Celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness in the 757

October has been designated as National Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) Month. There are so many ways to support and the Hip Hop community in Hampton Roads is taking part as well. Besides wearing a pink ribbon, what else can you do?

• Make sure you get regular mammograms and conduct self-checks of your boobs while lying down and while in the shower.
• Encourage your family members male and female to take charge of their health and choose healthy options and increase their exercise.
• GIVE TIME- everyone doesn’t have money to donate to the many different causes but there are many cancer treatment programs that can use you to help patients doing treatment and post treatment.

Here are some amazing companies in the HAMPTON Roads Area making a difference by raising funds and/or awareness:

Right here on the FRESH RADIO site visit the FRESH BUY store – for “Fresh for the Cure” tees and hoodies. When asked why the Fresh Radio Brand was supporting BCA month Fresh Radio creator,  DJ Bee said this “Fresh Radio is a part of the Hip Hop Culture.  The culture of Hip-Hop teaches and helps with awareness in the community so what’s better than a flyer? The message on somebody’s back!”  Nuff said!

On Friday, 10/12 DJ BEE, DJ Erika B from right here in Hampton Roads and Natasha Diggs from NYC will be in the building for a special PINK edition of FRESH FRIDAY spinning ALL 45sm ALL vinyl, there will be merchandise including tees, wristbands and hoodies  available for sale at the Jew Ma on Granby St 10p-2a. The all Pink Fresh Friday is also the TWO YEAR anniversary of Fresh Radio established 10.10.10!!!!!!

The next day  Saturday, October 13^th Join Kim Wimbish  & KMK Productions who will be walking on the VB  Oceanfront in the … later that afternoon from 3-8pm they will be hosting a “Fashion for the Cure” Trunk Show.  Kim is hosting BCA events for the 2^nd year and is looking forward to raising awareness funds to find a cure for Breast Cancer. Raising funds and awareness is important to Kim firstly because her MOM is a survivor and secondly because it’s one of the biggest killers of African American Women.  For information and vendor opportunities hit Kim @kimwimibish on twitter or 757-309-8227

DJ Hasz’s FSHOA (Future Sneaker Heads of America) brand is featuring dope hoodies for BCA, where the breast cancer logo is a pink sneaker lace, perfect for the sneaker lovers in your life.  When asked why he chose to support BCA, Hasz said “ I chose pieces for bca because alot of people I know directly or indirectly has lost loved ones to Cancer. I personally haven’t lost anyone. But cancer doesn’t discriminate: any race, any gender. I figured why not help out by making a few garments and giving the proceeds to Susan g komen foundation. “You’ll find a few other pink goodies on their site as well.  Get connected with the Sneaker Heads- Www.fshoalife.com Www.facebook.com/fshoa   Twitter: @fshoalife  Instagram: @fshoa

*Kim’s KMK AND DJ Hasz’s FSHOA are teaming up to find a cure, when you sign up to donate and walk with KMK you also get a FSHOA tee shirt.

Check for other area events and information

- http://hamptonroads.com/events

- http://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/

- http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/breast-cancer-mortality-rates-for-african-american-women-disproportionately-high/2012/04/09/gIQAxJoR6S_blog.html

Brown Sugar is written by- Andrea Michele @brown_sugar415 on twitter. Don’t forget your VOTE is your VOICE, Make it COUNT. 

                     Your Vote Actually DOES count…  An interview w/ Filmmaker Michael Nims
A few months ago I was approached by a young man full of passion. He said “I know or at least I hope you’ll be interested in this. You’ll be perfect for it”. He was pretty cryptic but when he finally sent me an email it turns out it was a treatment for “The Letter”,  a voting PSA. He was right I was ecstatic.     Voting has been a big part of my life, ever since I was knee high to my grandma in the voting booths of New York City. She would take me in the booth with her and allow me to click the buttons and pull the huge lever. It was AMAZING. When I became an educator in ’05 registering my high school seniors was one of my favorite activities. It’s something I’ve done every year I was in the classroom. In graduate school I helped many of my out of town friends to secure absentee voter information and make sure we voted.
I have never believed that my vote did not count. I believe that idea comes from a misunderstanding of the way presidential elections actually work. The short version- your “popular” vote determines which candidate gets your states electoral votes (in winner take all states at least). The people casting the electoral votes are SWORN to follow the wishes of the majority from the popular vote. Most states even have a fine for electors who do not follow this. So in short it REALLY does count.
Soooooooooooo anyway class dismissed and back to the story at hand Mr. Nims! A few weeks ago I was able to help Nims turn his dream into reality. We filmed “The Letter” a few weeks ago and posted it September 12th, 2012 to great reception. “The Letter” is making its way around college campuses and blogs nationwide.  I sat down with the visionary of the clip to learn some more about this student, member of the military, clothing designer, writer, and (yep and lol ) FILMMAKER,  Michael Nims.

