Mary Washington University
Adilah Barnes – I Am That I
Am: Woman, Black
Mary Washington University, Fredericksburg, Virginia
Friday, Feb. 19, 2010 7
p.m.
Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall
In this one-woman play, Adilah
Barnes takes audiences on a historical journey from slavery to
present through the lives of seven renowned women – Sojourner
Truth, Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Zora Neale Hurston,
Lorraine Hansberry, Angela Davis, and Maya Angelou. Barnes is best
known for her five-year run as Anne Marie on TV’s Rosanne. She
has appeared in TV’s Cold Case, Gilmore Girls, and Mad About
You. She played in the film Murder by Numbers with Sandra Bullock
and Erin Brockovich with Julia Roberts. Co-founder of the Los
Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, Barnes is a graduate, in
theater, of University of California, Santa Cruz.
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Essence Magazine
Essence Magazine Bestseller
Author and Lecturer
On My Own Terms: One Actor’s
Journey
Adilah Barnes is a testament
to the truth that it is possible to become a successful working
actor without the trappings of fame. Her humble beginnings began
in the dusty prune fields near Oroville, California and her acting
achievements have garnered her roles in such award-winning films
as Erin Brockovich and HBO’s Iron-Jawed Angels. She has temped
as a receptionist and also worked five seasons as an actor on the
top-rated television sitcom, Roseanne. She knows firsthand the
gritty reality of the have-nots and has also walked through what
appeared to be the illustrious gates of Hollywood. Adilah has
navigated through seemingly insurmountable odds and come out on
the other side as an actor on her own terms. In a deeply personal
account of her own life and career, Adilah shares her battles,
triumphs, frustrations, and joys, both silent and overt. Includes
readings from her book.
Crossing Over From College to
the Real World
This interactive lecture
specifically aimed at seniors, explores how students can begin to
prepare for the transition into the real world after graduation.
Adilah speaks on the territory of the unknown following completion
of college, identifying
where one’s passion lies and how to seek career opportunities
that nurture the passion, getting work in your major, how to seek,
approach, and make the best use of mentors,
the power of relationship building in the marketplace, work
place politics, and much, much more.
So You Want to Come to
Hollywood!
This nuts and bolts
interactive lecture speaks directly to those who want to make the
trek to Hollywood to follow their dreams in the entertainment
industry. Adilah discusses candidly the world of Hollywood in very
sobering and inspirational terms, shares what steps may be taken
to prepare for the big move including getting your chops before
you arrive, the value of doing the research first, coming to LA
with tools of the trade, a savings, juggling a flexible day job,
representation, auditioning, the importance of surrounding oneself
with a positive support system, wholistic health, dealing with
sexism, racism, and ageism, becoming an entrepreneur, and how to
maintain faith in an uncertain industry. Adilah uses her own life
as proof that it is possible to be a working artist, and maintain
one’s integrity at the same time.
From Self-Publishing to
Becoming a Bestselling Author
Adilah shares her journey from
thought to print in this hands on lecture that includes the
importance of identifying your voice, genre and style, how to get
started, disciplining yourself to write consistently to complete
your book, self publishing vs. a mainstream publisher, literary
agents, elements of writing a book proposal, creating a look for
your book, choosing someone to write the forward, choosing readers
and reviewers to write blurbs, distributors and booksellers, the
importance of having a publicist and marketing strategy , handlng
interviews, peddling your own book,
reading from your book,
royalties, book junket tours, book fairs, and getting
reviewed.
Turning Personal Stories Into
One-Person Shows
Adilah explores with
participants ways they can approach the notion of creating a
one-person show. Elements include making sure you have a personal
yet universal voice that needs to be heard, theatre training, use
of sensory exercises, photos, music, and stored remembrances of
people and moments from your past to activate childhood memories,
spring boarding from memories to get to the actual writing, and
creating a clearly defined beginning, middle and end, She also
focuses on getting from the page to the stage by way of
dramaturgy, direction, staging and stamina.
