the age of 3, she was singing in her church’s choir and by 10, she was writing poetry and songs. Throughout her life, poetry was her outlet and therapy from being bullied and through any challenges she faced.  Like most singers, the church was her foundation and her music director father was an early influence on her musical style.   Through her involvement in the Mt. Clare Community Choir, a local choir in Darlington, South Carolina, she honed her singing skills and was exposed various singing competitions and events with established musical artists, like Commissioned and Shirley Caesar.

Her journey to becoming a recording artist came to an improbable halt when she went to college.  Armed with a scholarship, she originally went to college to study biology and in 1998 became an Alpha Kappa Alpha woman. She later realized that her core classes did not hold her interest as much as writing,  singing, and performing.  “In my third year of college, I prayed to God and said, ‘What do you want me to do?’  He took me back over my whole life, and my passion was and is writing, performing, and singing. I had to follow my heart.  I started teaching English and creative writing but still felt like something was missing.”

Not one to live life with regret, she hooked up with husband and wife duo, Rod and June Long  (June was a college friend), and started the recording process, which took five years on and off.  From these recording sessions, they birthed the music, which eventually became her debut CD, “The Book of my Revelation.”  Though she still teaches full-time, with the support of her biggest supporter, her husband, Chris, she writes and records on the side and cites her students as some of her biggest fans.

“It’s the air I breathe, the rhythm of my stride, and the soundtrack to my life.” Carlo L’chelle

The CD is comprised of nine soulful songs, seven which were arranged by Carlo L’Chelle.  To celebrate the release of her debut album, there will be an album release party on December 4, 2010 at 9pm at Allure in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Allure
1508 S. Mint Street
Charlotte, NC 28203

(704) 241-2732

Dress to Impress (no sneakers please)

Admission is free with a VIP pass.  To print  your pass go to Carlo L’Chelle’s official website and click on the NEWS tab.  There will be signed CD’s available for sale at the event.  The album can also be previewed and purchased at CDBaby.com

For more information go to:

• Myspace:  www.myspace.com/carlolchelle
• Official website:  www.carlolchelle.com

Honorary Soror Iyanla Vanzant to hold a book signing in Silver Spring, MD

On Friday, November 19, 2010, Honorary Soror, Iyanla Vanzant will hold a book signing to promote her new memoir, “Peace From Broken Pieces: How to Get Through What You’re Going Through at Montgomery College for Performing Arts in Silver Springs, Maryland.”  In this book, she recalls how she overcame childhood neglect, teen pregnancy, and physical abuse.

Soror Vanzant travels globally delivering her special brand of self-empowerment and inspiration to others.  Through Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development, which she found and currently directs, Iyanla shares her spiritual & religious traditions and teachings, in order to motivate others to  create a better life, a better community and a better world.

Date:	Friday, November 19, 2010
Time:	6:30pm – 9:30pm
Cost:	$10 Advance Tickets/ $15 at the door

UPDATE: Soror Vanzant recently sat down for an interview with the infamous Mo’ Kelly, where she discussed among other things contemplating  committing suicide with a pink pistol, how she got over the untimely death of her daughter, and why Eminen is her ringtone.  The interview can be heard by clicking here or at the Mo’ Kelly Report.

Honorary Soror Ntozake Shange to hold a book signing at The DuSable Museum in Chicago

Soror Ntozake Shange and Ifa Bayeza released, Some Sing, Some Cry. (Photo Credit: http://www.dusablemuseum.org)

On Friday, November 19, 2010, Ntozake Shange, author of For colored girls who considered suicide/When the rainbow is enuf and an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will host a book signing at the DuSable Museum for the Chicago debut of their new novel, Some Sing, Some Cry. Soror Shange will appear with her sister and co-author, Ifa Bayeza, the author of The Ballad of Emmit Till.

This unique evening of words and music will also feature Chicago’s finest musician including Maggie Brown.

Date:	Friday, November 19, 2010
Time:	6:00pm – 9:00pm
Cost:	$10 General Admission/ $8 DuSable Museum Members

Please note that Ms. Shange and Ms. Bayeza will only be signing copies of Some Sing, Some Cry.

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Tracey Nicole publishes her first novel, “Who Said Peaches Were Perfect?”

Atlanta native, Soror Tracy Nicole is set to release her first book

Tracey Nicole Prather has released her first novel, “Who Said Peaches Were Perfect?” She celebrated the launch of her book in May with a star studded reception, held in her native Atlanta. The launch included guest appearances from designer, Mychael Knight; model, Toccara Jones; NBA star, Allen Iverson; reality show star, Sheree Whitfield; and celebrity stylist, Tameka Raymond.

Tracy writes for college students, single mothers, married women, professional women and sorority sisters (like her fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha members), who can enjoy the ups and downs, laughs and cries, and the sex and sizzle of Who Said Peaches Were Perfect? “Tracy Nicole is a fresh new voice in the literary world. Her vivid depictions leap off the page and into the reader’s psyche. She has a style that is the right blend of accessible characters the casual reader will enjoy while delivering unexpected story arcs that more experienced literary fans can appreciate,” said Will Packer of Rain Forest Films who is best known for producing films such as Stomp The Yard and Obsessed.

Soror Tracy has been featured in Today’s Black Women magazine and Atlanta’s V-103. This Alpha Kappa Alpha woman attended Florida A&M University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy and was initiated into the sorority in 1995. “Who Said Peaches Were Perfect?” can be purchased at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com, and is also available on Kindle. Literary fans can find more information or connect with Tracy Nicole by logging onto her official website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Authors: Bettye Collier-Thomas to hold book signing in Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA—On Sunday, April 18, 2010 Betty Collier-Thomas will have a book signing of her newest publication, Jesus, Jobs, and Justice: African-American Women and Religion. This will take place at 2pm at the Free Library of Philadelphia during their book festival. The event is free and open to the public.

Bettye Collier-Thomas is a professor in the Department of History at Temple University and an important figure in the study of African-American and women’s history. She formerly served as the founding Executive Director of the Mary McLeod Bethune National Historic Site, the nation’s first museum and archives for Black women’s history.

Her previous nonfiction books include Daughters of Thunder: Black Women Preachers and Their Sermons and Sisters in the Struggle: African-American Women in the Civil Rights–Black Power Movement. In her new book, which a New York Times reviewer calls “a revelation,” Collier-Thomas shows the important roles Black women played in developing African-American religion, politics, and culture.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Authors: Cherie Dawn Chandler publishes her first book

Soror Chandler’s first book titled “I Am Beautiful” is being released in fall 2009. Follow her as she takes you on a journey to help women recognize their beauty inside and out. She provides lessons she learned from sorority sisters. The book also includes testimonies from women from different religions, ethnicities, and races as well as physical, mental, and emotional limitations. With the publishing of this book, Soror Chandler is on a quest to transform women around the world to be beautiful despite living in an ugly world. Proceeds of the book will go to the SWIM Network, C.L. Scholarship Foundation and i am beautiful organization.

For information, go to http://www.imbeautiful.org/ or contact her at cdchandler@imbeautiful.org.

Alpha Kappa Alpha history: Anna J. Cooper featured on Concrete Loop’s black history spotlight

Alpha Kappa Alpha women among Ebony magazine’s ‘Power 150’

In the May 2007 edition of Ebony Magazine, the publishers complied a list of the Power 150. 11 members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. were named as some of the most influential blacks in American.

ORGANIZATION LEADERS

• Barbara A. McKinzie – International President, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
• Gwendolyn B. Lee – President, The Links, Inc.
• Juanita Head Walton – President, National Order of Women Legislators; Chairman, National Foundation of Women Legislators

BUSINESS

• Catherine Hughes – Chairperson, Radio One
   

POLITICS & LAW

• U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (Texas)
• U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas)
• U.S. Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (California)
• U.S. Rep. Diane E. Watson (California)
• Kamala Harris – San Francisco District Attorney

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

• Suzanne DePasse – CEO, DePasse Entertainment

EDUCATION

• Maya Angelou – Poet; author; Lifetime Chair,
• Z. Smith Reynolds Professor of American Studies, Wake Forest University, NC

Click here to read more.

Helem Named vice-president of BLSA at the University of Michigan

Lisa Helem, was recently named Vice President of the Black Law Students Association at the University of Michigan. Additionally, she will be spending this upcoming summer, working at two law firms, Vinson & Elkins in Dallas, Texas and Brooks, Pierce, McClendon in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she will be focusing on media law issues.

Helem was also just awarded a $10,000 scholarship from the Butch Carpenter Foundation at the University of Michigan on March 23, 2007.