BROWN SUGAR- Was voting something you grew up around?
NIMS- Voting was something I was something I was familiar with growing up in a military family because most times we were directly affected by the outcome of every election so it was kinda vital in our household, like a big Super Bowl of politics every few years lol

BROWN SUGAR- Tell me about your 1st time voting experience or a key moment in your own voting life.
NIMS- My first voting experience was in 2008 and also President Obama’s first election, I turned 18 during President Bush’s tenure so I had to wait a few years but I was sure to make my vote in such a monumental election, a black man campaigning for commander and chief and actually having a shot in succeeding Was uplifting to me and it was imperative that I contribute to this ground breaking era in us history

BROWN SUGAR- Every election cycle we get naysayers who say “my vote doesn’t count”. What do you say to them?
NIMS- I believe people who say their vote doesn’t count don’t understand the nature of politics or the grounds of what our nation was built upon. Our government operates by a democracy in which the people have a voice and not solely one person, a democracy also embodies “Majority rule but respect of the minorities rights” meaning the candidates with the most votes take office but in no way of form exploit opposing parties or their supporters so in fact EVERYONES VOTE COUNTS!

BROWN SUGAR- Why use film & social media to push the importance of voting?
NIMS- Being a Mass Communications student at Norfolk State University I’ve learned about a few different mediums in media and which outlets people of certain demographics engage on a regular basis. Social media is one major avenue that has helped frame my generation’s society so social networking sites such as twitter Instagram Facebook and YouTube are essential to push the importance of voting to my generation

BROWN SUGAR- When did you fall in love w/ film & photography?
NIMS- I’ve always had a respect for all forms of art but my love for it began to grow in the early 2000′s. Certain photos in hip hop magazines and certain videos that expressed what was going on in the records of songs solidified my appreciation for film and photography. I was the friend always with a camera, from disposable to all different digital cameras to my most recent purchase a cannon T3i. I’m into music, fashion and fun but finding photographers and videographers who share the same views became a hassle so I recently decided to do things on my own so look forward to some work from me whatever it is lol

BROWN SUGAR- You have a clothing company called Conservative Controversy? Tell me about the name & the brand.
NIMS- Conservative Controversy the phrase came to me from the type of music I listen too. I like music with substance, music forwarding messages of hope, tragedy to triumph type of tracks, artist who tell where they’ve been and how things are no sugar coating. Freeway’s first album, J Cole’s Friday Night Lights, Wale’s More about Nothing all helped me form the phrase now clothing line Conservative Controversy. Those artists put together music which fed into their emotions and poured through speakers and it influenced me, the intentions of a man to live conservatively but making controversial decisions unintentionally along the way. Every design I place on a garment I try to embody the two too make people think, to evoke questions, push the envelope as far as possible.

BROWN SUGAR- What can people expect from Michael Nims over the next 5 years?
NIMS- I’m not sure what people can expect from me within the next 5 years, I do and want to do so much. I want to manage and promote artists, shoot commercials/short film, design clothing and eventually dabble in politics all of which I do now but I plan to focus harder on these things and become more of a force in everything so hopefully I’m a rising executive within the next few years so look out for something with my name attached! You won’t be disappointed… I hope lol

BROWN SUGAR- People are calling your words in “The Letter” eloquent. How do you respond to that?
NIMS- Honestly, I felt like it was a stretch, some people do this for a living and for me just to do it just this once made me feel so much more capable of other things, people constantly tell me of my influence on others and the reception of this piece kinda opened my eyes a little wider to see this.

Find out more about Michael Nims – @conserVAtiveCon on both twitter and on Instagram

Brown Sugar is penned by Andrea Michele @brown_sugar415 on twitter.