On Finding One’s Center
This lecture takes a look at
ways to go about finding and celebrating the uniqueness of
oneself, the importance of balance in terms of work and play, the
relationship between emotional, spiritual and physical health, the
role of diet, exercise and rest in well-being, and other tools for
centering such as meditation, yoga, spiritual affirmations and
visualizations.
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KRPR MEDIA
KRPR MEDIA THE 2010 SPIRIT OF
PEACE AWARDS.. THE FOLLOWUP STORY
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 10:57a
A NIGHT OF GLITZ, POOLSIDE
CELEBRITIES AND OFFICIALS; SURROUNDED BY THE SOUNDS OF WAVES ON
THE BEACH AND SMOOTH JAZZ...THAT AND SO MUCH MORE AT THE 2010
SPIRIT OF PEACE!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2010
San Bernardino, Ca.
KimiRhochelle (KRPR) 909-543-2978
A soft breeze moved along the
beach front site of the gorgeous Annenberg Community Beach House
in Santa Monica, Ca. The stage was set, the red carpet rolled out,
the flat screens were placed throughout and soon hundreds of
celebrities, officials, awardees, friends, family and supporters
gathered to embrace those that have dedicated their lives to stop
gang violence in the communities of Riverside, San Bernardino and
Los Angeles Counties.
Never before has there been
such a collaborative effort, a joint passion, a unity of purpose
from all three counties representing all ethnics until this day.
This day, 12 community leaders, some called heroes, were awarded
the 2010 Spirit of Peace Awards. Amongst them: DEPUTY CHIEF
KENNETH O. GARNER (posthumously), CONSTANCE L. RICE, SHERIFF LEROY
BACA, BISHOP PAUL TURNER, BILL DUKE, ADILAH BARNES, TONY
MASSENGALE, CAPTAIN II RIGOBERTO, MRS. MYRTLE FAYE RUMPH, MR.
BERNARDO ROSA, MR. ROCK JOHNSON, THE LAPD and MR. AQEELA SHERILLS.
The evening began as attendees
walked the red carpet to enter into a private serenade of jazz
from violinist Karen Briggs, given gift bags and then escorted to
their tables’ either poolside or over deck to view the
magnificent esthetics of the beach, the lights, the portraits of
hugs and smiles. A moment of prayer opened the invitation to dine
and then the program began.
ABC-7 Co-Anchor David Ono was
Master of Ceremonies as he introduced producer of the event Mr.
Khalid Shah, President of Stop the Violence Increase the Peace
Foundation. With special acknowledgements and thanks, a video
presentation of each awardee spoke to the hearts of all those that
watched. The listener heard moving tales of gang violence; yet an
exclamation point of hope with solutions to peace, to changing
minds, to elevating lifestyles. A moving moment on video was
Khalid Shah in the audience of a talk show telling Suge Knight,
former CEO of Death Row Records, who was on stage, to join the
cause, to stop the violence. Shah stated there were mothers in the
audience of kids he has lifted off the street from just being shot
down. The emotional plea to Knight received a surround of claps
from those watching the video.
The transition to jazz
violinist Karen Briggs was just the right touch allowing everyone
a moment to reflect on their loss, their communities, themselves.
And the moment came for all the awardees to come to the stage. One
by one, they received an award and certificate of thanks from
officials such as: California Senator Roderick D Wright, Ca,.
Assembly Steven C. Bradford, Ca. Assembly Isadore Hall, III., Ca.
Assembly Wilmer Carter, Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio R.
Villaraigosa, Supervisor, Second District Mark Ridley-Thomas, Los
Angeles Councilmember Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles Councilmember
Janice Hahn.
What made this event a true
3-County salute were the entities that participated: Mr. Terrance
Stones’ Young Visionaries of San Bernardino, Mrs. Margaret Hill,
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools and the San
Bernardino Drug and Task Force, various law enforcement units from
both the Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside City and County
Sherriff and Police Department, various Stop The Violence
Collaboratives’ from all 3-Counties and the various
organizations represented from the awardees such as Constance
Rice: Advancement Project, Bill Dukes: Educating Young Minds,
Myrtle Faye Rumph: Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, Bernardo Rosa:
Spirit of Manhood and Community Wellness Partnership of Pomona,
Rudolph “RockHead” Johnson: Amer-I-Can, and Aqeela Sherills:
The Reverence Project.
