Penny Dickerson is an independent journalist with a passion for cool people, extraordinary places, and good sushi.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) and an Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Lesley University (Cambridge, MA).
Passionate about words and writing, Penny has augmented her freelance writing life by previously working as an adjunct English professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville where she once taught English composition and Humanities courses including Writing for Non-Fiction, Introduction to Literature, & Film and Literature.
Media contributions include: Orlando Arts Magazine, Jacksonville Arts & Business Magazine (ARBUS), EBONY.com, New America Media, Equal Voice, Miami Times,Mosaic Literary Magazine, Florida Times-Union, Florida Courier, Philadelphia Stories, Daytona Times, Tallahassee Women’s Magazine and others.
Journalism fellowships awarded include the New America Media Four Freedoms Fund Fellowship (2013); Henry Frank Guggenheim Fellowship (2015); Marguerite Casey Equal Voice Fellowship (2015); Journalists in Aging Fellows Program (2016). Continue Reading »
Florida Courier writer Penny Dickerson was selected as one of 20 U.S. journalists from print, online and broadcast outlets to receive an H.F. Guggenheim reporting fellowship organized by the New York City-based John Jay Center on Media, Crime and Justice housed at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York.
Over the next year, the Florida Courier will publish a series of stories titled, “Race, Justice, Community: Can We All Get Along?” written by Dickerson, a veteran journalist based in Jacksonville.
Dickerson is the third Florida Courier writer to receive a journalism fellowship. Senior Editor Jenise Griffin Morgan was awarded a 2013-2014 Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism. Publisher Charles W. Cherry II is a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow.
Diverse experience
Dickerson, a longtime contributor to the Florida Courier, has been a freelance reporter since 2001, advancing from local to more regional and national affiliates. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Temple University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Lesley University. Continue Reading »
NEW YORK — (August 21, 2015) — Marguerite Casey Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2015 Equal Voice Fellowship and Scholarship.
Sixty journalists nationwide competed this year for six journalism grants to support at least one or a series of investigative and exploratory reporting projects on critical poverty issues in underserved communities. These include projects on faces of poverty in the southern Appalachian region; economic struggles that Latino families face in Los Angeles; and the interface between poverty, race, gender and HIV.
Selected fellows will receive a stipend of $2,250, plus up to $1,000 in travel reimbursement, while $500 and up to $800 in travel reimbursement for the scholars. Continue Reading »
Speech by FLOTUS calls for party unity to beat Trump
By Penny Dickerson Special to The Miami Times | 7/27/2016, 2 p.m.
Michelle Obama at the DNC Monday said passion is needed to elect Hillary Clinton as president.
A timely balm to heal and unify the Democratic Party came following rifts that challenged the organization’s integrity. Dynamic speeches delivered by said Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, and First Lady Michelle Obama both won the hearts and ignited delegates during the kick-off of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), which convened in Philadelphia July 25-28.
“We can’t devolve into a nation where our highest aspiration is that we tolerate each other. We are not called to be a nation of tolerance. We are called to be a nation of love,” Booker said.
Booker’s thunderous oratory and prevailing words served as a motivational springboard to help unite a party that remains divided following a contested primary between the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who continues to court a legion of passionate supporters.
Delegates representing the 50 United States, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam convened July 25-28 in the nation’s birthplace to participate in four days of caucus gatherings, momentous speeches and the pivotal task of Tuesday’s roll call. Clinton is expected to accept the party’s nomination, which, if elected, will make the former New York Senator and Secretary of State the first woman to be president of the United States of America. Democrats are hoping Clinton will gain momentum to defeat Trump following the convention.
Clinton has selected former Virginia Governor Sen. Tim Kaine as her vice-presidential running mate, and the two will face-off against Republican candidate Donald Trump and Mike Pence in the November 2016 election.
While Sanders has offered Clinton a public endorsement, his supporters continue to exhibit a relentless zeal coined “Feel the Bern.” Both delegates and Sanders’ supporters were incensed by the email scandal that overshadowed the start of the convention.
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chair of the DNC, was reprimanded following a public leak of almost 20,000 DNC emails dating from January 2015 to May 2016.
Among the most egregious allegations was language that “bad mouthed” Sanders and negatively influenced the senator’s voter support. Wasserman Schultz has been forced to resign and has no prominent role on the convention stage.
A strong contingency of Sanders’ protesters posed a minimal threat outside Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Arena, incensed by the leak of the sometimes disparaging emails.
