 Children
Children represent the continuity of life. about...time Magazine
serves as a rich resource where they can take root in African-American culture
and move forward in life with a keen awareness of and pride in the historical
greatness of African-American people. about...time Magazine invites
you to a lively celebration of African-American children ranging from their
colorful masquerades in the Batoto Yetu (Swahili for "Our Children")
Dance Troupe (March 1994), to One April Morning (March 1996)
featuring the shining courage of Oklahoma's children survivors of the tragic
bombing of the Federal building and its impact on their views of life and
living.
We also reported on the launch of youth into the free enterprise system,
managing businesses as Entrepreneurs from the 'Hood and producers
of Umoja Children's distinctive line of African-American oriented
Christmas and Kwanzaa cards (August 1996).
Too many children are bombarded daily by numerous obstacles that hinder
their will to live, laugh, and love; impede their ability to grow and expand
as people; and obstruct their right to enjoy the childhood we only get one
short chance to live. Some children suffer from insufficient parenting.
They may not be reared by their direct biological parent(s), others are
brought up in a single parent family; and even those who have the blessing
of two parents are still not guaranteed the love and care of both. Throughout
our 25-year history, about...time Magazine has reported on stories
dealing with these issues.
The pages of about...time Magazine are filled with many examples
of how adults respond when they get "hooken on kids." For example,
Minnesota toy manufacturer Jacob R. Miles III, has produced a line of culturally
correct, self-reflective children's toys that provide our youth with Cultural
Play (March 1994). The toys, dolls, board games, books, puzzles, and
other products incorporate numerous ethnic patterns, color pallets, and
symbols into designs that are reflective of the child's own culture.
Stories in the July 1996 issue reflect upon the involvement of fathers
in the growth and development of their children. Father Power describes
how a significant part of a child's self-worth is enhanced by the involvement
of fathers who possess the power to instill "book learning" and
"street smarts" into their sons and daughters. Children need both
to survive in this society. Pearls of Maternal Wisdom are also celebrated
in this issue, reflecting on the passing down of advice from mothers to
generations of their daughters.
 Sports
Sizzle with sports action in the pages of about...time Magazine,
as we bring you a hot sports line-up on the gridiron and the basketball
court, as well as in some other places that just might surprise you. For
example, in the October 1995 issue, we jaunted over to the lacrosse playing
field to find an African American helping to expand a sport originated by
another minority group, the North American Indians. Along the way, we discovered
a wheelchair sports organization that helps disabled athletes compete in
basketball, track, and football. We rounded out our travels with a 660-day
voyage on the high seas with a black world-class sailor. He not only shared
his passion for sailing with us, but also shared the rich historical involvement
of African Americans in the maritime industry.
about...time Magazine takes pride in presenting "up-and-coming"
individuals before they become household names. Such was the case when we
presented the Tiger Woods cover story (October 1993). Even then,
we recognized the 17-year-old junior golf sensation as just a half-finished
Picasso painting, with the first brush strokes in place. We foresaw an emerging
composition, and knew that as his parents continued to work on Tiger Woods'
canvas for a few more years, the painting would ultimately become a self
portrait, finished by Tiger!
We also follow great athletes as they move on to other worthwhile projects,
such as Jim Brown's AMER-I-CAN Program (January 1994), which addresses
problems associated with incarceration and gangs and teaches life-management
skills and self-determination techniques that have helped thousands of inmates
change the direction of their lives.
 Business
Throughout the nation, black entrepreneurs are popping up at almost twice
the rate among all Americans. Exploring new and traditional business development
ideas and their enterprising entrepreneurs is an established tradition in
about...time Magazine's annual August business issue. Many new multicultural
products and services developed by African-American entrepreneurs are featured
in the August 1995 issue, from Bingwa Software Company's multicultural
software package that teaches children the fundamentals of mathematics,
to Big City Comics' black action characters that became a comic book
series, and to The Indra Collection's quality line of birth announcements,
thank you notes, and baby shower and christening invitations. From another
view, the August 1996 issue examines the dramatic change in African-American
life as reflected in the bridal fashion industry. Kiss of Culture
and Therez Fleetwood's Bridal Collection show how an entirely new
look to the business of weddings has been shaped by the increasing desires
of couples to wrap expressions of black culural pride and heritage into
their nuptuals.
The August 1996 issue also includes a special presentation of the Labors
of Love by entrepreneurs with a love of African tribal art, an appetite
for chocolate chip cookies, an interest in hauling, and a passion for cows!
