Laurence Aikens on LinkedIn: #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence (2024)

“Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? Differing weights and differing measures— the Lord detests them both. A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” Proverbs‬ ‭20:9-10, 19‬ ‭NIV‬‬No one is without sin, stop using different scales to weigh the sins and actions of others. Stop passing judgment on others, you are not better than anyone else. Stop spreading everyone else's story, stop using gossip as FYI, running in and running out, or I am not one to gossip when relaying information that needs to stop being passed around. The quote "sweep around your back porch before you sweep around mine," applies here. There is so much work you can do on yourself, you should not have time to work on anyone else. When it comes to gossip and judging, this is the time to be selfish and keep it to yourself. Seek God FIRST, study His Word, pray, praise, worship, repent, listen, celebrate, meditate, observe, believe, ask, surrender, fellowship, forgive, give, and be grateful and obedient.

5

1 Comment

Kierra Valencia “Kiki” Sheard-Kelly (born June 20, 1987) is a gospel singer and evangelist. She is the daughter of gospel singer Karen Clark-Sheard and COGIC Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard and the granddaughter of gospel choral director Mattie Moss Clark. After appearing on her mother’s (most notably, the seminal Finally Karen) and aunt’s albums, she debuted on the music scene with the release of her debut album I Owe You. Her hit single “You Don’t Know” was inspired by her mother almost losing her life in 2001 to a fatal blood clot. She portrayed her mother in The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel.She is a graduate of Wayne State University, where she received her BA in English with a minor in Psychology. Her touring schedule has been curbed to accommodate her academic goals, She did embark on a Japanese tour with her mother. She began preaching at her father’s church and others.She released the Fall/Winter collection of Eleven60, which honors her inspiration, her mother. Eleven60 is named for the month and year that Clark Sheard was born. She has personally designed classic and refreshing looks for the professional curvy woman that is chic, sexy, bold, and eclectic. She has crisscrossed the globe and absorbed the fashion trends of New York City, London, Paris, Tokyo, and Seoul. She married Jordan Kelly (2020). They have one child. In 2017, she was officially licensed in the COGIC as an evangelist. She starred in Line Sisters.Her first book titled “Big, Bold and Beautiful: Owning the Woman God Made You to Be” was released (2021). Her second book titled “The Vibes You Feel: What I’ve Learned About Life and Relationships Through The Holy Spirit” is set to be released.#africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

5

1 Comment

Malissa A. Williams (June 20, 1982 - November 29, 2012) was killed by Cleveland, police officer Michael Brelo, along with Timothy Russell.She was staying at the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries homeless shelter on November 29. She had a mental illness and was chronically homeless. She had a history of cocaine and marijuana use.She entered Russell’s car; an onlooker reported the two to the police because the onlooker believed the pair intended to acquire drugs. Plainclothes Officer John Jordan pulled up behind the car and followed it from the area. Russell became startled and sped away, resulting in a sixty-two-police car chase at speeds up to 100 miles per hour through the streets of Cleveland.Officers gave false live reports on the radio broadcast. Perhaps the most crucial of these false reports was a statement by one of the officers saying that one of the suspects was pointing a gun from the window of the car when he was putting his hand out of the window to signal to the officers to stop firing at them.Thirteen officers began firing more than one hundred rounds within the eight seconds that followed. There were so many shots fired that the officers didn’t know who was doing the shooting. The chase ended when Russell collided with a police car in a middle school parking lot. Officer Michael Brelo, one of the officers involved in the chase, got out of his car and fired at least fifteen shots from atop the hood of Russell’s car at both Russell and her at close range.Her cause of death was twenty-four gunshot wounds to the head, neck, body, and left arm. Her death was ruled a homicide. Her toxicology report showed she tested positive for cocaine and marijuana. There were no firearms found in the car.Michael Brelo was indicted on two counts of voluntary manslaughter. He was only one of the thirteen officers who shot at the car. Judge John P. O’Donnell found Brelo not guilty. On January 26, 2016, six officers involved, including Brelo, were fired from Cleveland Police. Five of them have been reinstated. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #blm