“I want to say something as your vice chair; I sincerely apologize for those of you who took offense or were offended, for those of you who feel betrayed and were betrayed for those ridiculous, insensitive, inappropriate emails that should have never been sent,” offered political analyst Donna Brazile, who serves as the DNC vice chair for civic engagement and voter protection. Brazile has been selected as the DNC interim chair.
Florida Delegate for Hillary, Percy Johnson represents the 20th congressional district (Palm Beach County/Broward County). Johnson reverberated emotional responses shared by many delegates.
“I was very disappointed with the whole scandal regarding the emails,” said Johnson. “I feel like Debbie probably needs to go home and take care of her district. She needs to talk to the people in her district and convince them that she deserves to return to congress and save her face,” Johnson added.
Johnson further cited that Wasserman Shultz can regain respect by becoming accountable for inconsistency of the national party with regards to fundraising and supporting new candidates and those who challenge republicans.
“The over-arching theme in this convention is that we are stronger together. Together as one party we will change the nation,” said Johnson. “We will uphold the equality and fairness that this country believes in. For Florida, the most pressing need is the environment. We need clean water, we need air, but we have a governor that seems to not believe in that right now,” he added.
The 20th congressional district is represented by Congressman Alcee Hastings, whose hallmark 2014 election quote was, “I’m not afraid to stand up to anyone when it comes to defending those who need defending, or arguing for policies that are just – whether they have a chance of passing this Republican-dominated congress or not.”
Florida is a pivotal state in the 2016 election and Johnson believes jobs and funding for childcare to enable working families are national priorities. But before any Republican-challenged policies or legislation can be drafted, voting remains a priority.
“Our votes count. South Florida is needed, and to win this election we all have to be counted,” said Johnson. “The only way we are going to be able to win Florida is with Black women from Jacksonville to Miami and a no vote means you are going to deliver the election to Donald Trump. Everyone needs to get registered and participate in the primary election, which is Aug. 30,” added Johnson.
Former NAACP President and Sanders Delegate Ben Jealous offered insights critical to voter perspective.
“Right now, our party is in a cocoon called a convention,” said Jealous. “We came in with two candidates through the primary and emerge united to defeat Donald Trump this fall, so what’s happening right now is that people are working through the [Clinton-Sanders] division.
“Three weeks ago we had a milk-toast platform, but we came together and now we have the most progressive platform in history this weekend…we have a lot of really positive signs that this party is a party for all of us and it’s time for us to get together and fight like hell to beat Donald Trump,” added Jealous.
First Lady Michelle Obama struck a chord among the American viewing audience and in the convention arena where tens of thousands in attendance held high, vertical signs that simply read: “Michelle!”
Obama’s emotive speech has resonated as the evening’s show-stopping presentation. She echoed a litany of personal convictions regarding children’s views of the world including her own two daughters — Malia and Sasha —who she referred to as: “two beautiful, intelligent, Black young women.”
“I want a president with a record of public service. Someone whose life’s work shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves,” said Obama. “We fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.”
Crucial elements of the speech applauded the candidacy of Clinton, who Obama referred to as “our friend.”
“… Hillary understands that the presidency is about one thing and one thing only. It is about leaving something better for our kids,” shared Obama. “That is how we have always moved the country forward— by all of us coming together on behalf of our children. Volunteering to coach the team, teach the Sunday school class, because they know it takes a village,” she added.
The first lady ended on a poignant note and charge for American voters:
“Between now and November, we need to do what we did eight years ago and four years ago. We need to knock on every door; we need to get out every vote; we need to pour every last ounce of passion into electing Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America. Let’s get to work …”
As Democrats start the 2016 presidential campaign in earnest, Black women play key roles in the convention and in making the case for Hillary Clinton.
BY PENNY DICKERSON SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
First Lady Michelle Obama clapped toward delegates during the Democratic National Convention on Monday in Philadelphia, Pa.
(CLEM MURRAY/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/TNS)
PHILADELPHIA, PA. – ‘The City of Brotherly Love” welcomed delegates and a host of high-profile political leaders and celebrities for the 2016 Democratic National Convention that convened July 25-28 in the Pennsylvania Convention Center and Wells Fargo Arena.
The muted news is that Black women have been in the leadership trenches to organize the assembly.
Hacked and leaked
Democratic officials and cybersecurity company CrowdStrike Inc. said last month that hackers tied to the Russian government gained access to servers at the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Three days before the start of the party’s national convention, about 20,000 emails and other internal documents from the DNC were posted online by WikiLeaks.
Some of them showed the party favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. Consequently, South Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz was unceremoniously dumped from her DNC chair
manship.
Political analyst Donna Brazile is now interim chair of the party. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, is permanent chair of the convention. The Reverend Leah Daughtry has twice served as the convention CEO. Continue Reading »
The global perception of Africa is often lathered with stunning scenery from the Serengeti and the symbolic pride of former South African president Nelson Mandela. Indeed, the second largest continent in the world is an amazing conglomerate of regions—a resource for wealth and a tourist magnet for its sprawling beauty. But beyond the beatitudes are historic war atrocities, an AIDS epidemic, gross famine and shameful middle passage origins. If respectable balance exists, it’s the uplift and celebration of the rich culture Africans have contributed to humanity. Among them are archived remains which confirm the relevance of a powerful kingdom called Kongo.
Kongo Across the Waters is a groundbreaking art exhibit that opened October 22 at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art (at the University of Florida—Gainesville). The vast installation invites a national audience to tour distinct, artistic aspects of Africa for free. With an emphasis on West Central Africa, more than 160 maps, artifacts, sculptures and contemporary works comprise an impressive collection spanning 500 years that is educational in approach, yet culturally appreciative through creative layout and design.
“At its height, the Kongo Kingdom occupied a pivotal position—geographically, geopolitically and culturally—in the continent’s early interaction with Western colonial powers, creating a legacy that can still be felt today in the Diaspora communities of the American Southeast,” offered Susan Cooksey, curator of African art at the Harn. “We’re especially pleased to include in this exhibition several artifacts from the Kongo Diaspora that have rarely been seen in a museum setting.”
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The Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) in Tervuren, Belgium co-organized the unique collaboration with the Harn museum, which was inspired by numerous directors, curators and scholars who have invested decades of study in African Art. Serendipity merged initial meetings between Guido Gryseels, the director of RMCA, and David Sammons, dean of the University of Florida International Center. Perhaps yards away on the same campus, Cooksey and colleague Dr. Robin Poynor, professor of art history, were in the midst of ongoing discussions to develop an exhibition dedicated solely to the Kongo. All great minds eventually met and Harn Museum director Rebecca Nagy unequivocally endorsed the genesis of Kongo Across the Waters.
According to Dr. Poynor, who has authored numerous books on African art, the Kongo kingdom was chosen for the exhibit for a number of reasons. “They have exquisite art, they were one of the early kingdoms known throughout Europe, and the Kongos were involved in the early slave trade, so there were a great number of Kongos who not only sent slaves out but came as slaves,” Poynor explained. “An underlying foundation for African-American culture is Kongo culture.”
The task of compiling a “visitor-friendly” exhibition void of complexity could have been daunting for the team; however, innovation, accurate timelines and a commitment to dignify and uphold the ancestral heritage, philosophies and preserved Kongo identity served as formidable guidelines for success.
Thematically divided into five distinct sections, Kongo Across the Waters begins with 1598 European maps of the “Congo” depicting the Kongo Kingdom as a separately established territory from the town of Mbanza Kongo, located south of the Congo River. The Kongo kingdom was in place prior to European arrival in 1483, but when the kingdom actually began remains debatable.
First and foremost the exhibit is about the Kongo people—their lives, customs, and culture. Kongo nobility and elitism is evidentiary as they exchanged prestigious gifts with Europeans, which illustrates the Kongolese were intellectual and savvy traders who later evolved as artists that recognized their masterpieces were valuable commerce. An array of antiquated wood, copper, brass and metal crucifix symbols and Saint Anthony figures substantiates that Christianity conversion and religious zeal served powerful roles in Kongo culture.
Museum walls painted in earthen-tone hues separate each exhibit section, further complemented by larger than life murals to create a powerful visual aesthetic. While most of the authentic arts and artifacts are on loan from Belgium’s RMCA, Kongo culture travels across the water that brought African-Americans like cargo to the United States in 1619 during the slave trade in a section II segue.
Recent excavations reveal startling archaeology discoveries exposing cultural treasures, ranging from a jeweled rosary with two medals and a conjurer’s cache of stone, pins and quart found in the Charles Carroll house excavation in Annapolis, Maryland. The latter is believed to be the personal hidings of an enslaved woman. Colonoware pottery from the Dean Hall plantation in South Carolina and Ft. Mose in Florida are also on view.
Culture and custom merge in sections III and IV, as the exhibit visually crosses the water and returns to the Kongo kingdom, where rites and rituals are explored in the examples of iron and vegetal fiber double bell, ngongi, and wood carved whistles. A Voudou (voodoo) Medicine Packet from the History Miami Museum resonates the role of early Haitian spiritual beliefs.