Important links for Voters- DEADLINES are quickly approaching. Register NOW and vote November 6th, 2012
Virginia -  http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/webdocs/easyvoterguide201207.pdf
New York – http://www.elections.ny.gov/
National- http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Voting.shtml

What’s love got to do with it? Everything , according to author Rob Hill Sr. I recently sat down with him to hear about his new book, For Single People Who Understand the Importance of Relationships. Rob released For Single People… his second book this summer. I had tons of questions and Mr. Hill was more than happy to share his philosophies on love, relationships, and family in the 21st century.  We spoke for more than an hour. Here’s a peek at our conversation:

Brown Sugar – How did you get into writing and when did you know you wanted to write for a living?
Rob Hill Sr. – My mom was an author. I knew I wanted to be writer at around 13. In 2008 I started a series Thoughts for the Day; I started writing and shared these thoughts with my friends every day via the internet while I was in the Navy –every day for three years straight.

Brown Sugar – THREE YEARS STRAIGHT? Wow.
Rob Hill Sr. – Yes. It let me know that this was something I could be committed to. Those thoughts eventually became the basis for my first book, About Something Real.

Rob’s daily series was shared through email and as the age of technology continues to evolve, so does his ability to share words of wisdom. Almost every day on Twitter, one can find Rob sharing thoughts and answering questions from love’s wounded as well as advocates for love. He answers them all, gracefully and with the insight of a much older man. Rob is after all only 25 years old. A fact that quickly becomes irrelevant upon engaging in conversation with him.

Brown Sugar – Is technology a big part of reaching people in the 21st century?  It seems that technology is quickly becoming “the thing”; do people still want to read?
Rob Hill Sr. – Yes it is. Technology, namely the internet is quick, current, and keeps readers engaged – even those with a short attention span.  People still read but you have to appeal to them. I keep my books short in length, so that reading seems less like a chore.
Brown Sugar – Ahhhhhhh I see! (There were many of these “ahhh” moments)

Sales on his current book are double that of his first and with twitter followers numbering near ten thousand, his formula is clearly a successful one. The number of readers and followers is also telling of something else:  People love the idea of love, even if they’ve never had a successful relationship; the idea of being in love is attractive to nearly everyone. Rob Hill Sr. is giving the people something they want and something they need. Especially if they want to get it right. Me being a single gal, I snuck in some questions for myself and others in my single shoes.

Brown Sugar – Rob, what would you say is the top mistakes men and women make where love is concerned?
Rob Hill Sr. – Well for men I will say they want everything FAST, creating a “I can’t wait’ situation. For women it’s similar, women are IMPATIENT. This impatience often leads to them settling for whatever comes along.

Brown Sugar – *silently says a quick amen, swallows his words and plays it off with a nod* Ahhhhhhhh…I see! How can we fix this?
Rob Hill Sr.  – LISTEN! Hear exactly what’s said in the outset of a friendship/relationship/date.  Some guys aren’t willing to explain themselves, and assume women know what they mean or think. This won’t lead to a successful relationship.

Brown Sugar – While we are on the subject of men and women and we are on FRESH RADIO, a music site. What role do you think popular music has on modern day relationships and interactions?
Rob Hill Sr.  – Today’s music helps shape our identity as a people. Words matter and words manifest into actions.  The love of money over content is really prevalent nowadays.

Brown Sugar – Well what do you find yourself listening to lately?
Rob Hill Sr. – Emeli Sande’s “Our Version of Events” LP.

Brown Sugar – *pleasantly surprised face* WOW! I’ve been listening to her all summer. What is your favorite song on the album?
Rob Hill Sr. – I really like Tiger!
Google, YouTube, or ask UK twitter about Ms. Sande. She’s amazing and lyrically on point in terms of love, communication and HOPE.  Hope leads me to think about what Rob has in mind for future generations…

Brown Sugar – What do you want to leave for the next generation, your son’s generation?
Rob Hill Sr. – What I want is for people to believe in love again. I want people to GIVE. People have a tainted view of love because of failed relationships and poisoned marriages but we must look within. We attract what we are. I also draw inspiration from Marianne Williamson’s book A Return to Love.

Rob Hill Sr. is an author, relationship coach and a poet. Rob has plans to one day pen a book series for young men. This single young man is also a passionate father who is attempting to change the world’s view of love one page and one tweet at a time. Find out more about him and his work on his website http://robhillsr.com/about-the-author

*Brown Sugar is penned by Andrea Michele; follow her on twitter @brown_sugar415
Coming soon on Brown Sugar- Hampton Roads, The Presidential Election and why it’s vital for our youth to VOTE. More interviews, more culture, and as always all things FRESH!