Carlos Watson

It’s more than a way of living; it’s a state of mind.

HOLIDAY 2011 USA $4.99 CANADA $5.99

PROMINENCE

SYESHA

LIVING HER DREAM

HEAVY D

MERCADO

THE MAN THE LEGACY OUR TRIBUTE

COLLINS

THE NEXT LEADING MAN

HOW TO HAVE A GUILT FREE HOLIDAY SEASON AND WIN

PENNIE

The Perfect Timepiece

Happy Holidays

3 l HOLIDAY 2011 I www.prominencemagazine.com

H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 1 : : N O . 4 : : P R O M I N E N C E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

FEATURES

22 HEAVY D

A Hip Hop Legend who paved the way and

left a mark on our society will forever be

remembered as a man who loved music

and sharing his voice with the world.

48 COLLINS PENNIE

Hollywood’s next leading man is on the rise

and his name is Collins Pennie . He is one

to watch out for as he prepares to take over

the big and small screen

51 GUILT-FREE HOLIDAYS

Want to make this Christmas holiday as

guilt-free as possible? We share with you

tips for releasing the stress and having fun.

53 SYESHA MERCADO

Beauty, brains, talent, and a giving heart are

just a few words to describe singer and

actress, Syesha Mercado. She’s bold

enough to live her dreams and she’s taking

us along for the ride.

9 YOUR VOICE

11 EDITOR’S LETTER

13 CONTRIBUTORS

18 PROMINENTLY KNOWN

19 WHAT’S RELEVANT

21 THE GREAT ESCAPE

PROMINENCE

IN EVERY ISSUE

Knowthis.tv

ON THE COVER Syehsa Mercado, third finalist on the seventh season of American Idol, photographed

by Angela Talley in Los Angeles.

CONTENTS

25 ON STAGE

Ashley Everett is one of the most

talented dancers in the industry

today. At twenty-three year old is

only just beginning.

28 BOOKS

The Immortal Life of Henrietta

Lacks, a women who’s

unknowingly helped shaped

medical history. Scandalicious, a

debut novel, is sure to leave you

edge with the turn of every page.

Ever wondered what books have

helped influenced your favorite

celebrities? We list a few that have

made a difference in the lives of

those we love to watch.

29 MUSIC

Lalah Hathaway gives us what

we’ve been missing.

31 HOLIDAY ATTIRE

Holiday attire that will turn heads

and gain attention.

THE 411

HE/SHE

48 THE NBA LOCKOUT

The NBA Lockout proved players

have rights and want them exercised.

What will this mean for the future of

the NBA.

51 SO…WHAT THE LOVE COLUMN

Coach Steph helps answers your

relationship questions and provide

answers to your most common

questions.

60 PERSPETIVE

Open your mind, heart, and spirit to the

guidance that awaits.

61 SPOTLIGHT

Malcom X stood up for what he

believed in and helped shaped our

country as we know it.

RELATIONSHIPS

WORK & WEALTH

5 l HOLIDAY 2011 I www.prominencemagazine.com

VOLUME 2 :: NUMBER 4

SPORTS

37 UNDERSTANDING STRESS

With the holidays in full force,we help

you identify the sings so that you may

take a step back and relax.

40 AVOIDING HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN

Knowing what to do to avoid overeating during the holiday, can help you shed and prevent those unwanted pounds.

43 FINDING YOUR PASSION

Unsure of what it is you are supposed to be doing with your life? Discover five ways to find your passion and happiness.

45 TURNING PASSION INTO PROFIT

Kantis Simmons turns his affliction of being born with extra fingers in to a powerful series by using the 7.25 method to help school aged children reach their full potential.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

25 48

31

60

HIT YOUR TARGET

PROMINENCE MAGAZINE

THE LITERARY SPIRIT

PROMINENCE

Zora Neale Hurston

FOUNDER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Glenys C. Colclough

INTERN

Shirlanna Little

FASHION EDITOR Afyia Winford

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Shannon Edwards

SPORTS EDITOR Gyasmine George

RELATIONSHIPS EDITOR

Stephanie McKenzie

PHOTOGRAPHY Damien Jackson

PUBLICITY

Keyia Stanton

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bonita Days

Ashlee Stephens Larry Lyons

PUBLISHER

Evolve Media, a subsidiary of Glenys Clarice Inc. PROMINENCE Magazine is published bi-monthly by Evolve Media. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in any kind of retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher.

PROMINENCE It’s more than a way of living; it’s a state of mind.

www.prominencemagazine.com l HOLIDAY 2011 I 8

9 l HOLIDAY 2011 I www.prominencemagazine.com

Y O U R V O I C E

I enjoyed reading your Fall issue with makeup artist, Karen Dupiche

on the cover. I frequently watch The View and had no idea she was

the behind the beautiful faces on stage.

Carol Mays

New York, NY

I like seeing a positive publication making it their business to

represent the African American voice in a powerful way. You have

my support.

Richard Williams

New York, NY

Happy Holidays Prominence Magazine! Looking forward to what

the New Year has in store for you.

Tiffany Brown

Charlotte, NC

Our Year - 2011

Spring 2011

Summer 2011

Fall 2011

PROMINENCE a : readily noticeable : CONSPICUOUS b : widely and popularly known : LEADING

11 l HOLIDAY 2011 I www.prominencemagazine.com

E D I T O R ’ S L E T T E R

Living Fabulous

iving fabulous could mean a number of things to

you, but ultimately it requires making a choice and

having the right attitude about your life and where L you would like to see it.

Making the choice to place yourself as a priority, positions

you in the direction of allowing yourself to explore whom

you are and what you truly desire for your life.

The worst thing you can do is talk yourself into believing

you are not worthy of living the life of your dreams and

not put forth the work required to make them happen. Our

feature on singer and actor, Syesha Mercado is proof of

what can happen if only you believe.

Ask yourself, who are you not to allow yourself the

experience of living fabulous? Do not rob yourself of

being a top priority, because within is a beautiful person

with so much to share with the world, and to keep that

from occurring, you are not only shortchanging yourself,

but God.

As we approach the end of 2011, I hope it was a glorious

ride for you. Throughout the ups and downs of this year,

I’m sure we have all grown to become better people and

are proud of our growth. I can only pray that your days

and nights are filled with peace and joy and your heart is

filled with love. Let’s celebrate the end of this year as we

anticipate what’s next.

Happy Holidays! See you in 2012.

Glenys

Glenys

Follow me on Twitter! @glenysclarice

“There is one quality which one

must possess to win, and that is

definiteness of purpose, the

knowledge of what one wants, and

a burning desire to possess it.”

-Napoleon Hill

BOHEMIAN

SPIRIT JEWLERY

www.bohemianspiritjewelry.com

Christmas is a season for

kindling the fire for

hospitality in the hall, the

genial flame of charity in

the heart.

-Washington Irving

PROMINENCE TV

A NEW WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES

PROMINENCE Is Style & Class

Nedari Photography “Life…one image at a time.”

www.nedariphoto.photoshelter.com

www.prominencemagazine.com l HOLIDAY 2011 I 18

Debbie Allen is a woman full of fascination,

commitment, and dedication. Taking the

world by storm in her breakout role, as Lydia

Grant, on the widely popular 1980’s film and

television series, Fame, Allen has carved a

niche for herself in television and dance

history.

Born January 16, 1950 in Houston, Texas, to

an orthodontist father and poet mother, Allen,

the youngest of three, stepped on to the scene

with her Broadway debut in the chorus of

Purlie. She would then move on to appear in

the musical Raisin and Westside Story which

earned her a Tony Award nomination and

Drama Desk Award.

With dancing and acting being a huge part of

her life, she decided to shift her career into a

different direction. She took a seat in the

Director’s chair with the popular Cosby

Show spinoff, A Different World. The ratings

were remarkable until it came to an end in

1993, after which she moved on to direct The

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Parkers, The

Jamie Foxx Show, That’s So Raven, All of Us,

Everybody Hates Chris, Girlfriends, and

Grey’s Anatomy to name a few.

Always striving for a better tomorrow, she

shares her positive gift of light with those less

fortunate. Her biggest achievement her

Debbie Allen School of Dance located in Los

Angeles, California. It opens the door for

students ranging in age from four to 18, no

matter their financial status to learn all facets

of dance.

A strong woman who turned her

circumstances growing up into blessings, a

loving mother of two and an adored wife,

Debbie Allen has become a role model and

an inspiration to many proving that what you

desire can be achieved. -SL

Debbie Allen

W H A T ’ S R E L E V A N T What We’re Talking About

19 l HOLIDAY 2011 I www.prominencemagazine.com

The green leafy cabbage known as kale, has taken over and has become

a favorite on the plates of many health conscious individuals. High in

beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and calcium,

kale is also rich in anti-cancer properties. With various ways to prepare

and serve the tasty vegetable, steaming or stir frying will help keep the

nutrients intact.

KALE

The NBA lockout has many fans and players sitting

on edge as hopes of an NBA season are wearing thin

after the league called for the cancellation of games

through November 30th

. But is there hope? NBA

Commissioner, David Stern states there is nothing

left to negotiate and that he expects the players not

to like every aspect of the revised proposal. If all is

well in the land of basketball, we just may see our

favorite teams suit up and take to the hardwood

floors for a shortened NBA season beginning

December 25th

.

As one of the most recognizable faces

in one of the most talked about trials

of 2011, Conrad Murray’s fate was

placed in the hands of jurors who after

a six week trial found the cardiologist

guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

His unethical behavior in

administrating a surgical anesthetic in

which Michael Jackson called “milk”,

not only ended the King of Pop’s life,

but Murray’s medical career.

Since its inception, Occupy Wall Street

has created a movement that is gaining

the attention it deserves from around

the country, as the 99% take a stand

against the greed and corruption of the

1%, proving that real people create real

change from the bottom up and that we

do not need Wall Street or politicians

to build a better society.

CONRAD MURRAY

NBA LOCKOUT

OCCUPY WALL STREET

HERMAN CAIN

Herman Cain, the presidential

hopeful, is in the midst of a media

firestorm with alleged claims that

he sexually harassed former

employees. Will he overcome or

be condemned?

ishka designs “ef f ic ient ly beaut ifu l”

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