Do what you love and the money will follow should be the new watchword in
business.
 Politics
Throughout history, the political endeavors of African Americans have
had a marked impact on the nation and the world in which we live. In the
October 1996 issue of about...time Magazine, we showcase the exemplary
record of achievements of the late Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown. Through
feature stories such as Ron Brown's Legacy and No Payne...No Gain,
you'll discover why the challenges and accomplishments of black politicians
have earned them pages in the history of about...time Magazine.
Throughout the issues of about...time are commentaries and viewpoints
on topics of current concern, such as how American violence targets black
religion in Churches Under Fire (July 1996), or revisiting the Million
Man March one year later and reflecting that It's Not Enough to Come
to the Table, You've Got to Pay the Check! (October 1996).
about...time Magazine interviewed the revolutionary number of
African Americans appointed during the administration of President Jimmy
Carter, from those serving at the cabinet level to heads of agencies. We
interviewed Patricia Roberts Harris (December 1979), the former Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as she emerged from the mid-summer
Cabinet reshuffle during the Carter administration to become Secretary of
Health, Education and Welfare (HEW).
As Solicitor General of the United States, Wade H. McCree, Jr.: The
Government's Attorney (June 1980), monitored the litigation of the U.S.
government in the U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Court of Appeals. We interviewed
Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(November 1978) following the Supreme Court's "reverse discrimination"
ruling in the Bakke vs University of California case, and gained new insight
into the sophisticated legal battles generated by forces against affirmative
action. Other Carter Administration appointments included Dr. Bernadine
Denning, Director, Office of Revenue Sharing (February 1979); and Jean
Childs Young: A Voice of Concern for Children (May 1979), who was appointed
to chair the United States' National Commission on the 1979 International
Year of the Child.
The July 1979 issue presented a special look a parallels in American
military and civilian history. The Trauma of Black Soldiers in America
captured the checkerboard background of frustration and joy that marked
the career of black soldiers who served their country faithfully and gallantly
although their heroism was not always recognized or acknowledged. Men and
women who served part of their careers in a segregated military and watched
its transition to an integrated service spoke of their experiences in the
story, What Happens to Men Who Bore Arms During War. This issue also
looked at contemporary military forces in the interview with Secretary
of the Army, Clifford L. Alexander, Jr. Secretary Alexander became the
first black man to serve as civilian head of a branch of the military in
the history of the United States when he took office on February 14, 1977.
We also profiled the work of the Deputy Secretary of the Army, Dr. Percy
A. Pierre: Overseer of Army Weapons Systems (May 1980).
 The Arts
This description is under construction.
 Education
Educators continue to rise to the challenges of providing African-American
children with a quality education that will enable them to move into the
21st century with the knowledge and confidence to succeed--and about...time
Magazine has been there every step of the way as a vital connection in the
educational network of support.
about...time Magazine applauds true African-American "class
acts" such as Marva N. Collins, founder of the Westside Preparatory
School in Chicago (November 1993), and Dr. Norman K. Spencer, president
of a private black school, who assumed responsibility for Guiding Berean
Institute into the 21st Century (November 1995). We also get the students'
take on critical issues such as The School Uniform Controversy (November
1996) and Backyard Heroes (November 1995), where high school students
found significant stories about ordinary people while studying local civil
rights history.
Educational stories also spotlight the historically black colleges and
universities, such as Trojan Pride (November 1994), which introduced
readers to President Eddie N. Moore as the person to propel Virginia State
University into the 21st century and reclaim the institution's proud legacy
of leadership.
 Food
There's nothing like the taste of African-American cuisine, and you can
savor its many "down home" flavors in about...time Magazine.
The July 1995 issue featured stories of delectable delights enjoyed in an
array of settings, from the elegance of Fine Dining African-American
Style in B. Smith's Restaurants to the heat-and-serve convenience of
Red Hot & Delicious Soul Food in a Can.
Join us for dinner with a tempting African-American flair and flavor
in the July 1997 culinary issue, which will bring traditional southern cooking
to a new level of appreciation for the savory cultural delights created
by renowned African-American chefs.
 Travel
Planning a vacation? about...time Magazine has your ticket! Let
us be your guide to destinations around the nation and around the world
that are rich in African-American culture and waiting to be explored. We
traveled from the southern coast of the United States to the Gold Coast
of Africa to bring you feature stories such as Mardi Gras Mystique
and Going Home for the June 1996 issue. We also included memoirs
of a breathtaking April in Paris.
