Motown Showcase

THREE CHARGED IN LARAMIE & LAKE BEAUTY SUPPLY ARMED ROBBERY AND POLICE SHOOT-OUT

Leevon Carter (left), Richie Cole (right), and Omar Young were arrested and charged with the March 14 armed robbery of a beauty supply store at Laramie & Lake, and for their assault on a police officer.

Three armed offenders were apprehended after a shoot-out with police responding to an armed robbery of a beauty supply store in the 5100 block of West Lake Street on Wednesday night, March 14.
    Leevon Carter, 21, of the 100 block of North Lockwood Avenue, is charged with one count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm. Omar Young, 23, of the 300 block of North Lockwood, is charged with one count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm, one count of Aggravated Assault of a Police Officer, and a Parole Violation. Richie Cole, 19, of the 100 block of North La Crosse Avenue, is charged with one count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm and a Parole Violation.

Celebrating 134 Years of Faith on Washington Boulevard PASTORS SAMS & HATCH MARK BIRTHDAY MILESTONES

Two outstanding and beloved West Side clergymen reached milestones recently and their friends and congregations saluted the happy occasions. Pastor Willie J. Sams of New Evangelical Bible Church, 4636 West Washington Boulevard, celebrated his 80th birthday at a formal banquet arranged by his congregation. Reverend Dr. Marshall E. Hatch celebrated his 54th birthday with a rollicking Gospel Jam at New Mt. Pilgrim M.B. Church, 4301 West Washington Boulevard, featuring the best vocal performers and more.

WINDY CITY DOLPHINS CELEBRATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON WITH GALA AWARDS BANQUET

For 17 years, the Windy City Youth Football League, sponsors of multi-level competitive sports programs for boys and girls, have been capturing national attention for winning football and cheerleading championships and mentoring young people to be good citizens and scholars, as well as outstanding athletes. This year, the teams and cheerleaders went to the national championships in Tampa, Florida. On February 19, more than 400 young athletes and their parents joined their coaches for a festive awards banquet and celebration at Hanging Gardens Banquet Hall. For information on registration for the 2012-2013 season, call Coach Hoye at 773/370-7448.

Celebrating Red Tails TUSKEGEE AIRMEN SALUTED WITH MOVIE, APPEARANCES & HIGHWAY

FOUR GENERATIONS CELEBRATE FAMILY UNITY IN NORTH LAWNDALE

A BRIGHT NEW DAY FOR LEARNING AT JAMES WELDON JOHNSON SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE

     When Alice Felice Henry first walked into James Weldon Johnson School in North Lawndale, she knew the turnaround she was about to undertake would have to be total. Ms Henry says the building at 1420 South Albany was filthy, with holes in the walls and graffiti scrawled across hallways. Windows overlooking Douglas Park with a view of downtown Chicago from uniquely-designed common areas on each floor were painted black so children could not see out and light could not come in, giving the school a dark and depressing atmosphere. She made her first task to draw up work orders to clean and repair the building and change the entire mood of the school. She had the paint scraped off the windows and the whole building received a fresh, bright paint job. Then Ms Henry set about to hire staff that matched the new environment with an enthusiasm for teaching that would inspire the students. 

     James Weldon Johnson had been designated by CPS as a turnaround school three years ago and given to the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) to manage. Alice Felice Henry was selected as Johnson’s Principal because of her 22-year professional career in education. She served for ten years as principal of an alternative school with experience working with young people displaying behavioral, substance abuse, and mental health issues. Her teaching career includes schools in Atlanta and Chicago. Ms Henry knew she needed to improve the school environment quickly. She selected 75% of her new faculty from AUSL-trained teachers and retained 25% of the existing staff. 

    Johnson is a Chicago public school and all faculty members are union teachers. Johnson School of Excellence is NOT a charter school. As principal, Ms Henry reflects the AUSL philosophy of teamwork and support, ensuring teacher success. The assistant principal is still a model teacher. Henry’s mantra is, “Actions against adversity: Don’t do things that get in the way of instructional activity.” She emphasizes attention to detail. Henry observes, “If it isn’t done right on the first day, you will be correcting it the rest of the year.” So, she was determined to set the right tone from Day One. Henry explains that schools need to be turned around “because they are horrifically dysfunctional – dangerous, with no learning going on.” This was the case at James Weldon Johnson. Before she took over, police were a daily presence in the school. She met the local commander shortly after the opening of school and he said he thought Johnson was closed because he had received no calls for service. 

