Louisville, KY has a national reputation for three (3) things: 1.) Sports – (The Kentucky Derby, Muhammad Ali, The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, College Hoops –The University of Louisville). These corporations also happen to be three of Kentucky’s six Fortune 500 Companies. 2.) Food – (KFC – YUM Foods, Superchefs, Seafood Lady, Mussel & Burger Bar, Grind Burger, The Bar at Blu, The Comfy Cow. Louisville is world-renowned for its hundreds of unique local eateries. 3.) Crime – Unfortunately the television show, The First 48, has put a national spotlight on Louisville’s recent murder epidemic. The fact that the world’s perception of Louisville primarily revolves around the three (3) categories mentioned above, is exactly why seven (7) independent black-owned media outlets have become the prominent voices of Louisville’s African-American community. Fair & Unbiased media reporting has become a rarity these days. Many major media outlets opt for misleading Sensationalized stories that have the potential to “Go Viral” – thus earning more advertising revenue for their publications. To make matters worse, those Sensationalized stories are often rooted in exploiting well-known racial stereotypes. For those who don’t know – this is how media works. Everything is based on analytics. Television & Radio earn revenue from advertisers and sponsors (commercials). Online publications earn revenue from the advertisements placed on their websites. The higher the ratings are for television and radio programs – the more the outlet can charge advertisers for commercial spots. The more hits (views) that a website receives – the more people view the ads – resulting in the site earning more money. So essentially, the viewers drive the content. The higher the ratings/views/clicks – the more the media outlets are going to continue giving their audience the same type of content because it’s making them money. So when a person views or shares something they don’t like or agree with – they are actually financially supporting that content. Now the mainstream media isn’t innocent in all this. They purposely title articles and headlines with misleading Sensationalized phrases to entice viewers into indulging in the content. For online publications, this concept is commonly referred to as “ClickBait”. Everyone wants to see a train-wreck right? Media outlets understand this, so they have created an appetite for calamities within the general public. They feed you just a enough adrenaline driven content – to have you craving for more. Meanwhile, you no longer want the DULL, BORING news that actually affects your life. You now want the DRAMA. The main problem with this type of reporting is that minorities – particularly African-Americans – often are portrayed in the bulk of the negative Sensationalized stories. We are the sacrificial lambs, watching our images being led to slaughter. For example, instead of covering positive volunteer programs, community leaders or entrepreneurs within the African-American community – mainstream media outlets opt to cover the murders, shootings and acts of violence because those stories tend to have a greater life throughout the news cycle. Since the racial stereotype exists in America that black people are violent – the mainstream media plays to that narrative – for profit. Let’s look at some interesting facts. According to the Child Rescue Network:

• On average 33 children are abducted every day by a non-family member.  Most of these children are sexually assaulted before being released or getting away.
• Over 150 kids per day are abducted by a family member, most often a parent.  Such cases make up 82% of all abduction scenarios.
• Over 1000 children per day are classified as runaways or thrownaways.  Thrownaways are those children who are forced out of their homes with no means of support.

Now, the racial stereotype also exists in America that most child abductions, resulting in sexual assault and/or murder, are committed by suburban white males. But do we see reports of these abductions during “Breaking News” interruptions all day – every day? Of course not. Why you ask? Many black scholars would argue that since blacks lack any significant economic or political power in America, our public image and labor have been exploited for profit since the first slave ship arrived in Jamestown on August 20, 1619. Now that exploitation has just become a routine part of American culture. It’s expected, believed and embraced – by non-blacks and sadly many black people as well. It is also a common belief in the black community that the powerful white people, who own and control all the MAJOR media outlets in America, will never allow the public reputation of white America to be tarnished. Often it appears as if the mainstream media goes to great lengths to downplay or cover-up the ill deeds of many white Americans. Additionally, black journalists like myself, often make the argument that white media outlets simply don’t understand or care about black culture – therefore their coverage is misleading and lacking facts. These outlets typically are out of touch with the black community and often use black correspondents who are not actually a part of black culture. Whether blacks are primarily being portrayed in a negative light purposely or by misunderstanding, six black entrepreneurs from Louisville have realized that black-owned media outlets are a necessity to accurately represent and protect the image of black community. Louisville poses its own set of challenges within itself. Being a racially segregated city, African-American stories rarely get any mainstream press unless they are acts of violence or criminal activity. Currently, whites make up 70% of Louisville’s population as opposed to 21% of African-Americans. With that type of racial disparity, blacks are not routinely a large part of the mainstream media cycle. Taking all the adversities of black Louisville into consideration, these seven black-owned media outlets, each offer unique formats and perspectives of the black experience in America. 1.) Chea Chea Media – Owned and operated by Chea K. Woolfolk

Chea Chea Media houses the Chea K. Woolfolk Magazine, the Nosey by Nature TV show, and Heart & Mogul Network Radio under its umbrella. All ventures under Chea Chea Media operate online and are easily accessible free of charge. Woolfolk focuses on a global following and is positioning herself to be mentioned in the conversation with the Oprah’s and Wendy Williams’ of the world. 2.) Vome’ Magazine – Owned by Oremeyi Kareem

