Sunday, February 19, 2012

Portrayal and Perception: African American Men and Boys

AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN & BOYS SPECIALS EXPLORE PORTRAYAL & PERCEPTION


Portrayal & Perception: African American Men & Boys Premieres Tuesday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 14, 2012

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghazimanolis@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN & BOYS SPECIALS EXPLORE PORTRAYAL & PERCEPTION

Portrayal & Perception: African American Men & Boys

Premieres Tuesday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV


PITTSBURGH—In the new series Portrayal & Perception: African American Men & Boys viewers will discover local individuals and organizations who are challenging common portrayals and perceptions of them and their culture.

Chris Moore

To set-up the context for this important series WQED’s weekly multi-cultural program Horizons (which airs Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV) will hold a dynamic conversation on the February 21 episode about why re-shaping the portrayal and perception of African American males is important to all facets of our society. Joining Emmy®-Award winning producer and host Chris Moore will be for this discussion will be:

• Dr. Larry E. Davis, Dean of the Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the Center on Race and Social Problems;

• Desmond King, Andrew Mellon Professor of American Government at Nuffield College, Oxford University;

• Dr. Marcia M. Sturdivant, Deputy Director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services Office of Children, Youth and Families (CYF.)


Minette Seate

Known for teaching the craft and culture of African American musical forms to area youth for almost thirty years, The Afro American Music Institute (AAMI) has a lasting impact on the students it serves. On Tuesday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV the premiere episode of Portrayal & Perception: African American Men & Boys comes from Emmy®-Award winning producer Minette Seate. In this special, Seate explores the AAMI and its Boys Choir, where they continue a legacy of mentorship to children in our area. The AAMI goes beyond choir rehearsal to foster a culture of pride and responsibility to one’s community.

On Monday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV, Emmy®-Award winning producer Michael Bartley takes a look at local African American entrepreneurs. In this episode Bartley takes viewers to several local and unique businesses where hard-work, vision and service are the crux of these operations. Often overlooked by commercial media, these individuals are experiencing financial success and finding ways to inspire future business leaders.

The third of these special episodes airs on Tuesday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV from Moore who talks with African American males who are fed up with the portraits of them drawn by mainstream media. They believe that in order to combat these negative images it is their responsibility to define who they are instead of leaving it to someone else. Through One Hood Media Jasiri X and Paradise "The Arkitech" Gray are teaching young people how to control the image of young black males by using the mediums at their disposal. Moore explains to viewers how the New Media Academy of One Hood Media is helping the students use their own stories to prepare for the future.

A fourth episode and town hall meeting are also planned as part of the series and will air in October 2012.

Funding for Portrayal & Perception: African American Men & Boys was provided by a grant from The Heinz Endowments, which supports efforts to make southwestern Pennsylvania a premier place to live and work, a center for learning and educational excellence, and region that embraces diversity and inclusion.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

No comments: