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“Initiative
Radio With Angela McKenzie” is a nationally syndicated, weekly,
one hour public affairs program that focuses on the philanthropic and
altruistic activities of corporations both for profit and not-for-profit,
inter-governmental organizations, persons of repute and everyday people.
The program also gives exposure to under represented artists of all disciplines
and in an effort to consistently engage a youthful audience, urban and
alternative music specials are presented on a recurring basis. For further
information contact:
Broadcast
Schedule Ralph
McDaniels Just before Thanksgiving '09 on a chilly Wednesday afternoon Ralph McDaniels graciously made room in his hectic schedule to meet up with radio producer and on-air presenter Angela McKenzie for an in depth conversation about the crucial role he has played in the genesis of the Hip-Hop music industry in the 1980s and his continued relevancy as one of the elder statesmen of the Hip-Hop nation. The name Ralph is German in origin and means wise and strong. This being the case Ralph McDaniels was rightly named by his parents and was also given the fitting moniker Uncle Ralph by music industry peer and icon DJ Red Alert. DJ Red bestowed the moniker upon McDaniels as a testament to his unrelenting efforts to help emerging talents make a breakthrough in a music industry that did not invest substantially in Hip-Hop musicians in the genre's early days. Long before television stations like MTV played music videos from Hip-Hop and Urban artists, McDaniels a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology, possessed enough wisdom and foresight to know that Hip-Hop would eventually surpass Rock 'n Roll to become the music that now represents America universally. Over a quarter of a century ago, McDaniels approached WNYC TV - New York City's public broadcasting station, with the idea of airing music videos in a one hour package called "Video Music Box" (VMB) to showcase musicians who told tales of inner-city life through their beats and rhymes. Needless to say the idea was met with initial resistance but VMB's Nielsen ratings surpassed those of the station's traditional content and cleared the way for McDaniels to bolster famous and almost famous Hip-Hop artists of the past present and future. In fact it is fair to say that any Hip-Hop artist one can bring to mind, megastar or otherwise, made his/her debut on Uncle Ralph's VMB. Angela McKenzie is pleased to present her engaging and edifying interview with McDaniels, which is underscored by vintage and current Hip-Hop music selections. The hour encapsulates his extensive career as a television producer; his work in video production for artists such as Whitney Houston, Public Enemy and Notorious B.I.G; and his influential role in the swift launch of Wu Tang Clan and the rise of Hip-Hop icon Nas. McDaniels also discusses his latest media ventures including Onfumes and his philanthropic work with anti-violence initiatives.
Justin
Brannan On today's edition of "Initiative Radio with Angela McKenzie" Angela pays a visit to the New York City headquarters of the B'nai Zion Foundation in Murray Hill, to chat with Campaign Director Justin Brannan. B'nai Zion is a secular, apolitical organization that is just over a century old and its' core mission is raising funds for projects in Israel that improve the quality of life of underprivileged children regardless of their religious and ethnic background. Additionally, B'nai Zion hosts numerous recreational activities and employs on-line social networking strategies to engage multiple generations of Jewish people living in the United States. Justin Brannan believes that B'nai Zion's transparent corporate culture, makes it easy for him to instill confidence in donors that their charitable dollars will be put to excellent use on the ground in Israel and not to pay hefty salaries of bureaucrats. A former Wall Street man with an extensive background in raising capital, Brannan finds fund raising for B'nai Zion his most rewarding assignment to date.
Reverend Billy and the Life After Shopping Gospel Choir believe that Consumerism is overwhelming our lives. The corporations want us to have experiences only through their products. That our neighborhoods, "commons" places like stoops and parks and streets and libraries, are disappearing into the corporatized world of big boxes and chain stores. But if we "back away from the product" - even a little bit, well then we Put The Odd Back In God! On today's program Reverend Billy Talen meets up with Angela at the Theater for the New City, to discuss his valiant challenge to incumbent Michael Bloomberg in the 2009 Mayoral race as the Green Party candidate. Billy says that under his watch, New York City would be a place where citizens have a fair say in how their schools and neighborhoods are run and he would encourage local economic stimulation while keeping a close eye on the predatory practices of the large corporations. Angela asks Billy to reveal the catalysts that perpetuated his aversion to crass consumerism and to give a run down of the Life After Shopping Choir's holiday engagements. Among the activities is his Black Friday aka Buy Nothing Day pilgrimage to the Valley Stream, New York Wal-Mart, where Wal-Mart worker Jdimytai Damour was trampled to death by a flood of savage shoppers. According to a WABC eyewitness, in spite of being told that Damour was killed in the stampede belligerent buyers insisted they continue shopping because they had waited all night to hunt for their bargains.
Angela's guest Sunsara Taylor has been given the honor of being called a lunatic by Bill O'Reilly on the right wing political program "The O'Reilly Factor" during a heated debate about Sunsara and her colleagues' opposition to the Iraq war and the subsequent torture inflicted upon detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Sunsara Taylor is not only an anti-war activist but she is also a writer, speaker and uncompromising atheist. Just in time to challenge the religious dogma and traditions associated with the holiday season, Sunsara sits down with Angela to discuss the book "Away With All Gods" authored by Bob Avakian. During the conversation, Susara highlights the role religion has played in promoting oppression and violence against women, racism, fearful superstition and manipulation of the masses. We also get a glimpse into Sunsara's early life when she was a devout and unquestioning Christian who had a dramatic change of heart along the way.
Jeremiah Jurkiewicz presides over the College of Staten Island's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). He counts himself fortunate that when he came out as homosexual to his parents, they did not estrange themselves from him - in fact they assured him that they would continue to be supportive parents no matter what. This type of reception is not generally the case for other young people who choose to reveal their true sexual identities to friends and family, so with that in mind Jeremiah and his GSA officers provide a safe space where young homosexuals can come together to socialize, take up community initiatives and openly discuss the challenges they face in a heterosexual society. The challenge of loneliness is predominant during the holiday season because although families are expected to gather in an atmosphere of love and goodwill, many gay people remain marginalized or outright rejected by their kin. Jeremiah regrets that at this point in time the GSA does not directly have resources to aid members in need of community during this critical time, however he does give helpful suggestions about where help can be found.
January
2010 If ever there was an organization of distinguished graphic artists in unity, Chris Austopchuk could certainly be the secretary general because he has over three decades of experience in the graphic design field as both an artist and an educator. Twenty-eight of those years have been spent in the corporate world at Sony Music and for all of his professional life heâs been a professor at The School of Visual Arts, training new generations of graphic designers. Chris credits a combination of good fortune and the perspective heâs gained in the world of academia for his longevity at Sony music. Listeners will get an overview of the steps Chrisâ creative team must take to design the packaging of their music products, while listening to some of the music within those packages. (Encore presentation)
Rinchen
Dharlo Since 1959 over 140,000 Tibetans have fled their homeland and endured great hardship to start a new life in exile. The Tibet Fund was founded under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to help improve the lives of these refugees and enable them to maintain their Tibetan way of life and culture. From modest beginnings in 1981, the Tibet Fund has grown to become a primary vehicle for humanitarian assistance for the refugees. On today's edition of âInitiative Radio,â Angela visits the office of the Tibet Fund to converse with the fund's president Rinchen Dharlo about the life and times of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama; about life in Tibet prior to the invasion of Communist China; the journey of Tibetan refugees across the Himalayan mountains to India; many of the projects spearheaded by The Tibet Fund; and the organization's support of the US based, touring play "The Buddha Prince" which pays homage to the Dalai Lama. (Encore presentation)
On today's program Angela visits the progressive Fountain Gallery in Hell's Kitchen, NYC to speak with director Jason Bowman who explains why Fountain is not just a gallery it's a movement. Fountain provides an environment for artists living and working with mental illness to pursue their creative visions and to challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness. Among the gallery's success stories is a rather amusing one about cosmetic mogul Estee Lauder, who in the early days of the gallery pulled up in her limousine, entered the gallery, pointed to a number of pieces she fancied for purchase, turned around then made her way back to her limo. That was the beginning of Fountain's relationship with the Estee Lauder company and other corporations. Amongst today's musical selections are tracks from singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell who is also an accomplished painter and the late Dan Fogelberg whose creative repertoire included singing, songwriting, photography and drawing. (Encore presentation)
Although it may seem cliche to say that art can be a healing element for people, Angela's guest Marthalicia Mataritta, a New York City born painter is a living testament to this sentiment. As a youth, she and her two brothers grew up in an unstable fashion with their ailing mother and the family moved between New York City and Pennsylvania, then between the Dominican Republic and back to New York City, where they lived in cramped quarters and finally in a homeless shelter. Children are resilient however and Marthalicia and her brothers were no exception. They used art and music to distract them from all of the negative events that resulted from their nomadic lifestyle. So strong was Marthalicia's passion for art, that her natural talent and enthusiasm won her the opportunity to attend the reputable La Guardia High School for Music, Art and Performing Arts and thereafter, with a military scholarship she attended college to finalize her formal studies in Visual Arts. Today, Marthalicia is the mother of an energetic four year old boy and a busy live painter, who engages in art battles. Art battle competitions are an exciting part of New York City's dynamic art and music scene and for skilled painters like Marthalicia who are both talented and expeditious with their craft, the rewards can be tremendous and an artist's popularity can soar in a relatively short amount of time. The story of Marthalcia Matarrita is an inspiration to her fellow artists and to people who are facing adversity in their lives. (Encore presentation)
2009
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