A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

GOING TO THE CHAPEL?

Not yet. But ‘the law’ and ‘public opinion’ seem to be getting us closer to my choosing to have that option everyday. Whenever I'm approached to speak on something personally controversial, I get a butterfly in my belly (at risk of hurting someone's feelings or not wanting to rock the boat), but shout out to NBC News Correspondent Mara Schiavocampo for asking... and the many who have validated my thoughts and heart! As always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! http://thegrio.com/2012/05/21/does-the-naacp-gay-marriage-resolution-matter-to-black-america/ I’m looking forward to sharing more published works (inside my brand: ‘pop culture’ & ‘possibilities’) that explore even more aspects of this ever-evolving topic in America.

WENDY 500

Also: shout out to Mara Schiavocampo on her Wendy Williams' profile which ran recently on WEEKEND TODAY: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/47486415! A BFF and a recurring client make beautiful TV together! HOW YOU DOIN'? XO And as small worlds get smaller, we all were under one roof for WENDY’s celebration of 500 SHOWS! The ELEMENT was the back-drop for the celebration that toasted shows done and the many more to come. Was great to attend with Mara given she’d just profiled Wendy and had justquoted me in a Grio (www.grio.com) piece. I considered it a double honor to have contributed (as freelance field producer) to some of those shows: (1) http://www.wendyshow.com/2011/10/24/british-virgin-islands/
(2) http://www.wendyshow.com/2011/10/26/british-virgin-islands-food (3) http://www.wendyshow.com/2011/12/16/family-dollar-holiday-dash/ (4) Black History Month with "My Black Is Beautiful" (Proctor & Gamble): http://www.wendyshow.com/MyBlackIsBeautiful/. Many friends, colleagues, and society associates were in the house – including: NABJ brother (recently SNL’d) Stephen A. Smith; Mecca Moore (Publicist and Associate Publisher of Pynk Magazine) [who I saw just the night prior with friend Devon Johnson (Publisher of Bleu and Pynk Magazine) at the NYC Premiere of L.A. Hair); Priya Scoggins (designer and producer/personality); Musa Jackson; Tonya Lee (Writer and wife of Spike Lee); Spencer Means (NYC realtor for the stars); Carlton Jared Lockett (Jones Magazine); Chastity Saunders (Avenue Pink); etc. Before we came to the party, Ant and I got to FINALLY give Mara and her husband Tommie’s Nina her “1st Magic Kingdom swag”: a Minnie Mouse bib! She instantly LOVED it! After the ‘Wendy’ set, we got in a little karaoke for kicks at BOHO KARAOKE on the Lower East Side, and look who we ran into? Our NABJ sister and fellow journalist extraordinaire Lola Ogunnaike who was getting her karaoke on, she says, for the first time! I LOVE KARAOKE (and NYC even more)! CONGRATS WENDY WILLIAMS & TEAM! Hardest working team I've seen of late... in the BIZ-NESS!

NYABJ

Mara and I also recently attended the New York Association of Black Journalists' 24th Annual Scholarship & Awards Ceremony together. The event was held at The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center (and the competition which had a finalist prize for Beyonce and Essence) was SOLD OUT! While minding my business on projects with recurring clients BET and The Links, Incorporated (in casual, but kinda' transitional rags), my NABJ BFF Mara Schiavocampo called with an 11th hour invitation to escort her (and as a result, I got to wish her hubby and my dear friend Tommie Porter a Happy Birthday when I went to pick her up [One of his gifts: Babysitting Nina while mom handled her NABJ Regional Director duties]). We sat at the NBC table, but this precursor to the NABJ Annual Convention (which is next month in New Orleans) gave me the chance to see so many of my NABJ family - including: NYABJ President Mike Feeney; Dwight Oestricher; Associated Press' Sonya Ross; GSABJ sister Henrietta Parker; PSABJ's Sarah Glover; former NYABJ Prez (under whom I served two terms at VP-Broadcast before serving as Region 1 Director some years back) Robin Stone; APOLLO's Nina Flowers; NBC/The Grio's David Wilson; PR icon Terrie Williams; Newscorp's Manny Smith; NYABJ budy Lynette Vallasco; my sometimes co-host for "Drums Along The Hudson", Tetiana Anderson; co-hosts for the night, Pat Battle and Shannon Lanier; my ESSENCE friends Constance White (Editor-in-Chief); Emil Wilbekin; and so many others friends - old and new. NYABJ's Eric Tait also saluted the life and career of our recently departed Gil Noble. GREAT NIGHT!