“It will take joint efforts
from all Counties to share resources to maintain sustainability,
training of our youth and adults, counseling and employment not
only those from gang environment but individuals released from
incarceration” states Shah.
In fact, Shah made a special
announcement about a new television documentary about gangs that
will be produced by Actor/Producer Mr. Bill Duke (an awardee) that
will not only focus on gang life and those touched by it across
the U.S.. Specifically, families and individuals from all counties
of Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles that have been part
of the gang problems or effected by the violence will be featured.
Such an example is Michelle Ramirez, a San Bernardino resident
whose son of 11 years was killed. Ramirez was a personal guest of
Mr. Shaw at the 2010 Spirit of Peace Awards and walked the red
carpet with her family taking pictures with a poster of her son
that was killed.
The 2010 Spirit of Peace
Awards was the talk of the town, an event that will grow to
national exposure in the years to follow! “This was the best
organized event honoring the soldiers of the communities in
beautiful surroundings” states Terrence Stone, “I am honored
to be a collaborative partner with Khalid Shah”.
Margaret Hill states, “This
was the most phenomenal event I have ever attended. It was a good
feeling having celebrities, law enforcement, concerned citizens
and those who lost loved ones in the same rooms. It was easy to
feel the love, hope, care and everyone’s for peace and
goodwill!”
The 2010 Spirit of Peace
Awards quietly whispered that gang violence is not a black thing
or a white thing. It’s in every culture, hits every person and
is unbiased like a cancerous cell that marks all of our
communities. The loss of a mothers’ child that has been killed;
the incarceration of a mothers’ child that has committed the
crime...the hurt is the same, the blood spilt is the same, the
movement with purpose to cease gang mentality must be the same.
The Stop the Violence Increase
the Peace Foundation is a 501 (c) non-profit community prevention
and intervention organization that works to eliminate all forms of
violence in Southern California communities with locations in Los
Angeles and Moreno Valley. Programs offered include gang
prevention and intervention, after-school programs, safe-passage
programs, services for women and children victims of domestic
violence and the surviving families of homicide. Donations are
always accepted by going to
www.2010spiritofpeaceawards.eventbrite.com
The 2010 Spirit of Peace
Awards was effortlessly beautifully orchestrated by Kim Anthonys
of Urban Excellence Communications with support from KimiRhochelle
of Kimi Rhochelle PR Event and Entertainment Firm.
For more information about the
organization or how to partner in order to reach those in your
community, please call Khalid Shah at 323-777-4894.
BIOS OF AWARDEES:
ADILAH BARNES
Adilah Barnes is an
award-winning actor of stage, television and film, bestselling
author, producer, motivational and keynote address speaker and has
used her life as an inspiration to reach disadvantaged youth in
such programs as Upward Bound, TRIO and the Boys and Girls Club
and through the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival, a non-profit
organization she co-founded, has served more that 3000 youth in
the Los Angeles Unified School District since 2005 in both
in-school and after school programs through partnerships with
Enrichment Works, and Creative Kids.
DEPUTY CHIEF KENNETH O. GARNER
(posthumously)
Joining the Los Angeles Police
Department in 1977,Deputy Chief Garner wore a Los Angeles Police
Department uniform for more than three decades. Most recently
promoted to was the commander of operations for the department's
South Bureau, he also spearheaded a program to help young men
re-enter society after being released from prison.
CONSTANCE L. RICE
Co-Director of The Advancement
Project, is known for her success in tackling problems of inequity
and exclusion. She has received more than 50 major awards for her
work in expanding opportunity and advancing multi-racial
democracy. Rice graduated from Harvard and the New York University
School of Law and as a litigator, she has filed class action civil
rights cases redressing police misconduct, discrimination and
unfair public policy in transportation, probation and public
housing.
