“Back to School” Issue: September 2024

Click Start: Editor’s Preview

It’s back-to-school time and we’ve got stories for the young and older. We also give props to the Price Family from Florida: Neil, Annetta, Theodore and LeeAnna. Their family line is tied to the larger Steele family. There’s also a new feature called “Celebrity Row: Here for the Culture” that touches on the ‘nuts & bolts of family business’.

Checkout the Lead Story that spotlights some of the ‘doctors’ across the families. Also, there’s the Family Feature story that gets into Pokémon videos and the “Just Schoolin’, Just Coolin’” report. As a reminder, you can visit the About page to learn more on how this portal came to be.

If you’d like to be among the families covered each month, then link-up by dropping your email below. Hope you’ll enjoy the stories and feel free to leave your comments. Thank You!

Celebrity Row: Here for the Culture

Has John Legend lost his voice? Maybe that’s not the way to look at him being m-i-a on NBC’s next season of The Voice. The show often cycles through different celebrity coaches. This season will feature two new superstars…Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé. They’ll be turning in the big red chairs.

But it’s not as if Legend is idling his time away. He’s got lots of showbiz projects on his plate, including the release of his latest album. It’s a first-time for him in dropping a children’s album, or as he likes to say, a lullaby that his children can listen to. He even had the family in on the whole thing.

It’s like watching them in the family business. His daughter did the artwork for the album cover. His son and wife were part of the background vocals. He’s got an eye on the things that get passed down in the family business. But it’s also a case of passing things down in the business of family.

There’re those nuts & bolts aspects of the family business that’s heired to the next generation. But there’re also those intangibles in the business of family that money can’t buy, or other folks can’t teach, like your own kin. For Legend’s family, this puts them on a path to knowing what it takes to be an EGOT: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony.

Lead Story: “Is there a Doctor in the House?”

That question went out as yours truly fainted on the flight last year from JFK to Togo Africa. The early diagnosis was a case of dehydration. Things slowly came back to normal after being helped up from the floor to sit in the flight attendant’s jump-seat. Glad they didn’t say is there a reverend in the house.

In the Steele family, there’re a couple doctors to go around. There’s Dr. Curtis Best, who’s now retired from his days in Internal Medicine. There’s also Dr. Camille Hylton whose specialty is in Ophthalmology. They’ve done medical training that might have come in handy during that well-being scare.

But we also have a ‘Rev Dr.’ among us from the Jackson family; Rev. Dr. Catina Jackson’s credentials aren’t tied to MD but D.Min. (Doctor of Ministry) with a focus on Prophetic Activism. It’s something she shared briefly with The Family Line during the early stages of development. Now it’s here to shake things up on the block and in the pews.

The inside joke is that my initials ‘Doc’ were because Jamaican parents think of doctor as a career route. An elder in our family thinks others coming up should consider that route too. But no matter the road we take in life, it can still be prophetic in how we ‘call it’ and involve activism by how we ‘live it.’    

Family Feature: “Doing Love Forever”

The idea of family is a universal concept. These days families come in different shapes and sizes, blends and beginnings, whether by natural birth, IVF assistance or surrogate delivery. As humans we’ve been “doing love forever” as family and that’s not about to change. But things have evolved over time.

Neil Price and his family come from good stock. He’d be the first to tell you that he and his three brothers were raised to understand that “what you practice at home is a preview of how you’ll shine in the world.” Neil and wife Annetta work hard at passing down that message to their next generation.

So what’s the preview? Well, according to Neil, son Theodore who’s 17, puts Pokémon videos together and makes his own narration of the story. He narrates as if he is commentating on a basketball game, using sports analogies. While daughter LeeAnna who’s 13, is a future fashionista (if she sticks to it…lol). She used to make dresses out of fabric and balloons…she now kinda has her own style.

We’re excited to see where things go. Checkout more from Theodore’s Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/@titanxowl.

Turn Up Tips: Notes on Trusting the Process

(Pic submitted by Shaun Sr.)

“What we work for in daily life says something about what we strive for in the good life.”

Good Stuff: “Just Schoolin’, Just Coolin’”

“Ring a ling a ling, school bell ring!” At the horse racetrack they’d say, “off and running”, but with the kids, something we’d say growing up in Jamaica was “free paper burn”. That’s just another way of thinking about the end of summer and the start of school where free time becomes class time.

Whether school is in the islands or America, it’s a time to button-down and level-up. Moreover, in the U.S., the Fall season brings cooler weather. When it comes to outdoors, folks go pumpkin picking or Halloween shopping. In terms of reaping what you sow, Fall is a good time for deeper roots and harvesting fruits.

So, let’s send off the ‘younguns’ not just in style, but with a stronger sense around ‘roots & culture’. Yea, there’ll be class time by day and game time by night. Homework by pages and chores by orders. And remember that long-term success begins at home, whether they’re “just schoolin’ or just coolin’.”

Other Mentions: Added Touch Like Gravy

The Jackson family aren’t strangers to having a ‘house full of girls’. With three daughters in the mix and a wifey who’s got the fix, they’re always strutting their ‘girl power’ selves. Don’t sleep on dem ladies though, ‘cause they can hold their own. But it was a daddy-daughter situation that got our attention.

Our man Walter sat down with his daughter Chloe to checkout the new Netflix documentary “Daughters”. The experience was a reminder of the father-daughter bond that’s precious. While you’re perusing Netflix for your next family movie night, there’s also “Stamped from the Beginning” with a historical look at America’s struggle with the isms & schisms that get in the way of love for humanity.

P.S. Happy wedding anniversary to Walter & Catina, Curtis & Noelle, Serge & Carol, Junior & Gerry!

Smile Emoji

Tennis anyone? https://x.com/thatdude340pm/status/1811841160387961287

Life & Times Flava (Chill Sauce for the Grind): “What Matters Most”

Take a second and hug your fam a little tighter! That’s a message often coming out of tragic events like happened at that Georgia high school. But the real sadness of it can’t fully be put into words for the pain, loss and senseless nature. Plus, it might feel like you’re judging others in the situation.

Something keeps getting missed in these heart-wrenching moments, probably why things don’t change. What we see behind the curtain is two-fold: a question of judgement on the part of the parents; and hopes & hurts of the next generation that go unheard by political leaders and decision-makers.

It’s as if young people are searching for answers that they’re not getting from culture or from those they deem in their corner. A place they should find that is in the family. That’s where they can switch from their social media feed to a family feed that builds connection and vision for the real world.

The family stories we feature are meant to do just that. We might not get too deep on the social issues, but we try to deliver content that will allow them to “Turn. Up. Big.” in life. That’s why we’re bringing “a new vibe, swag and bag” across family, community and country, as seen in the Fall Takeoff flyer.
(For a deeper dive into the issues, checkout http://www.SeeAmericaInColor.com).

Line Jams

Levert (Ft Heavy D) – Just Coolin’ – https://youtu.be/80bryK1QUNo?si=rY-hS57QEpLjOv_x

John Legend – Three Little Birds – https://youtu.be/_OpIHOAK0QM?si=qH05G_u8kcGvEynQ

The Family Line Motto: “Open Door to Good Cheer.”