5

1 Comment

Tika Sumpter (born Euphethe mia LatiQue Sumpter; June 20, 1980) is an actress, producer, television host, and model. She began her career as the host of The Best Friend’s Date and landed the role of Layla Williamson in One Life to Live where she starred regularly. She made her movie debut in her leading female role in the musical drama Stomp the Yard: Homecoming.She was featured in supporting roles for What’s Your Number? and Think Like a Man, before starring in Sparkle and A Madea Christmas. She began her role as Candace Young, the leading character in The Haves and the Have Nots. She played Angela Payton in the action-comedy film Ride Along and its sequel Ride Along 2, as well as starring in the romantic comedy Nobody’s Fool. She starred in the biographical films Get On Up playing Yvonne Fair, and The Old Man & the Gun. She produced and starred as Michelle Robinson Obama in the critically acclaimed biographical romantic drama Southside with You. She starred in the family comedy film Sonic the Hedgehog. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha

16

2 Comments

Aquilibn Michael X. (Born June 20, 1973) in DC., would transcend racial barriers in sports and challenge religious and political bigotry. His father converted to Islam and changed the family’s last name to Abdullah. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School in DC as a star wide receiver on the football team, and when he needed a spring sport to play his senior year, his friends convinced him to try out for the rowing team instead of running track. He was approached by the rowing coach from George Washington University and was offered a scholarship. He earned a varsity letter every year at the University while majoring in physics. He continued to pursue rowing while working as a freelance computer programmer and playing saxophone in a band on the side.His earliest success in rowing came when he placed silver in the 1999 Pan-Am games in the single scull. He trialed for the single at the 2000 U.S. Olympic qualifying regatta. Having lost by only 33 hundredths of a second in a 2000-meter race. He became the first African American to race at the Henley Royal Regatta. He competed in the diamond single sculls and won, becoming a trailblazer for African American males in single sculling.He became paired with Naval Officer Henry Nuzum and began competing in the double sculls. He competed in three world rowing cups and two world rowing championships. His hard work and dedication to the sport paid off when he and Nuzum qualified for the Olympics in Athens, making him the first Black male to row in the Games. He placed 6th at Athens, becoming the highest-placing US rower in that event in the past 20 years.He retired from professional rowing and maintained his involvement in the sport. He works with Mandela Crew which gives minority groups opportunities in the sport of rowing.Having a Muslim surname, encountered extreme difficulty traveling. He was constantly harassed by TSA agents. This prompted him to speak out against the Patriot Act in a leading role in the documentary Unconstitutional which goes in-depth on the restrictions for civil liberties and the passing of the Patriot Act. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

2

MaliVai “Mal” Washington (born June 20, 1969) is a former tennis player. He reached the men’s singles final at Wimbledon in 1996, won four ATP titles, and achieved a career-high singles ranking of world #11 in October 1992.As a high school senior, at Carman – Ainsworth High School in Flint Township, he was coached by former ATP Tour participant Victor Amaya. For two seasons, he played tennis for the University of Michigan and was the top-ranked college player in the US at the end of his sophom*ore season.He turned professional and won his first ATP singles title at the 1992 indoor tournament in Memphis after defeating seventh-seeded Wayne Ferreira in the final in straight sets. He followed up with a second singles title in May of that year at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships in Charlotte, winning the final against Claudio Mezzadri. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

1

Everette Lynn Harris (June 20, 1955 – July 23, 2009) was an author. Openly gay, he was known for his depictions of African American men who were on the down low and closeted. He authored ten consecutive books that made The New York Times Best Seller list, making him among the most successful African-American or gay authors of his era.He became the first African American male cheerleader as well as the first African American yearbook editor while attending the University of Arkansas. He became a computer salesman with IBM, AT&T, and Hewlett-Packard for 13 years living in Dallas, DC, and Atlanta. He relieved himself of his salesman duties and quit to begin writing his first novel. He was unable to land a book deal with a publishing house for his first work, Invisible Life, so he published it himself and sold copies from his car trunk. He was published by Doubleday, and ten of his novels achieved New York Times bestseller status.He returned to the University of Arkansas to teach African American Fiction.He had penned a personal memoir, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.He was one of the inaugural fifty American “pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes” inducted on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor within the Stonewall National Monument in New York City’s Stonewall Inn. The SNM is the first national monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history, and the wall’s unveiling was timed to take place during the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphaphialpha

7

3 Comments

Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is a singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actor. His recordings with the Commodores and in his solo career made him one of the most successful balladeers.The Commodores became established as a popular soul group; their first several albums had a danceable, funky sound, as in such tracks as “Machine Gun” and “Brick House”. He wrote and sang more romantic, easy-listening ballads such as “Easy”, “Three Times a Lady”, “Still”, and the breakup ballad “Sail On”. He launched a solo career and his debut solo album, Lionel Richie, contained three hit singles: the US number-one song “Truly”, and the top five hits “You Are” and “My Love”. The album hit #3 on the music charts and sold over four million copies. His follow-up album, Can’t Slow Down, sold over twice as many copies, propelling him into the first rank of international superstars. He co-wrote the charity single “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson, which sold over 20 million copies.He has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. He won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Can’t Slow Down, and his other Grammy Awards include Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Truly”. He has been nominated for two Golden Globe awards and won one. He was nominated for Best Original Song for the film Endless Love. He won the Golden Globe award for Best Original Song for “Say You, Say Me”, featured in the film White Nights. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. He received the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award. He has served with Luke Bryan and Katy Perry as a judge for the singing competition American Idol. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphaphialpha

2

Ambassador Gayleatha Beatrice Brown (June 20, 1947 – April 19, 2013) was a foreign service officer and ambassador. She has served in several diplomatic posts during her career with the US Department of State including US ambassador to Benin.She was educated at the Red Jacket Elementary School, Matewan Elementary, and High Schools in Mingo County, West Virginia. She was senior class president and graduated from Edison High School in Edison, New Jersey. She has BA and MA honor degrees from Howard University. She conducted post-graduate work in international relations at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.Before joining the Department of State, she was a Special Assistant to the Agency for International Development, an Assistant Administrator for Africa, and a legislative assistant in the House of Representatives.Ambassador to BeninCounselor for Political Affairs at the US Embassy in Pretoria,US Consul General at the American Consulate General, and concurrently as the US Deputy Permanent Observer to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg,Chief of the Economic and Commercial Sections at the US Embassies in Harare and Dar es Salaam,Desk Officer for Canada, Senegal, Guinea, and Mauritania at the State Department in WashingtonEconomic Officer/Regional US Agency for International Development Representative and Finance, and Development Officer at the US Embassies in Paris and Abidjan.Representative of the State Department Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Export Credit Arrangement negotiations. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha

André Watts (born June 20, 1946) is a classical pianist and professor at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University.His performance of the Liszt Piano Concerto #1 in E-flat at a Young People’s Concert was videotaped and nationally televised. Before the concert, Bernstein introduced him to the national television audience, stating that he “flipped” when he first heard him play.He enrolled at the Peabody Institute, where he studied part-time for a BM. He appeared at New York City’s Lewisohn Stadium with conductor Seiji Ozawa, and the New York Philharmonic, performing Camille Saint-Saëns’ Concerto #2 in G minor. He performed the Liszt concerto at the Hollywood Bowl. He opened the 1964-65 season of the National Symphony Orchestra in DC, again performing the Saint-Saëns concerto. He returned to New York to perform Chopin’s Concerto #2 in F minor. He made his European debut in a London performance with the London Symphony Orchestra.He was on a full-scale concert schedule, booked three years in advance. He made his Boston debut for the Peabody Mason Concert series. He graduated from the Peabody Institute.He was selected as Musical America’s Musician of the Month. Other honors and awards include doctor honoris causa from Albright College and Yale University, the Order of Zaire, a University of the Arts Medal from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and the National Medal of Arts. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

2