SHERIFF LEROY BACA &
BISHOP PAUL TURNER
Working to Heal the Black and
Brown Divide: Los Angeles County Sherriff Leroy Baca and Bishop
Paul Turner
Last winter, LA County jails
exploded in deadly battles between brown and black gang members,
forcing prolonged lockdowns. Racially motivated shootings closed
area freeways earlier this year. Fights sometimes involving more
than 100 high school students divided along racial lines regularly
disrupt LA schools.
To stem that growing divide, a
task force of clergy, law enforcement officers, and community
leaders brought together by Sheriff Lee Baca and Bishop Edward
Turner, held a series of conferences at the University of Southern
California to address common problems facing both communities. The
forums addressed such issues as low voter turn-out, high
incarceration rates, discriminatory immigration policies, high
unemployment, substandard education and high drop-out rates,
absent health care, and worsening gang violence. develop detailed
action plans, that were made available to community leaders across
Los Angeles County and beyond.
BILL DUKE
Bill Duke has a wide range of
credits to his name in almost every film discipline, including
directing, producing, acting and writing. The founder of Duke
Media, Mr. Duke also believes in sharing his talent with the
community and has devoted much of his time to work with non-profit
and charity organizations, like Education Young Minds, an
organization that helps inner-city students, ages 5-18, excel at
school and at life.
TONY MASSENGALE
Tony Massengale has over 30
years experience in institutional and community change. He has
worked extensively in youth and young adult development,
inter-ethnic relations, community and civic organizing. He has
also contributed significantly to the field of community based
gang
intervention and violence
prevention, as an organizer, teacher and mentor.
CAPTAIN II RIGOBERTO
The Los Angeles Police
Department Community Relations Services was established in 1965 in
the aftermath of the Watts riots. Under the leadership of
Officer-In-Charge, Captain II Rigoberto Romero the Community
Relations Division continuously strives toward maintaining open
avenues of discourse between the numerous and diversified
communities and the Department in an ongoing effort to keep
abreast of, and sensitive to, the contemporary issues facing law
enforcement today. will present their 2010 Spirit of Peace Awards.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP HONOREES:
Mrs. Faye Rumph -
The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage
Center ~ Spirit of Courage Award
Born in Texas during the
Depression years. She studied business
management at El Camino
College and owned a moving company and other enterprises with her
husband. The murder of her eldest son shattered her business
ambitions and resurrected her dreams to be a teacher and
missionary. Redirecting her pain, Mrs. Rumph formed the Al Wooten
Jr. Heritage Center in May of 1990 with the help of family and
friends who also caught the vision of a more positive approach to
stopping youth violence.
Mr. Bernardo Rosa -
Pomona Youth and Family Master
Plan ~ Spirit of Leadership Award
Bernardo Rosa has been
involved in community organizing on social justice, racial
justice, youth violence, teen pregnancy and substance abuse
prevention issues for over 35 years. He is the co-founder and
Executive Director of CWP; co-founder of the Spirit of Manhood
male responsibility program and was selected in 2000 by the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation as a National Fellow in the, He is the
volunteer facilitator of the City of Pomona Youth Advisory
Committee and the Co Chair of the Pomona Youth and Family Master
Plan Community Board.
Mr. Rock Johnson -
Amer-I-Can ~ Spirit of Justice
Award
Simply put, Rudolph
“Rockhead” Johnson is a seminal example that
enduring change in behavior is
possible. Moreover Rock Johnson embodies the mantra of Jim
Brown’s Amer-I-Can Life Management Skills 60-90 hour training
curriculum: “eliminate the negative, establish the facts and
choose the best option.”
Mr. Aqeela Sherills -
Spirit of Vision Award
Aqeela Sherrils is Executive
Director of CSDI, which creates innovative, cost effective ways of
solving individual & community problems. In 1992, Aqeela led a
"Gang Truce" with his brother that catalyzed other peace
treaties across the country. Three years after the peace treaty,
gang homicides were down 47%, and 15 new businesses had entered
Watts. CSDI now employs over 50 people developing community in
Watts.
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Self
Publishing Q&A with Adilah Barnes
19.
Nov, 2009
Author Adilah Barnes talks about having her book, ON MY OWN TERMS
One Actor's Journey self-published with Xlibris.
How did you first come to learn of Xlibris, and what made you
decide to publish with Xlibris?
I heard of Xlibris from a
former acting student of mine, Pamela Durant-Aubrey who was an
employee of Xlibris at the time. Unfortunately, by the time I
moved forward with Xlibris as my publisher, Pamela had left. I had
counted on her being there to support me in the process but though
she was gone, I did have a team at Xlibris who supported me along
the way until my book was completed and printed.
How was your publishing
experience with Xlibris?
Quite honestly, I met a number
of challenges along the way (ie editing issues, printing issues,
etc). However, in the end, we turned out a well-presented book of
quality!
What do you think is the most
important thing to consider when you choose a self-publishing
company?
The company, package, process
and support team.
Is there anything that you
would like to pass on to other writers who are presently
entertaining the idea of self-publishing their book?
Yes, make sure you are clear
on what your book is about, that there is an audience and market
for your work, do the research needed, have an editor and allow
the time to complete the process with excellence.
Would you recommend Xlibris to
others?
Many have appreciated the
quality of my book and have asked who my publisher is. I have
referred others and one has a contract with Xlibris now. At the
same time, I have also impressed on them the importance of
double-checking the work and working closely with your team to get
the excellence they desire.
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HELPING HANDS
University of California at Santa Cruz
Career Advice Network
Adilah Barnes
An accomplished actress with
numerous theater, film, and television roles to her
credit--including five years on ABC's Roseanne--Adilah Barnes (Cowell
'72) long ago left Santa Cruz for Hollywood. Nonetheless, she
maintains her connections to her alma mater, driven by the
influence that one of her UCSC mentors had on her life.
Herman Blake, founding provost
of UCSC's Oakes College, has Barnes's life long gratitude for the
counsel he provided to her and fellow African American students
during their UCSC years. "He was our father, our therapist,
our friend, our educator--he was everything to us," Barnes
says. "If I could give to another student half of what Herman
gave to me, I would be happy with that."
In many ways, Barnes has
followed Blake's example. As a participant in UCSC's Career Advice
Network, she makes herself available to students who are
interested in the entertainment business. She also offers
internships with the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival, of
which she is executive producer.
Barnes, who serves as an
active member of the Alumni Council, also travels to UCSC yearly
to dispense career advice at the Multicultural Connections
Conference (formerly Students of Color Conference).
Like her UCSC mentor, Barnes
sees the value of nurturing students outside the
classroom--especially minority students who may feel isolated in
the university environment.
"By hearing of their
struggles and what they're experiencing," Barnes says,
"I can let them know they are not alone in whatever
challenges they face."
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University Communications
University Communications -
Press Release
Marshall’s Women of Color program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications (304) 696-7153
Actor Adilah Barnes, who played in 'Roseanne' for five years, is
keynote speaker at Marshall’s Women of Color program
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –
Award-winning actor Adilah Barnes, best known to television
audiences for her five-year role as Anne Marie on ABC’s
Roseanne, will be the keynote speaker at Marshall University’s
Women of Color program Tuesday, March 3.
The program, which is free to
the public, begins at noon in the Memorial Student Center’s Don
Morris Room on Marshall’s Huntington campus. This year’s theme
is “Retrospective: Recognizing Achievements and Moving
Forward.”
Barnes, who has more than 30
years of acting experience, will be speaking on excerpts from her
book, On My Own Terms: One Actor’s Journey.
Women of Color awards will be
presented and a reception will follow.
The Women of Color Program
activities are coordinated by Fran L. Jackson, Program Assistant
II with the Center for African American Students’ Programs; Leah
Tolliver, Director of the Women’s Center; and Lisa Allen,
Administrative Assistant with Marshall University Multicultural
Affairs.
Vendors and displays will be
set up in the lobby of the Memorial Student Center throughout the
day.
For more information, contact
Fran L. Jackson at 304-696-6705.
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