LA HAIR

Shout out to @WEtvPr @WEtv @135stagency @KimbleHairCare @pynkmag & @bleumagazine @devonisbleu Great times at the NYC Dinner Premiere of WE TV’s new L.A. HAIR (http://www.wetv.com/shows/la-hair) – starring Kim Kimble who I had the chance to produce a few years back (100 HAIRCUTS in 48 HOURS). She was quite a JOY…and so is her show. 135th Street Agency invited me out to PRANNA (www.prannarestaurant.com) to dine on a wonderful array of Modern Southeast Asian Cooking + Cocktails. And we got a sneak-peek of the very entertaining new addition to WE’s line-up of new, WOMEN-centric reality fare – including ‘The Braxtons: Family Values’ & ‘Mary Mary’. Also, check out video from Kimble’s recent press events in New York and Atlanta:

·         “L.A. Hair” at NY Press Dinner – http://youtu.be/pIK7D9Qdd3c

·         “L.A. Hair” in ATL - http://youtu.be/hM7RjDE32xU

‘L.A. Hair’ premieres TOMORROW (Thurs, May 31st) at 10pm ET/PT on WE tv. Visit the show online at http://www.wetv.com/shows/la-hair. #LAHair

ASK CHLOE

I recently shouted out Chloe Hilliard (Editorial Director, www.TheLoop21.com) who I’ve known since she was 15, a student in the New York Association of Black Journalists’ High School Journalism Workshop for which I was an instructor (and co-director). I always knew she’d be a journalism star, maybe pro B-Ball player (And when last we were together, she was a panelist on a Q&A talk back I moderated with the cast of "Stick Fly"). But she’s now ADDITIONALLY working her magic as a stand-up comic. And she is now sharing her expert advice with the masses via her new web series. Here’s a sample:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhOm65kW1y0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8mk7yy_GGw. If you have a question that needs expert advice submit them here: www.www.Blog.ChloeHilliard.com/ASK.

DEAR OLD MOREHOUSE! 20 YEARS!

 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150827567113737.405858.662073736&type=1&l=53e2228d5c Just back from my 20-YEAR REUNION at Morehouse College! What an AWESOME weekend with my Savannah BFFs Natalie Palmer & Latecia Engram! My friends since childhood! While in ATL, I got to see my sister Janice; dear friend Carla Jackson; and so many others – from Michael K. Watts to Elise Durham to Jamahl L. King to Darian Trotter and a host of others. See so many of the pix that I could not include here:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150827567113737.405858.662073736&type=3&l=53e2228d5c

PROJECT 1 VOICE 2012

I’ve been asked to read stage direction in one act of a historic NYC reading – featuring an impressive cast that includes: Tony royalty Lillias White; Adriane Lennox; and many more! IT'S YEAR TWO OF: PROJECT 1 VOICE! http://www.project1voice.org/ Shout out to Erich McMillan-McCall, visionary and founder of Project 1 Voice (http://youtu.be/Je-I7sGHKvA).  I’ve blogged about it: http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/tag/project-1-voice.  Was in last year’s SAVE-THE-DATE campaign: http://youtu.be/3hCSTtQNsyQ. It’s a day where you can take part in ensuring that funding keeps our black theaters open and vital. This initiative was created last year to bring attention to black theater companies. On June 18, theater companies and groups across the country will stage readings of “The Amen Corner,” James Baldwin’s 1954 work that looks at the role of the church in black communities. Last year’s reading of Alice Childress’ “Trouble in Mind” featured performances by Andre De Shields, Leslie Uggams, Peter Coyote, La Chanze, John Mahoney and many others across the country. PLEASE BE SURE TO COME OUT! http://www.project1voice.org/. Special shout out to Marcia Pendelton and Morehouse brother Charles Reese! How many of our Tri State area Alumni of Morehouse/Spelman along with other HBCUers on board will join us. Also: please don't forget to pick up your copy of the book version of James Baldwin A Soul On Fire. Available at Amazon. Visit www.jamesbaldwinasoulonfire.com. That’s Mr. Reese’s labor of love. SYNERGIES ABOUND!