 Health
The state of our health is reported in about...time Magazine in
the month of April, with stories addressing a variety of health inequities,
to healing qualities in the hands and hearts of medical professionals and
patients.
(April 1995)--From television's Eriq La Salle, the resident surgeon on
staff of the fictional Chicago-based hospital in the CBS popular hit series
ER, to Dr. L.D. Britt, a real life medical director in charge of the Eastern
Virginia Medical School/Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Shock Trauma Center,
this issue reports on the growing image of black doctors in emergency medicine.
We also present the perspectives of patients managing lives around kidney
disease, confronting cancer, coping with Hodgkins disease, and living with
multiple sclerosis. These Profiles of Survivors represent people
who believe health is a state of mind as well as a state of body. They share
their personal experiences and deliver messages of hope and courage, even
in the face of a life-threatening illness.
(April 1996)--This issue focuses on Cancer Realities and takes
a new look at a disease that hits blacks harder than any other U.S. ethnic
group. The stories compel us to take a new look at defeating this disease
with an attitude that says It's Time to Put Cancer Out of Business.
Those who take a hard look at cancer in real life, as reflected in stories
on Kids Touched By Cancer, Husbands and Wives Cherish One Another
in Seasons of Change, It's No Laughing Matter: Breast Cancern Also
Attacks Men, and Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence on Women's Health,
will find examples of courage, beauty, and inspiration from those who take
charge of their lives with preventive health care. The cover story for this
issue, on photographer/writer Sylvia Dunnavant's book, Celebrating Life:
African-American Women Speak Out About Breast Chancer, opens our eyes
to a dose of reality about breast cancer. The 62 testimonies from cancer
survivors in her book challenge all who examine it to celebrate the miracle
and richness of life.
 Music
Black music has created a living, flourishing legacy that encompasses
every instrument, from drums and horns to the human voice. Since President
Jimmy Carter hosted the first official celebration of Black Music Month
on the South Lawn of the White House in 1980, efforts have intensified to
preserve and perpetuate the contributions of black music to America and
the world.
about...time Magazine's music issues celebrate our roots in the
social, racial, economic, and cultural conditions of black people. The real
genuis of this music is that it evolves from the sounds, sentiments, language,
vocabulary, syntax, and heart of black people.
The cover story of our June 1995 issue reveles in the artistry of African-American
classical pianist, Awadagin Pratt, winner of the Naumburg International
Piano Competition at the age of 26. Pratt brings tremendous strength to
the piano and drama to the music, producing sounds that are full of richness,
warmth, and depth. He leaves listeners with a more orchestral sense of color
than most pianists aim for, much less achieve.
This issue also delves deep into the soul of an African-American spiritual
composer and arranger to pay tribute to The Genius of Dr. Undine Smith
Moore whose legendary work elevated the music of black people. Her creativity
and musical genius added color to the words with the sweet strains and haunting
melodies in her spiritual compositions. We explore the Shouts and Wails
for the Women of Jazz & Blues, who found liberation through music
despite race and gender, prejudice or economic status.
Another article in the June 1995 issue follows the birth of a remarkable
form of purely black-on-black music represented by The New Fusion of
Hip Hop and Jazz. The uniting of such apparently disparate forces as
the irreverent hip-hop of today with jazz, which is America's only "classical"
music, has a healing effect--it re-establishes the lineage and the continuity
of African-American music. The marriage of the old to the new signals a
coming together of the whole at the insistence of the younger generation.
 Home Improvement & MORE!
For many people, owning a part of the American dream is just that-the
fondest of dreams. about...time Magazine has designated the month
of May to share the excitement and concerns of those who make the dream
of home ownership a reality. Articles have included Tips for First Time
Home Buyers (May 1995), to get you ready for house hunting and help
you through the mortgage process. There's No Place Like Home (May
1994), reports on housing initiatives that open doors to new marketing strategies
designed to make eligible home owners as well as home buyers aware of programs
that assist residents with rehabbing an existing home or purchasing a new
home in the city.
In the May 1996 issue, about...time Magazine did its homework
to bring our readers an issue filled with tips and valuable information
to help make your home the beautiful, comfortable, and safe haven you dream
of. The cover story reflected an increased demand in the field of Afrocentric
home furnishings, by looking at the vibrant yet earthy colors, deep textures,
and rhythmic prints found in African-inspired fabrics from African Home
Inc. Under the historical influence of African art and artifacts, this
company has created a collection of wallpaper, borders, and fabric unmatched
in the industry for its authenticity. With these timeless classic designs,
African Home Inc. makes it possible to bring the continent of Africa to
your home.
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