Vome’ is a fashion magazine based on models of African descent. Vome’ launched online in January 2017, and will soon be heading to print. The upscale publication specializes in offering modeling opportunities to average everyday people, with the concept of spreading the message that: “We All Are Beautiful”. 3.) The Turn Up Show w/T-Made & Friends – Owned by Antonio “T-Made” Taylor

The Turn Up Show is a weekly radio show that airs on WLOU 104.7FM in Louisville, every Friday evening at 8:00pm. The Turn Up Show is a one-hour, hip-hop based, talk radio show that operates on a positive platform. T-Made developed the show nearly two years ago to serve as a positive alternative to the negativity that is commonplace on most mainstream Urban radio stations in America. The Turn Up Show plays positive hip-hop and discusses the current events trending throughout the African-American community. The Turn Up Show is also accessible on the Tune-In radio app. 4.) LGTV – Owned by Dee Johnson

LGTV is an online television network which allows partners to purchase channels to air their content. LGTV has been operation for over a decade and has built a substantial national online following. Johnson specializes in photography, videography, directing, editing, film production and graphic design. He also owns a full service studio which is available to film TV shows, documentaries, videos, short films, commercials etc. 5.) Millennial Mom Magazine – Owned by Jessica “JT” Taylor

Millennial Mom is a national online magazine that represents the perspective of the millennial mom. The magazine’s 30 national contributors represent mothers of many ethnic backgrounds and cultures. Millennial Mom features articles ranging from mediation, health/diet, dealing with negative emotions – to makeup tips. This publication is one-of-a-kind and is the perfect reading material for those wanting to know what’s on the mind of the modern-day mother. 6.) Urban Voices Radio –  Owned by Brad Harrison

Urban Voices Radio is a weekly radio program which airs on WCHQ 100.9FM in Louisville, KY every Saturday evening at 4:30pm. The hour-long talk show highlights positive individuals from Louisville’s Urban community.

Harrison, along with co-hosts Nene Woolfolk, Shawn Mucker and Tiandra Robinson interview local entrepreneurs, educators, activists, students and entertainers who typically are overlooked by the mainstream media outlets. The slogan of the show is the “Voice of the Voiceless.” Urban Voices can also be accessed on the Crescent Hill Radio app, UrbanMaxx Magazine, crescenthillradio.com and on SoundCloud on the CHRadio channel. 7.) UrbanMaxx Magazine – Owned by Brad Harrison

UrbanMaxx Magazine is an online publication that features positive articles about residents from Louisville’s African-American community. Harrison believes that media images help shape the way the world views individuals as well as influences those who digest its content. UrbanMaxx focuses on highlighting the best and brightest from Louisville’s African-American community, while influencing its readers by providing positive role models. Urban Voices and UrbanMaxx Magazine are divisions of UrbanMaxx Media.

For the second year in a row, Jack Daniel’s Honey presents, “Art, Beats & Lyrics” drew a large crowd for its Kentucky Derby weekend party at Louisville’s Ice House. The theme of the event was to essentially capture the original “4 Elements of Hip-Hop” which were established by 80s hip-hop pioneers such as KRS-One and Afrika Bambaataa to name a few. Those 4 elements are:

1. MCing – master of ceremony or rapper
2. DJing – the art of Djing a party with two turn-tables (record players)
3. Breakdancing – the art of breakdancing
4. Graffiti Arts – the art of “tagging” (graffiti style urban spray painting)

Atlanta natives Dubelyoo and Jabari Graham created the concept of Arts-Beats & Lyrics out of their deep love and admiration of modern art and the hip-hop culture.

Dubelyoo and Graham decided to create the artistic musical collaboration when Graham was abruptly laid-off from his marketing position with a circus group. Instead of wallowing in misery – the pair got together and decided that they both were in search of new careers. Graham formed a collaboration comprised of a group of local artists and Djs from the Atlanta area and started putting on shows. Dubelyoo quickly realized the growth potential and gave the venture a boost by booking future shows at local museums. Nine years later – Art-Beats & Lyrics has expanded and is currently touring across the country, hosting shows that feature established urban artists as well as major label rappers & Djs. Art-Beats & Lyrics essentially turned Louisville’s Ice House into an urban art gallery featuring urban artwork from local and national artists. Many of the pieces were murals of popular hip-hop artists or tributes to hip-hop culture. The doors opened at 8pm and partygoers were provided two free Jack Daniel’s Honey mixed drinks to sip on while viewing the art displays. To further infuse the hip-hop culture – seven Djs captivated the crowd throughout the evening with popular hip-hop records from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s.

Kentucky Derby weekend 2016, was the first year that the tour hit Louisville and it was so successful that organizers were eager to return to recreate the magic.

This year’s event was even more successful than last year. The Ice House reached capacity around 10:30pm and the line outside was still at least a block long. Around 11 pm – the dj’s cranked up the music and the dance floor instantly became flooded with people elbow-to-elbow, jamming to old school classics like Jodeci, Mystikal and Debarge. Other highlights of the evening included musical entertainment and comedic relief from the event’s Master of Ceremony D.R.E.S. tha BEATnik.

Around 1a.m., Dj Mannie Fresh, formerly of Cash Money Records, took over the turntables and rocked the party with Southern hip-hop classics from the 90s and early 2000s.      

The “100 Black Men of Louisville” are best known for their prestigious annual Derby Gala. The formal ballroom event takes place the Thursday before the running of the Kentucky Derby and typically brings out the “who’s who” from Louisville’s prominent African-American community. This year the Gala took place on May 4th, in the ballroom of Louisville’s luxurious Galt House hotel and featured the legendary R&B group “The O’Jay’s”. The annual event is a night of elegance and entertainment – with the purpose of raising funds for educational programs and college scholarships for local African-American teens. Each year the Gala draws 900-1100 people and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for the education of young African-Americans. Reggie Gresham, the president of the 100 Black Men of Louisville, explains that the disbursement of those funds is a two-fold process.

 

“Most of those dollars go back to the programs and the actual scholarships that we have and also the remaining dollars have to cover the expenses to put the Gala on.” – Reggie Gresham

The 100 Black Men of Louisville have a long-standing partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky. That partnership consists of providing year-long mentoring programs, for young black males, at designated elementary, middle and high schools.

“We give mentoring programs back to young black males… And we do that at all grade levels, from elementary – to middle school – to high school – to college. We’re really entrenched at Jefferson County Public Schools… We sit down with teachers and counselors at those schools and identify kids that are struggling through just basic self-esteem issues – to reading at a lower grade level than they should be.” -Reggie Gresham

In addition, the 100 Black Men of Louisville also have partnerships with certain colleges and universities across the country. These partnerships enable the organization to provide college scholarships to Louisville teens who meet the necessary criteria. On Sunday, April 29, 2017, the 100 Black Men of Louisville held their annual “Scholarship Banquet” at Birracibo’s Pizza on 4th Street Live at 1pm. Twenty high school seniors received college scholarships ranging from a thousand dollars – to four-year full-ride opportunities with participating colleges. The scholarships awarded to recipients at this year’s banquet were created from funds raised a year earlier, in conjunction with the 2016 – 100 Black Men Annual Derby Gala. This year, a total of $355k in college scholarships were given to the twenty local high school seniors and the organization has given $1.3 million in college scholarships to local high school seniors over the past three years.

The unique concept about the programs offered by the 100 Black Men of Louisville is that, although their mentoring programs focus on African-American males – their scholarships are available to any local high school senior, of any race & sex, who meet the established criteria. The 100 Black Men of Louisville offer several other programs for young black males that exist outside the confines of the public schools that they mentor in. In 2016, the organization held a bootcamp at the Southwick Community Center. The first series of the camp served as an ACT Test prep class. A test expert advised students of the “do’s & don’ts” when taking the ACT. The second series focused on the “do’s & don’ts” in regards to financial aid. Students were educated on how to apply for scholarships and grants, as well as borrowing responsibly for their education. Additionally, representatives from 7-8 colleges and universities attended the bootcamp and waived the application fee for those high school seniors who chose to apply to their schools. The application fees typically range from $50 – $200. Throughout the process of mentoring, the organization has discovered that many students excel very well academically when given the opportunity to pursue higher education – but often struggle with being homesick once they arrive at college. It’s often an overlooked reality but many young black males, who have pretty much been confined to their communities for their entire lives, often have trouble adapting to life at predominantly white colleges and universities. To address that concern, the 100 Black of Louisville created a bootcamp focusing on “How to survive at a predominately white college.” Students would visit colleges during this bootcamp, to experience the unknown, as opposed to having it all thrown at them once they arrive at college. The organization has also formed the “Collegiate 100” which is based out of the University of Louisville and is designed to mentor black male college students.

“We try to take collegiate kids and help them mentor with our high school kids – and then have our high school kids mentor with our middle school kids and our middle school kids mentor with elementary school kids.” – Reggie Gresham

The newest program being launched by the 100 Black Men of Louisville is called C.O.R.E. The program begins June 3, 2017, and will select 15-20 students, from participating schools, for job shadowing. Gresham emphasizes that children often become what they see. He explains that the C.O.R.E. plans to introduce young people to professions that they didn’t know existed, by allowing them to shadow professionals at their workplace. Gresham gives an example of how influential this type of exposure can be, by referring to a field trip that he took a group of students on, a few years ago.

“We have a great relationship with UPS. A couple of years ago we took 30 kids out to UPS and what was really unique about that is, they ask them three simple questions.” 1. Have you ever heard of UPS? 2. Would you like to be a pilot? 3. Would you like to work for UPS? “At the beginning all the kids said, No…No…No. So, it was a resounding No for all the kids… They did a presentation about UPS, showed them the actual simulator – let them get into the simulator and ride around in it… Right after that, they asked the same three questions and the answers were a resounding, Yes…Yes…Yes… And that just goes to our motto, which is: What they see is what the become.” – Reggie Gresham

Inspiring and mentoring young black males is what the 100 Black Men of Louisville are all about. The organization currently has 50 members who are primarily black professionals. The member roster consists of attorneys, pilots, doctors, lawyers, business owners, professors, accountants and more.

The Louisville chapter has existed for the past 26 years and was the 6th chapter established out of the current 60 national and 4 international chapters. Despite their wide reach, the organization understands that they can’t reach every young person. With only 50 members, many are so dedicated, that they find themselves committing several hours each week to mentoring programs at local schools – in addition to their daily 9-5 jobs. This is a reality the organization’s treasurer, Jerry Ledbetter, knows all too well.

“There’s a whole lot more demand than supply. Reggie is at Valley and I actually mentor at T.J. Middle School once a week. I get emails all the time from people asking how can they get their kid into the mentoring program.” – Jerry Ledbetter

For more information about the 100 Black Men of Louisville – access their website at 100bmol.org.  

Fun, Food and Community is the always the goal for Keisha Allen’s “Taste of West Louisville.” The annual event gathers over a dozen Louisville food vendors – under one roof – and allows event-goers to sample their unique cuisines. This year’s event takes place on April 8, 2017, at the California Community Center from 6pm-8pm (1600 St. Catherine Street, Louisville, KY 40210). “The Taste” prides itself on using old-fashioned networking, to allow the residents of Louisville’s West End, to experience food and catering businesses that may not normally be located within their vicinity. As if the food choices aren’t enough, Allen goes a step farther and uses a large portion of the proceeds to provide college scholarships for graduating local high school seniors. Admission to “The Taste of West Louisville” is $20 and tickets must be purchased in advance through eventbrite or Better Days West record store. There will be no tickets available for purchase at the door. Click here to purchase tickets

The Taste of West Louisville is Presented by: Community Ventures & Uplift Louisville Who is Uplift Louisville? Uplift Louisville is an organization with the goal to enrich, enlighten, and encourage urban small businesses and the children of those communities in which the businesses operate. We aim to enrich by promotion and bringing awareness to the businesses.  We aim to enlighten the community on the importance of small business and how they can participate in the small business movement. We aim to enlighten also by advocating the importance of education, and net proceeds will ALWAYS be awarded in scholarships for current college bound high school seniors.   We aim to encourage each and every person in the community to never give up on hopes of greatness.

Contact Info:

Keisha Allen@

westlouisvilletasting@gmail.com

We live in an era where negative media stories dominate our headlines – leading many to believe that positive actions rarely exist. This is particularly the case when  it comes to African-American males. However, in reality, more African-Americans are enrolled in college than in any previous time period. According to CNN Money, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2014 – 70.9% of black high school graduates enrolled in college – in comparison to those numbers being 59.3% in 2013 and 41.9% in 1976. According to the Journal Of Blacks In Higher Education, the 2008 Census Bureau statistics state that over 4.5 million African-Americans have earned at least a Bachelor’s degree (2,670,000 females/1,909,000 males). That number has continued to rise annually. On course to add to that overall total is Louisville, KY native William Britt. The senior at Louisville’s Dupont Manual High School plays three different sports, averages a 3.4 G.P.A., and scored a 30 on his ACT. The highest possible ACT score is 36 and according to prepscholar.com the national ACT average score is 20. Britt is enrolled in Dupont Manual’s M.S.T. (Math, Science & Technology) program and has been an excellent student since kindergarten. He is the starting quarterback for the school’s football team, which currently boasts an 8-2 record. Britt juggles playing football, basketball and baseball for Manual, in addition to remaining committed and focused to his academic responsibilities.

“IT’S CHALLENGING AT TIMES, BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO SQUEEZE STUFF IN WHEN YOU CAN AND NOT GET TOO UPSET ABOUT LOSING A LITTLE SLEEP.” – WILLIAM BRITT

With a full sports and academic schedule, one would think that there wouldn’t be enough hours in each day for any additional activities. Not the case for Britt. He’s also managed to become a member of the Black Student Union, the Steering Committee, as well as fulfilling his duties as a Class Officer. In his limited spare time, he enjoys hanging out with friends or just relaxing. Surprising for his age – Britt is very conscious about his image and always doing the right thing. He particularly uses this logic when it comes to social media.

“AS FAR AS SOCIAL MEDIA GOES AND AS FAR AS WHAT YOU POST, YOU JUST HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IF YOU CARE IF YOUR PARENTS SAW IT, YOUR FUTURE KIDS SAW THAT OR IF YOU’D BE EMBARRASSED BY IT. WE SEEN IT HAPPEN WITH DONALD TRUMP. HE HAS TO TAKE BACK STUFF HE SAID YEARS AGO THAT HE TWEETED, POSTED OR SAID IN AN INTERVIEW. SO YOU CAN’T LET ALL THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU SEE OUT THERE CHANGE YOUR JUDGEMENT OR AFFECT HOW YOU ACT.” – WILLIAM BRITT

Britt’s mother, Mary Britt, says that her son has been a forward thinker since he was a small child. She says that she recalls him making a list of potential colleges that he considered attending when he was in elementary school.

“IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HE WAS ALREADY MAKING A LIST OF SCHOOLS THAT HE THOUGHT HE MAY WANT TO ATTEND WHEN HE WAS ELIGIBLE TO GO TO COLLEGE AND ONCE HE STARTED PLAYING SPORTS, I REMEMBER HIM ASKING IF THERE HAD EVER BEEN ANYBODY THAT HAD GONE FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL, STRAIGHT TO THE PROS.” – MARY BRITT.

Britt’s seemingly perfect world faced some major adversity on May 17, 2016. Dupont Manual was playing a “make-up” baseball game, due to it previously being rained out, when Britt was struck in the eye with a 70 m.p.h. fastball pitch. The baseball struck his face with so much force that he suffered an orbital fracture in his left cheek bone. He was rushed into immediate surgery and faced a 2-3 month recovery period.

His father, Grand Britt, said that his level of respect for his son grew immensely during his son’s recovery, after witnessing his courage, strength and resilience to reunite with the rest of his teammates to help them win a playoff game. Of course Britt was unable to physically play but that didn’t stop him from hanging out in the dugout and cheering his teammates on.

“AFTER HIS INJURY, WHICH THEY DID IMMEDIATE SURGERY ON HIM, AS THEY ROLLED HIM INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM TO RELIEVE PRESSURE ON HIS EYE… THE WHOLE TIME HE NEVER CRIED OUT, HE NEVER SAID ‘WHY ME?’… HE WAS RESPECTFUL TO THE NURSES AND DOCTORS (YES MA’AM… NO SIR)… AND THIS WAS AN INJURY WHERE THEY WERE GIVING HIM MORPHINE – AND WITH THAT – HE ONLY ASKED FOR A DOSE ONCE. HE’S STRONG MENTALLY, HE’S STRONG PHYSICALLY AND HE SHOWED ME THAT HE WAS STRONG SPIRITUALLY.” – GRAND BRITT

Britt has already begun taking tours of different colleges and universities throughout the nation, in preparation of his collegiate career. The city of Louisville looks forward to him adding to its tradition of producing home-grown excellence.

Addiction is a global epidemic – but particularly in the United States. According to the U.S. News & World Report, “40 million Americans, age 12 and over, meet the clinical criteria for addiction involving nicotine, alcohol or other drugs.”

Micheal T. White of Louisville, KY – just so happens to be one of those 40 million addicts. I use the word “happens” because although he has been clean for over 20 years – technically he will always be an addict, who must fight the urge to use, for the rest of his life. White confesses that he took his first drink of alcohol around nine years-old. He was a curious kid who would sometimes sneak a drink of the liquor from the household supply when he was lucky enough to run across a bottle.

He began drinking liquor more often during his teenage years and at some point added marijuana into the mix. By age 20, White was a full-blown alcoholic and started to dabble into the dark world of crack cocaine. Over the next ten years he would spiral down a destructive path that would lead to several arrests – and prison terms in two states. Although most of White’s criminal charges were for minor theft and drug possession – his future looked bleak, due to his decisions primarily being influenced by his addictions.

“Once you cross the lines of addiction, you’ll pretend like other things are important but if you can’t love yourself, you really can’t love anybody else… And I was at the point where I couldn’t love nobody. – Micheal White

Like many addicts, White would straddle the fence between addiction and sobriety. He was a father that wanted to be there for his children but he wasn’t mentally strong enough to kick his habits. This resulted in many failed inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation attempts.

“An addiction is odd… You can want to get sober but you can’t because you just don’t know how and your spirit is dead… With Most addicts, their spirit is just dead… So I was spiritually dead.” – Micheal White

White’s addictions would come to a head one holiday season – forcing him to look his demons directly in the eye. He was seven years behind on his child support and his daughter’s mother promised to take him to child support court if he didn’t take his daughter Christmas shopping. It was a Friday evening and White had just gotten paid. He was supposed to pick up his 10 year-old daughter the following morning and take her to pick up her Christmas layaway.

“I promised myself that I was going to do right… I told myself that I was just going to drink a beer but it didn’t work… So I ended up on crack and spent all the money… I ended up stealing all night to get high.” – Micheal White

It was now Saturday morning and White had yet to get any sleep. Fearful of going back to jail for child support – he decided to pawn all of his valuable possessions so that he could pick up his daughter’s Christmas layaway. Believing that he had everything worked out – he picked his daughter up and headed to Toys R Us. Once the layaway was taken care of – they headed to McDonald’s to get her a Happy Meal. Suffering from heavy addiction, White couldn’t enjoy the company of his daughter without getting high. He had a half-pint of liquor and a crack pipe in his pocket. He would repeatedly leave his daughter sitting alone at their table – making trips to McDonald’s restroom – to feed his addiction. The trips became so regular that his daughter looked at him with disgust and asked why he was going to the restroom so often. Being powerless over his addictions made White hate himself even more. Not being able to look his daughter in the face any longer – he rushed to take her back to her mother’s home. White’s addictions had caused him to become a burden to his entire family. His mother didn’t want him around anymore because he had stolen from her so many times. Regardless, after taking his daughter home, he snuck in his mother’s basement and began finishing off the crack and liquor that he had left in his pocket. The basement was quiet and he could hear his mother and sister upstairs talking about how crazy and pathetic he was. He had recently stolen money and cigarettes from his mother’s cigarette case as well as pawned his younger sister’s class ring. Mike White had hit rock bottom.Watch movie online The Transporter Refueled (2015)

“I didn’t care about other people and I wanted to die… I got on my knees and asked God to help me and since that day I’ve never been incarcerated again… I’ve been on a mission since then.” – Micheal White

White checked himself into the Talbot House addiction rehabilitation facility in Louisville, KY in December of 1995, and began taking things one day at a time. He had been in rehab many times before but something was different this time. This time he had the faith of God instilled in him as well as the will to live. In 2000, after five years of sobriety, White started the furnace and air conditioning filter company, America’s Finest Filters (AFF), from the bedroom of his home. Today the company employs 21 people and operates out of a 48,000 sq ft. facility. The annual sales for AFF are well into the millions. AFF provides air filter service for hundreds of buildings across the Ohio Valley region. AFF is also an authorized distributor for many filter manufacturers and sells filters locally, nationally and internationally. Never forgetting his roots, White co-founded a Sober Living Home called, Our Father’s House, with another recovering addict, Darryl Wells in 2003. The recovery centers began with two small buildings holding 10-12 men, but have now grown to seven buildings that house 74 men. The main office for Our Father’s House is located at 2310 W. Jefferson St. in Louisville, KY and the campus expands over that entire city block. The 16 week program is broken up into stages that are designed to transform recovering addicts back into productive members of society. Residents begin their recovery at the main house. The next stage transitions them to the outer houses, which eventually leads to the campus apartments, if no violations occur. All residents are required to work and attend classes while participating in the program. The recovery program used is called Recovery Dynamics from the Kelly Foundation. Our Father’s House doesn’t only focus on rehabilitation but it also provides men with a curriculum to change their habits and way of thinking. Meditation and Criminal Thinking are a few of the courses implemented into the recovery program.

White is very hands-on with the recovery program. His air filter business, AFF, employs several recovering addicts that have gained sobriety through Our Father’s House. AFF is also the primary financial sponsor of the recovery center.

“I got sober December 16th of 1995… I had to go through a lot to get there, but that’s the whole reason that I do anything that we do… It ensures my sobriety… It helps me stay sober. So the more I help other people – the more I stay sober – and the more I hold people accountable for helping other people.” – Micheal White

Addiction recovery isn’t the only type of mentoring that exists in White’s life. He also routinely visits inmates in prisons and provides them with hope, encouragement and guidance to help them make better decisions in their lives. Micheal White is truly one of Louisville’s Guardian Angels.

Louisville, KY – A Louisville judge, Amber Wolf, becomes visibly and emotionally upset, once she discovers that a black female defendant was brought into her courtroom without wearing pants. On the courtroom video, the defendant is heard stating that she was arrested in Fayette County (metro-Lexington area) approximately 2-3 days prior. It is unclear whether she was wearing pants at the time of her arrest but the woman claims that she was denied pants and any personal hygiene products by the staff at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections – despite numerous requests. The video also reveals that the woman was arrested in Fayette County for an outstanding 2014, bench warrant, out of Jefferson County for “first offense” shoplifting. Fayette County is approximately 80 miles from Louisville. Judge Wolf acknowledges on the video that the defendant plead guilty to the shoplifting charge and was placed in a diversion program, which would typically remove the conviction from her record upon completion of the program. However, the defendant reveals to the judge that she never began the diversion program – thus violating the terms of the agreement. At some point the defendant was rearrested a series of times for failure to complete the program and eventually plead guilty to 75 days in jail. It appears that she never showed up in court for that sentencing – which triggered the current warrant. Upon entering the courtroom, the woman walks directly behind the podium designated for defendants, so at this point the judge is unaware that she is pantless. Wolf asks her, “Do you have other charges? Have you ever picked up other charges?” The woman responds that she has not. Wolf raises her eyebrows with a confused look on her face and says, “Okay, I’m not accepting this sentence… That’s ridiculous.” She follows with, “I’m sentencing you to a…” – but before she could finish her sentence, she discovers that the woman isn’t wearing pants. “Excuse me… Excuse me. This is outrageous. Is this for real?”, ask Wolf. The woman reveals that she has been in the custody of Louisville Metro Department of Corrections for 2-3 days, and has requested a pair of pants and feminine hygiene products – but was denied. The judge immediately picks up her cell phone and attempts to contact the director of the jail. She is overheard conversing with whoever answers the line. “I’m actually calling to talk to Director Bolton or anyone… uh… who can come to my courtroom and tell me why there is a female defendant standing in front of me with no pants on,” says Wolf. Understandably feeling compassion for the defendant, Wolf attempts to comfort her while the person on the other end of the phone attempts to locate the director. “I’m not trying to embarrass you… I’m very sorry,” Wolf says to the woman. Wolf then asks a courtroom deputy, “Can we get her something to cover up with?… Anything… Anything… Anything… I don’t care what it is.” Still waiting on the director to come to the phone – Wolf decides to send the woman back into the courtroom holding tanks – as an attempt to shelter her from being further embarrassed. Before the woman leaves the courtroom, Wolf says to her, “Also, I’m changing your sentence to $100 fine – credit time served – for that.” The judge further rants to the court deputy, “It’s a shoplifting charge – a first time shoplifting charge… 75 days? No. We’re not doing that.” Appearing very agitated at this point, Wolf looks around the courtroom and hypothetically asks, “What is this?… Am I in the Twilight Zone?… What is happening?” The judge finally reaches an official at the jail and expresses her extreme dissatisfaction with the circumstances. She then advises whoever is on the phone that she is not releasing the defendant from the court’s custody until a pair of pants are brought to the courtroom. After the clothing arrives and the defendant is properly dressed, Wolf brings the woman out and issues her an apology before she orders her immediate release from jail. “Again, I want to extend my deepest apologies to you for the way that you’ve been treated while you’ve been in our jail,” said Wolf. She then follows with,”This is not normal… It is not normal at all – and I’ve never seen it happen….” – but before she could finish, the defendant informed her that there are many other women in the jail that do not have pants as well. Jail overcrowding has been a problem at Louisville Metro Department of Corrections over the past few years. As the violence rate has increased and the heroin epidemic continues to grow in Louisville – incarceration rates have climbed as well. On July 21, 2016 Jefferson County Judge, Charles Cunningham, approved an emergency order that allowed more low-level, non-violent offenders to be released on home incarceration – due to jail overcrowding. Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine said that Louisville Metro Corrections has a 1,800 inmate capacity and was currently housing approximately 2,200 at that time.  