Hanging displays of massive raffia mats and stunning textiles used to lay upon graves and numerous “anthropomorphic power figures” known as nkisi reinforce that Africans believed in the preservation of life through healing, embraced high regard for the existence of spirits, and gave eternal honor to the dead.
Remarkable is the selection of contemporary art submitted by a culturally diverse quintet of artists, which brings the five-century Kongo journey millennium-forward. Among the standouts is a mixed-media collage by Radcliffe Bailey. The framed “medicine cabinet” traces his own identity and roots, including his DNA sequence to slave ships, Marcus Garvey and more.
An interactive music platform includes sound sticks and earphones that allow patrons to experience five separate tracks of traditional Kongo music, while a commissioned video produced by a Louisiana trio (Royce Osborn, Freddie Evans Williams and Luther Gray) combines the folkways and emerged customs from gospel to hambone to juba and jazz.
From coiled baskets and bowls, pots topped by human figures, face vessels from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and an extraordinaire 20th century memory jar, Kongo Across the Waters gives honor to a delicately restored and preserved cultural heritage African-Americans perhaps unknowingly retain to this day.
Kongo Across the Waters will remain in Gainesville, Florida until March 23, 2014.
One of my favorite subjects and three of my favorite people are Bernard, Shirley, and Khalil Kinsey: The Kinsey Family.
Not only is their commitment to family and each other admirable, but what a story! A genuine American fairytale of how perseverance, patience, commitment, and keeping your heart in the right place will lead to bringing your dreams into fruition and making a difference in the world.
Kudos to Angela Robinson for serving as a master-example of how a girl with a dream can become a woman boasting stardom. She is a Jacksonville-native and graduate of William M. Raines High School who has journeyed a route to be admired and an apt lesson for all who dare to dream and are confronted with the “fear of failure.”
What knows Angela Robinson of failure? Nothing. Disappointments? Yes, but she has persevered and shares with readers how they, too, can do the same.
Click the Link below to read: Angela Robinson, “Jacksonville’s OWN Star!”
Beyond her natural beauty is an admirable narrative that takes readers from the halls of her high school years to the Broadway stage. Now, she’s a leading television actress on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network in Tyler Perry’s first scripted drama, “The Haves and The Have Nots.”
Click the Link below to read: Angela Robinson, “Jacksonville’s OWN Star!”
Every funk band has a front man. It’s an old-school law obeyed by Maurice White, whose vocals reigned supreme as Earth, Wind and Fire’s fourth element, and Sugarfoot, who kept the Ohio Players roller-coastin’. Frankie Beverly is every bit as iconic—a raw soul master.
He’s the sing-and-sweat powerhouse who personified all-white sexy before Diddy anointed the Hamptons. He’s the stylin’ lady magnet who catapulted the baseball cap as much as the hip-hop movement. And he’s amazing—world-renowned and still selling out world venues with the Maze sextet right behind him.
An inside glimpse reveals a man whose conversation feels familiar without flirtation, save for an occasional “honey” or “sweetie” to segue thoughts. But Frankie Beverly is California cool, a tempered spirit; just an ordinary guy from Philadelphia who turned a “doo-wop” dream into a mind-blowing career.
Beverly’s Beginnings
Born Howard Beverly, the future Frankie Beverly harbored so much love for heartthrob Frankie Lymon that he jacked his name. “I was Frankie Lymon crazy when he came on the scene,” he admits. “People would call me ‘Little Frankie.’ I used to sing Frankie Lymon songs on street corners and people use to throw me money.”
The labyrinth to stardom is a story told over and over, and shared by many in Beverly’s era. In Frankie’s case, church singing transitioned to a teen group called The Butlers, which musically morphed into Frankie Beverly’s Raw Soul. The big break came when the one and only Marvin Gaye made the band his opening act with a single stipulation: change the name. That nudge originated the moniker that stuck: Maze.
Now Beverly is 67, and the Maze’s “raw soul” identity is more frequently marketed as urban contemporary soul. Their loyal fan base is trained to expect timeless music, as Frankie leads “Joy and Pain” and “The Morning After” jam sessions. Both tunes are legendary for making grown women (and some men) straight scream.
Gratitude, God, but no Grammy
Gratitude and humility seem to precede any and all Frankie Beverly motives, and no one is more surprised by his career than the man who made “Happy Feelings” an anthem long before Bobby McFerrin or Pharrell Williams whistled hits.
