Literature

National African American Museum NAAMHC
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National African American Museum NAAMHC

Just before COVID, we were supposed to visit the brand new National African American Museum of History and Culture in Washington, DC, a $540 Million project of the Smithsonian. It took four years for us to get the next opportunity to visit this amazing monument. My cousin, Millicent Brady, and I had a wonderful time, exploring the various exhibits at NAAMHC. First, we had lunch on the Concourse level, then we headed up to the 4th floor where we were emersed in the Cultural exhibits. The height of our visit was meeting several women visiting from the City of Chicago. Ms. Miles is a string player and leader of a string ensemble. Enjoy these be photos.

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History and Culture Architectural Photrography

Pen Arts Building NLAPW
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Pen Arts Building NLAPW

The National League of American Penwomen was founded in 1897, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports and promotes professional women in arts, letters, music, and allied professions. I joined the organization in 2017, recruited by Sheila Firestone, the President of the Boca Raton Branch, at that time. At first, I applied as a Letters member, since I had authored several books, including three books of poetry. A couple of years later, I applied as a Music member, since I had composed well over 40 songs.

At two of the Florida regional conferences, I was a presenter. Also, I’ve been featured in the Pen Women Magazine. This has been a fruitful membership for me, introducing me to several authors, musicians, and visual artists. My ultimate goal is to apply as a Visual Artist in my 80s, which will happen by 2028, once I retire from teaching college and begin to paint, again.

On Thursday, September 12, 2024, I visited the Pen Arts Building at 1300 17th Street NW, Washington, DC, with my cousin Millicent Brady, for whom I organized her book, Stories, Poems & Musings. This building is 137 years old, and the interior is mostly original.

We were greeted by Evelyn Wofford, Director of NLAPW National. We had a pleasant meeting with Evelyn and got to meet the artist-in-resident pianist and composer, Simone Baron. The photos tell a lovely story. https://www.nlapw.org

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Upliftment

Sometimes, you need to change your mind.

You need to recollect what you were doing

Before you became distracted.

You must walk back a few paces

And remember what your joy was

You need a reminder that what you want

And what you fight for might be two different things.

Then, there’s the choice you make to fight

Or you choose to be happy.

You cannot do both.

Once you make that choice, you’re free to fight or fly.

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OVMTV & OVMRADIO

WOW! Just WOW! Vikki Romero introduced me to Elaine Enriquez and the rest is HERSTORY!

http://wijsf.org

VIVA LAS TARDES CON ELAINE

Monday at 8 P.M.

Voice of Inspiration – LIVE transmitted by our station and also through Facebook live! Interesting and pleasant guests of our Christian world.

OVM TV

http://wijsf.org

http://www.musicwomanmagazine.com

http://www.musicwomanmagazine.com
http://lulu.com/spotlight/divajc
http://wijsf.org
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Blues Women On The Move

Blues was not “slave music [since] . . . Blues musicians, roaming from town to town with guitar[s] . . . could not have existed prior to Emancipation because our people did not enjoy freedom of movement during slavery” (ya Salaam, 1995, p. 30). Therefore, the Blues was a musical genre of people who were prepared for and headed toward liberation.

The Blues women were the sirens of freedom, only reachable after death, according to the spiritualists, whose music remained in the realm of religion. Blues music, labeled by religionists as Devil’s Music, “is a black cultural art form, blues is a ‘living archive,’ a form of ‘recollection’ that provides a ‘coded history of black injury,’ resulting from historically entrenched power relations.”

https://www.academia.edu/10100383/Blues_Women_First_Civil_Rights_Workers

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Summer of 2021

Vaccinated with a credit card in hand, I ventured to Spain and Switzerland in search of the cover stories for our two publications musicwomanarchive.com/magazines. I got several stories and wonderful photographs. The downside with traveling was COVID-19. Even with proof of vaccination, each country – Spain, Switzerland, and the USA had different requirements to enter the country. The train ride between Barcelona and Madrid was comfortable enough. However, the train car for the first leg was a long walk from the escalator. You have to read your ticket to know where you are sitting in Spain, whereas, in Switzerland, you sit in 1st or 2nd class wherever you wish. Spain was hot and air-conditioning is not the norm. Discomfort was inevitable because the Airbnb’s were not as comfortable to sleep in. Four of the five beds were uncomfortable. The bathrooms were tight with slippery tubs and no handrails to hold on to, which is not very safe for mature travelers.

In Spain, the menus are about the same most places. However the cost of a meal varies, sometimes widely. There are several Chinese, Japanese, and Thai Restaurants to be found. Parking is tight and can be expensive the closer you are to the center of the city. Switzerland is expensive. The price of a train ride for two to three hours is CH148 ($162) for 2nd Class. A taxi is EU20 ($23) – 40 ($43), depending on where you catch it. A salad, sandwich, and beverage can cost upwards of $30.

Publications musicwomanarchive.com/magazines

Meanwhile, back to school for Fall semester.

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Why start a business?

In 1999, a well-connected politician called me on the phone, early one morning, instructing me to write down a fax number, starting with area code 202 for Washington, D.C. I knew it was important.

She asked me if I had a company and an Employee Identification Number (EIN) or tax ID number. I said I did. She said, “Write a blues about the 2000 census. Fax it with an invoice for $2,499 on your letterhead to the number I gave you.

One hour later, I sent the CENSUS BLUES to the U.S. Census Bureau to the attention of the person connected to my politician friend. I got paid because I could compose music and I had a corporate EIN.

One of the first documents I give my Speech Communication students is a handout entitled HOW TO START A BUSINESS.

How to start a business

  1. Choose Your Business Name, Inc. (or LLC) and decide if you will be: (30 minutes)
    • For profit
    • Non profit
  2. Product or Service (for profit) or Mission Statement (non-profit)
  3. Go to www.sunbiz.org to apply for incorporation $78 – 82 (20 minutes)
    • For profit must have a president (you)
    • Non-profit must have President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Also may have a resident agent, if the officers live in another state.
  4. Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN or Tax ID #) from www.irs.gov (10 minutes)
  5. Open a Bank Account (take Certificate of Status + EIN + $100)
  6. Liability Insurance (optional)
  7. Order business cards, website, telephone number, and business address (optional or home)
  8. Set up PayPal, Square, or another method to invoice your customers
  9. PayPal  $150 corporate tax before April 30 each year at www.sunbiz.org
    • On May 1st the penalty is $400 for filing your annual report late for a total of $550. So pay by April 30th!

Contact:

Dr. Cartwright

954-740-3398

profjoancartwright@gmail.com

I was in business for two years before I got that call. My company was not making much money. If I got a check for singing, I put it in my business account. I paid the corporate tax and filed a tax return as a sole proprietor most years. My company grew because of the music I recorded and books I published. I got substantial orders from school principals for one or more of my books. In 2007, I incorporated my non-profit organization and became a lecturer, presenter, and producer of several programs. After releasing my two personal CDs in 1995 and 2005, I produced eight compilation CDs of music from members of http://wijsf.org

In 2019, we published the first issue of Musicwoman Magazine. In 2020, we published the second issue and the first issue of Musicman Magazine. In 2021, We published both magazines, individually, and a flip book of both magazines.

There is no doubt in my mind that having a business has been beneficial to me and our 380 members!