Kentucky Fillies head coach, Tamika Townsend, has one piece of advice for all track & field spectators and competitors – “Follow the Pink.” Townsend, the head coach and CEO of the pink uniformed Kentucky Fillies, is a former track star who has coached youth track & field for the past nine years. In 2011, she decided to create her own lane by establishing the only all-girls track team in the state of Kentucky.

The Fillies are based out of Louisville and compete in the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) and USATF (USA Track & Field) leagues. The Fillies are geographically located in Region 6, which represents athletes from KY, IN, OH, TN, & IL.

In the five years of existence for the Fillies – the club has racked up some pretty impressive stats. The newly formed all-girls squad has forced many of the well established national teams to “Respect the Pink” by dominating the gold, silver and & bronze medal counts at many district, regional and national track & field meets. In addition, the Fillies have been invited to the Jr. Olympics (Nationals) – all five years that the club has existed.

“We go to the Nationals every year. All five summers, all of my girls have went to the Nationals and actually ‘metaled’ at the Nationals – and you have to be within the top eight in your age group in order to get on the podium. Last year I took six girls and we brought back eight metals. So I have two national champions on my team and I have six girls who go to Nationals in all three of their events, every summer.” – Tamika Townsend

Being invited to the Nationals isn’t an easy feat. Runners must first qualify by ranking within the top 16 (in their event & age group) – within their district (Kentucky). They then advance to the Regionals. Next they must finish within the top 2 in their heat or the next four best times – to advance to the Junior Olympics (Nationals). Once the runners arrive at the Nationals, they run a preliminary race against approximately 100 or more girls (in their event & age group) from every region across the country. Only the top 24 girls advance to the next round. Next is a semi-final heat, which lowers the pool of athletes to the top 8. All of the final 8 athletes are classified as the top 8 in the nation (in their event & age group) and will compete against each other in the final heat. The outcome of the event will determine who receives the gold, silver, bronze etc., but all the top 8 finalists receive medals. Being that Townsend runs a small independent track team – funding is often an issue. The larger, more established teams are often backed by corporate sponsors – whose funds cover travel, uniform and coaching expenses. Townsend makes due by charging a reasonable membership fee for each child, requesting donations from the parents, receiving partial sponsorships from local small businesses and earns the rest by holding fundraisers. Some parents can’t afford the membership fee, so their children compete on scholarships provided by fundraising. Townsend is also very fortunate that her church, Pleasant View Missionary Baptist Church, has donated funds to the Fillies throughout each of their five seasons. Despite the local fundraising – the Fillies often come up short of revenue and Townsend is forced to pay out pocket for expenses. In turn, sacrifices have to be made but Townsend uses these obstacles as bonding moments with the girls. For instance, instead of having the luxury of traveling in luxury conversion vans or chartered buses to out-of state track meets – Townsend, her assistant coaches and a few parents, transport the girls across the country in their personal vehicles. The girls love the experience with “Coach T” as they call her. For many, it is their first time leaving their home state, lodging in motels and experiencing different cultures. When on the road, Townsend always finds the time to treat the team to recreational entertainment, as long as they keep up their end of the bargain when they compete on the track. Townsend runs a tight ship. She requires that all her athletes give 100 percent on the track. They train and practice extremely hard in preparation for their meets. The hard work isn’t just for vanity and bragging rights – it’s to possibly secure college track & field scholarships for the girls. Coach “T” constantly reminds her girls that there are plenty of “full-ride” college scholarships available from prestigious schools, for elite athletes. Understanding that college is expensive these days and many of her athletes come from low-income or middle-income households that may not be able to afford college tuitions – Townsend emphasizes the importance of “giving it your all” to the girls when they compete.