    But, Ms Henry emphasizes that it is the adults who matter in changing the school environment. “We didn’t change any children,” she says. Like all AUSL schools, James Weldon Johnson is a neighborhood school, drawing its entire student body from the surrounding community. Currently, Johnson has rebuilt its enrollment to more than 355 students. The school was built for 500, but only 230 students were registered when AUSL took over management because academic standards had deteriorated and the school was so unsafe. This year, the staff has worked to reduce transfers and encourage neighborhood children to return. Average daily attendance rate is 97% at Johnson. 

   Other factors reducing enrollment were the closing of the nearby public housing projects and the foreclosure crisis. It is expected that the closing of Lathrop Elementary School at 1440 South Christiana at the end of this year will result in its 80 students attending Johnson in the fall. AUSL operates teacher-training academies in Chicago and then pairs resident instructors with experienced mentor teachers. In addition, Johnson utilizes City Year Americorps volunteers to work with students and provide tutoring assistance. North Central College students perform clinical service hours tutoring Johnson students. Ms Henry and the staff have designed the common areas of each floor around themes. The 2nd floor is Just Like Home; the 3rd floor has a garden theme; and the 4th floor is an Internet Café. 

   Teachers take classes to these informal lounge areas for individual reading times, special projects, and tutoring. Christopher Cuengras is the Choral & Keyboard Teacher. Ms Henry stresses that Johnson has the same budget as every other Chicago public school its size. She chooses to utilize a portion of her funding for music and a Fine Arts Classroom. Johnson is still a work in progress, Principal Henry explains. When she took over, less than 40% of Johnson students were meeting or exceeding state standards. 

   Currently, over 60% meet and exceed. And, the trend is upward. Henry says her biggest challenge was getting parents to interact appropriately and become involved at Johnson. She says parent involvement has evolved. At James Weldon Johnson School of Excellence, it is clear that everyone is working as a team and the children are major partners in their academic progress.

Princess Nauwisa Gets Up in the Mix

by Andrew Griffin         You know we had our King of Pop, we have our Queen of Soul, but on February 22, 1997 our Princess of Hip-Hop was born. Juanish Johnson, known to the world as Princess Nauwisa.  Princess Nauwisa started her career at the young age of 9. By age 11, the rapper, songwriter and actress completed her first full song, entitled Play Ground. Right then and there her parents knew that she had the talent that would take her to great heights. They knew it was time to let the world know that the Princess has arrived. Right away, the red carpet was rolled out for her. She began performing here in Chicago and her fan base started to grow. The kids all over Chicago were excited to know that the Princess of Hip-Hop was from their city. I had the pleasure of meeting Princess Nauwisa and I am very impressed by all the many things this young lady has accomplished. We sat down, laughed and joked with each other and then it hit me, “I’m in the presence of Royalty.” While performing all over the Mid-West, Mississippi and Tennessee, Princess Nauwisa was discovered by an independent label ( Engle Ward Entertainment ) in 2010. Immediately, the label signed her and out came her first official video, Girl Pants; It was enthusiastically received. Nauwisa’s next hit song and video was Squat.It had kids dancing all over the country!  Now it’s, I LIKE HIM. This song has been featured on WGCI and Power 92 gave mad love to our new Princess of Hip-Hop, giving her all the support she needs to take her to the next level. Now it’s here! Engle Ward Entertainment presents Industry Ready. Princess Nauwisa’s new album was released on July 8, 2011. The album has been getting national attention and Princess Nauwisa has upcoming shows in New York, Texas, and Atlanta. She recently graced the stage with other nationally known artists like Diggy Simmons, Jacob Latimore, and Chicago’s own Jawuan Harris. Other artists all over the country are receiving her with open arms. There is nothing more I can say but, God bless our Princess of Hip-Hop,  Princess Nauwisa. For contact and booking, go to englewardentertainment@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter.

ST. ANGELA STUDENTS: LEARNING, RUNNING & ACHIEVING

AUSTIN BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACADEMY RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING STUDENTS