Empire Radio Magazine Issue #16

EMPIRERADIOMAGAZINE.COM 4 EMPIRE RADIO MAG

AGAINST ALLODDS

14 YEAR OLD MALALA YOUSAFZAI TAKES ON THE TALIBAN IN A BATTLE FOR EDUCATION.

By Rob Naylor


Malala Yousufzai is perseverance and selflessness personified. Her uncanny ability to maintain courage under fire and bravery is to be revered and respected by all. On October 9, 14 year old Ma-lala Yousufzai and her friends were enjoying laughter and jokes on their van ride to school. The innocent laughter and sounds of wind whisking by the open windows was abruptly interrupted by the stern, demanding voices of a group of gun toting men who barged onto the bus uninvited. The intimidating strangers demanded that the children identify Malala and proceeded to opened fire striking Malala in the head and neck. The heartless assailants made a clean get away. As they fled, the bus driver hit the gas in attempt to get help for the critically injured teen. According to reports by CNN, Malala’s uncle described her as having excruciating pain and being unable to stop moving her arms and legs. The Taliban targeted Malala because she had been extremely outspoken in the initia-tive to eliminate restrictions for women to pursue education. Also according to CNN, Malala has encouraged girls and their families to resist the Pakistani Taliban, who pushed girls from classrooms, since she was 11. In January 2009, the militants issued an edict ordering that no school should educate girls. Malala wrote in her online diary about intimidation tactics the Taliban used in the Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan to coerce girls into not going school. They included house raids to search for books, and Malala had to hide hers under her bed. The extremists took issue with her writ-ings and threatened to kill her.

“I was scared of being beheaded by the Taliban because of my passion for education,”

she told CNN last year. Right after her shooting her family kept a low profile, for fear they could be next. The militants vowed that if Malala survived, they’d go after her again.

“We will certainly kill her,” a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban said.

Post assassination attempt, Malala is recovering not only from the removal of the bullets, but doctors also had to remove a piece of her skull to avoid pressure on her brain due to swelling. According to doctors, Malala suffered no major neurological damage. Her road to recovery will be a long one, but it is a work in progress. According to reports, Malala is not yet able to speak, however she can write.

As the search for the perpetrators in this heinous act are tracked down, Malala is being recognized worldwide as a symbol of hope. She was the runner up on many peoples list of people of the year and made the cover of Time magazine only trailing none other than President Obama for the prestigious honor.

No bullet can stop the unwavering will and unmatched strength of Malala Yousufzai. As she continues to recover, she’s request-ing her books so that she can resume her pursuit of education. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s not going to give up on her quest for equality and to help eliminate the recessive policies of the Taliban. Her noble efforts and perseverance through near fatal events have made Malala a Global symbol of strength, bravery and our person of the year.

[source: CNN]

Malala recovers at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on October 19 aἀer being treated.(CNN.com)

Supporters gather in a visual dedicated to Malala (Google Images)

Protestors speak out against the Taliban violence in support of Malala (InsightPaki-stan.com



(Images: Google Images/www.URLTV.tv

Jade Novah as Keyonce Bowles



Interview by Genene Brown


PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT ADAM MAYER


By Rob Naylor

Photographer, Ken “K. Sole” SoletaCreative Director: Brittany “Bella” GrahamStylist: Brittany “Bella” GrahamMake-Up Artist: Gabriela CardenasHair Stylist: Nakia ResteenWardrobe, Privilege by Sabrina Heim


Many of you may know her as the beautiful wife of Clipper’s player, Matt Barnes, and star the VH1 reality show, “Basketball Wives L.A.” However, the elusive Mrs. Gloria Govan is much more than just another pretty face or a fame-seeker staking a claim on the reality drama-circuit. Although the average day that the general public sees may be full of lunches, brunches and “diving into situations,” Gloria is deeper than what appears on the surface. Gloria – who just completed a new web series and is releasing a multi-cultural cookbook next year – is a woman who has her priorities in order. She values her position as a mother above all things – something she wishes would be emphasized more on the show – and admits that she doesn’t consider any of the ladies on “Basketball Wives L.A.” her real friends. In an intimate interview with Brittany “Bella” Graham, Gloria tells Empire Radio Magazine about her new roles (both as an actress and a wife), how she balances fame (and its consequences) and how she differentiates between “real friends” and “industry friends.” Read along as Gloria breaks down the hidden aspects of “Basketball Wives L.A.,” the industry and other challenges she faces. Be prepared to be surprised, we’re giving you the other 90 percent.


Empire Radio Magazine (ERM): Congratulations on your new web-series, “Clean Ops!” I know you play a ballerina by day and an assassin by night, but could you give us a few more details about the synopsis?

Gloria Govan: Yeah, absolutely. Basically we like to say it’s a combination of “Salt” and “The Professional.” I start off as a young girl in this orphanage and I am selected by this elite group to go out and do the dirty work of society. I take out – not bad people or Mafia – just people who kind of have it coming to them. People who’ve been up to no good or are just bad people in general. It’s really cool – I’m really excited about it – and it’s on Shaq’s comedy network that premieres on YouTube.

ERM: That’s exciting! So what’s been the hardest role to train for? You play a ballerina by day – and I know that dancing is re-ally hard on a ballerina’s feet – but I can imagine that training for combat scenes could be hard too.

Gloria: You know what’s funny, ballet was probably the hardest – and it definitely wasn’t my strongest point – but I feel like it was probably my favorite. It was the only time of the day that I got to actually relax and slow down. The rest of my day – like you said – was just combat, Taekwondo, boxing, obstacle courses and training. Ballet was the only time of the day that I had to work out three times a day, everyday, for about a month, but I still got to breathe, stretch and just lose myself in music. It was really cool, and I’m still terrible at it [laughs], but it was by far my favorite.

ERM: What was it like working with your trainer, professional boxer, James Toney?

Gloria: James “Lights Out” Toney. He taught me so much and he’s actually a big teddy bear. To have someone with that kind of experience be in your corner and teach you, and show you the right way to do things was awesome. You kind of – not to say that I’m a fighter – but you kind of go in thinking, “Oh, boxing is easy and I know how to fight,” and it changes your whole mind-frame of things. It’s about breathing and being smart, and know-ing your opponent, so I learned a lot about boxing from James. And we still keep in touch so it was awesome.

ERM: Okay, so I guess people better watch out now that you know a few boxing moves [laughs].

Gloria: You know, there were times when I wanted to use my skills, send a little karate chop to the neck or throw them in a choke-hold [laughs], but I try them out on Matt.

Gloria’s balarina scene on the set of “Clean Ops”.

Talent: Gloria GovanCreative Director: Brittany “Bella” GrahamStylist: Brittany “Bella” GrahamMake-Up Artist: Gabriela CardenasHair Stylist: Nakia ResteenOutfit: Black beaded dress and jacket: Pulled from “Modern Vintage Today”


Photographer, Ken “K. Sole” SoletaCreative Director: Brittany “Bella” GrahamStylist: Brittany “Bella” GrahamMake-up: Gabriela CardenasHair: Nakia EsteenDress, Modern Vintage Today.Jacket, Modern Vintage Today.Shoes, Provided by Gloria Govan.Earrings, Modern Vintage Today.

Gloria on the set of “Clean Ops”.



Photographer, Ken “K. Sole” SoletaCreative Director: Brittany “Bella” GrahamStylist: Brittany “Bella” GrahamMake-up: Gabriela CardenasHair Stylist: Nakia EsteenDress: Privilege by Sabrina Heim


Empire Radio Magazine Issue #16

Documents

Transcript of Empire Radio Magazine Issue #16