“I prepare my girls for life after track & field because they can’t run forever… They are to use their trade, which is track & field, to get them to college. All of the girls on my track team have to maintain good grades… My goal is to have them all run in college and allow track & field to pay for that.” – Tamika Townsend

Not only is Townsend a coach to the girls – she is also like a mother figure and a friend. On Saturday June 26, 2016 – I traveled from Louisville, Ky to Lexington to watch the Fillies compete in a District meet. I was amazed at what I witnessed once I arrived. I walked over to the Fillies pink tent – and most of the team of 22 were getting a break from the 90+ degree heat, by relaxing under the tent, drinking Gatorade and water. Many of the girls were awaiting their next event, so this was their downtime. The track team ranges from ages 7-17, so the younger kids had grouped themselves together, while the older girls relaxed on the opposite side of the tent. Everyone was all smiles and the younger girls were playing among themselves goofily like kids their age often do. However, once they were notified that it was time to compete in their event – they switched into a totally different gear. The smiles left their faces and were replaced with the serious look of competition mode. It was now all business. I asked one of the young girls if she was ready to compete and she replied with extreme confidence, “I’m ready to win… We don’t come here to lose.” These girls meant business. As they entered the track, Townsend began giving them love and advice at the same time. In one breath she would say “Don’t worry, you got this – we trained for this” and in the next breath she would follow with, “Make sure you push through the curve”; translation: “Make sure you accelerate hard through the curve.”

After the race – Townsend greets the girls at the edge of the track and gives them words of encouragement, followed with constructive criticism – despite the outcome of the race. Even the first place winners were lovingly given tips on how to perform better. This approach seems to bring the best out the girls – while still allowing them to have fun and enjoy the sport at the same time.

“I am impressed with the caliber of talent in such young girls… Their drive… It’s so hard to see youth these days actually be motivated for something – and to see all these girls come out and like literally leave it on the track is very impressive… These girls are here to work. It’s like a job. They clock in and do what they are supposed to do – and they take the criticism well and they’re always trying to push themselves to be better.” – Shia Daniel – assistant coach of the Ky Fillies

After each event, the Fillies would all return to the tent – crack open bottles of Gatorade and water – and return to the goofy little girls that I witnessed prior to the race. These girls really seem to enjoy the camaraderie of being on a team and they seem to really enjoy being good. All in all, the Fillies would have a pretty impressive day. The team left the Lexington, KY meet with ten – 1st place wins – twelve – 2nd place wins – and seven 3rd place wins. Townsend explained to me that initially the other teams didn’t necessarily respect her club due to it being an all-female, all African-American team. She says that the all-female criteria was by design but being all African-American wasn’t part of the plan.

The Fillies welcome all nationalities, but thus far – only African-Americans have applied to join the team. Regardless, Townsend has forced the other teams to respect her movement.

“When you see pink out in front – then we’re respected. We do a lot of work at practice so at this meet today, I expect every last one of them to qualify for the Regionals. I don’t have anything less of a goal for them. They all know that in all the races, they are to qualify for Regionals because we put in the work at practice.” – Tamika Townsend

Townsend emphasizes that the girls have an academic goal and a track & field goal to achieve each week. Even though they compete during the summer months – education is still the number one priority in her coaching repertoire.

“What I enjoy most about coaching is helping the girls reach their goals and helping certain girls that may have low self-esteem, as well as building my program to be empowering for girls.” – Tamika Townsend

The relationship between coach and athlete isn’t limited to the summer track & field season. Coach Townsend routinely checks up on the girls during the school year and many of the girls invite her to their school events. The impact that Townsend has on these young ladies will most likely create a bond for life. 15 year-old Kaleb McDonald has run with the Fillies for three seasons and has drastically seen herself improve after working with Townsend. She is currently the third fastest female freshman in the state of KY, in the 100 yard dash, and appears to be on a path to win a national title before she’s 18 years-old.

“My best time in the 100 is a 12’1. I was running a 13 when I first started running. I came in with undeveloped talent. I had it but it was hidden…The most difficult thing for me to learn was technique. I used to keep my head down, fist balled up, knees not getting up… I’ve been to the Jr. Olympics all three years that I’ve been here. In my 7th grade year I medaled in three events.” – Kaleb McDonald

The Fillies practice at Fairdale High School in Louisville, KY from 6pm-8pm, Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri., during the months of May – August. Coach Townsend believes that participating in track & field, or any sport for that matter, helps keep young people off the streets and out of trouble. She wishes that her girls were able to practice year-round but unfortunately Kentucky does not have any facilities available for year-round use. This summer the Fillies have athletes competing in the 100, 200, 400 & 800 yard dash – the hurdles, shot put, long jump and high jump. To enroll or for more information about the Kentucky Fillies – please access their website at kyfilliestc.wordpress.com The Fillies are also in need of sponsors and/or donations. If interested, please access the “Contact Info” section of the website kyfilliestc.wordpress.com.