“I am most amazed by the success of our longevity,” says Beverly. “I never, ever, ever thought it would be like this. I’m laid back, and I know music is a gift given to me to initiate, and I take that serious. I thank God I have people around me I can trust, they’ve been with me for 30 to 40 years. It’s a real blessing.”
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, ‘Joy and Pain’
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, ‘Joy and Pain’
Despite an amassed catalogue of classics, the Maze featuring Frankie Beverly Grammy Award remains elusive, but it’s an industry snub Beverly takes in stride. “The love the people give us is most amazing,” he offers. “I don’t care about no Grammys. It’s about the reward, not the award. I walk around on my knees I’m so thankful.”
Sam Cooke—Still His Main Man
Does Frankie Beverly meditate? Yes. Does he work out to stay in shape? Negative. He claims no special fitness regime and cites the stage as his ultimate workout. Beverly also hasn’t eaten red meat in 35 years—occasionally chicken, and fish “for protein.”
A high-octane schedule defines Beverly’s existence, so what (if anything) does he listen to for slowing down his internal metronome?
“I don’t really play a lot of music, believe it or not. And when I do, I prefer jazz,” said Beverly, who reiterated a preference for the standards. “I like smooth jazz too, but Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, those guys really still do it for me. At this time in my life, jazz does it. I tell you who I really like is Chris Botti. His music is very nice. But I still like listening to Sam Cooke.”
The late Cooke remains Beverly’s lifelong inspiration. “We were at Philly’s Uptown Theatre trying to get his autograph. [I] said, ‘Mr. Cooke, Mr. Cooke, can you sign mine?’ He said, ‘Have you guys ever been backstage? Well, come on!’ ” The story is credited for Beverly’s own generosity. “I don’t turn people down. I always think of Sam Cooke and how kind and patient he was. He didn’t have to do that for us.”
Beverly on Beyoncé
Frankie Beverly has a simple message for today’s musicians: get back to basics.
“You have to still go back. It’s hard for today’s industry. Studios can’t get business; people are using machines. No matter how much money is at stake, people still want the ‘real deal.’ I want today’s music acts to return to the real deal. No mixing, no machines.”
Black women nationwide owe Beverly a bevy of thanks for time-honored respect. But for the music industry’s hardest working and wealthiest woman, he offers a profitable prediction: “I think Beyoncé is ready to take her next step, and I tell you what I mean by that. She can really sing, but I would like to see her show her skills. I mean, she’s a mom and a wife now. So I’d love to hear her record Christmas carols or perform live with an orchestra… just sing.”
New Music from Maze
A wisdom grin and goatee with gray sprouts are a welcome presence for Beverly, who resides in California’s Bay Area and is “grandpa swaggadocious” to three precocious grand fans he insists “use and abuse him.” Mention retirement and he balks.
“I hope not,” he says. “Something would have to be wrong [with me]. I just want to keep on doing this until I can’t do it anymore.” And he doesn’t plan to stop. But will the eternal performer’s career be complemented by new music?
“I’ve been thinking about it, but ya know, we are a working act,” he says. “It’s not like I can tour and come home. I can’t make great music that way. Back when it was the Kool Jazz and Budweiser Festivals, we could work three months and then take time off to go into the studio. But we aren’t going to piecemeal making music.”
Beverly vows the new music will still be love music—life music— and that he and Maze aren’t going to stray from what they’ve been doing.
“I’m tickled about a new piece on the album titled ‘The Jam of My Life’,” Beverly shared with a sinister snicker. “You meet someone, but you’re already with someone. I know about that all too well, and athletes and these young musicians—or the average person who just has a lot to do—they know these situations all well too.”
We Are One
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly has unified the masses with a legion of hits, but the single closest to Beverly’s heart is 1983’s “We Are One.” No explanation is needed. Still, he offers this: “It’s true. If you are lucky enough to travel around the world, you’ll find we’re all the same and want the same thing: love! People for the most part are good. If not, we would have torn the world apart by now. I’ve learned to not be racist in my life. Our White brothers are our brothers too, and I’m not trying to be some kind of love guru or anything. We are the same.”
Penny Dickerson is a Florida-based journalist whose work can be viewed at pennydickersonwrites.com.
Contact: pennydickersonwrites@gmail.com
Passionate about words and writing, Penny has augmented her freelance writing life by previously working as an adjunct English professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville where she once taught English composition and Humanities courses including Writing for Non-Fiction, Introduction to Literature, & Film and Literature.
ee days before the start of the party’s national convention, about 20,000 emails and other internal documents from the DNC were posted online by WikiLeaks.
