An Amazing Photographer
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
A Celebration for all....
I took pictures at the third Juneteenth Festival that Laurens has held in celebration of the emancipation of thousands of enslaved African Americans.
The festivities lasted all day and featured dance and music performances to accompany the speakers during the event.
The Buffalo Soldiers, a program designed for youth to learn the history of African Americans in the U.S. military as well as learning a form of marching that incorporates stepping and understanding verbal commands.
The most inspiring part of the day for me was when all 80 or so people under the shelter stood to sing the African American National anthem. As an outsider and Caucasian I had a very unusual feeling. At first I felt like an outsider then I listened to the determined words that these people sang with such feeling.
Never have I felt such shame, such sadness, and then finally the great pride that we all are Americans, and this is how far we have come in a relatively short period of time.
I wish I could have wandered around the festival all day, but unfortunately my other duties called me away. Below are a couple of pictures that I snapped at the opening ceremony.
Several of The Buffalo Soldier Leadership Program stand at attention during the program
Michael Washington, the director of the Juneteenth program introduces his daughter who sang the African American National Anthem
__________________________________________________
A video of the African American National Anthem
__________________________________________________
The Buffalo Soldiers do a line formation
Members of the Long Branch Baptist Church out of Grover, NC perform a "Worship Dance" called "Freedom Song"
The festivities lasted all day and featured dance and music performances to accompany the speakers during the event.
The Buffalo Soldiers, a program designed for youth to learn the history of African Americans in the U.S. military as well as learning a form of marching that incorporates stepping and understanding verbal commands.
The most inspiring part of the day for me was when all 80 or so people under the shelter stood to sing the African American National anthem. As an outsider and Caucasian I had a very unusual feeling. At first I felt like an outsider then I listened to the determined words that these people sang with such feeling.
Never have I felt such shame, such sadness, and then finally the great pride that we all are Americans, and this is how far we have come in a relatively short period of time.
I wish I could have wandered around the festival all day, but unfortunately my other duties called me away. Below are a couple of pictures that I snapped at the opening ceremony.
Several of The Buffalo Soldier Leadership Program stand at attention during the program
Michael Washington, the director of the Juneteenth program introduces his daughter who sang the African American National Anthem
__________________________________________________
A video of the African American National Anthem
__________________________________________________
The Buffalo Soldiers do a line formation
Members of the Long Branch Baptist Church out of Grover, NC perform a "Worship Dance" called "Freedom Song"
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Stormy Weather...keeps rainin all the time.
This morning at the Advertiser we were scattered across the county to record the havoc of the storm that brought 70 mph winds and quarter-size hail around midnight.
Unfortunately the storm took a life while damaging countless numbers of homes and yards. 29 year old Clinton native, Kimberly Taylor Alexander died on impact when her car was smashed by a tree as she attempted to get to her home, which was only minutes away.
Despite this tragedy everyone we spoke to uttered the same thankful phrase, "It could have been worse."
Some 3,000 residents are still without power. The massive amounts of damage to utilities forced Duke Energy to call in reinforcements from NC to the area.
One of the other reporters, Cory Engle got this shot at the Laurens District High School. The metal was from a roof nearly a football field away from the utility pole.
These pines couldn't stand the pressure of the 70mph winds that tore through the Mountville area of Laurens County.
Several residents said that there must have been tornadoes that went unconfirmed in the area.
I took a walk around the root-ball of this 110 year old white oak that was planted on the property at the time the house in the background was erected.
Utility workers, moved carefully and quickly to free power lines felled by the storm.
The storm was able to change landscapes in a matter of minutes, like this home that lost the majority of their front yard pine trees.
Portrait of life...
Albrecht Tubke has long been a favorite photographer of mine. His pictures are unassuming yet somehow vivid. By standing on a street corner snapping pictures Tubke is able chronicle ordinary people going about their day. Ordinary, yet fantastic. You can see so much thought and past behind each face pictured in his works.
check out his work on his website here, ALBRECHT TÜBKE
It's pretty amazing how it makes you think. You wonder....who was she going to see?
...what did she do to her foot?
...and what made him choose that tie?
Have a good day!
check out his work on his website here, ALBRECHT TÜBKE
It's pretty amazing how it makes you think. You wonder....who was she going to see?
...what did she do to her foot?
...and what made him choose that tie?
Have a good day!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Juneteenth Day- "Celebration of Freedom"
Short story I just wrote up for the Advertiser. This celebration is a pretty big deal for Laurens. The fact that the city is sponsoring this event shows a great deal of growth in this small southern town.
Juneteenth Day- "Celebration of Freedom"
by Kathleen Brown
For The Advertiser
In celebration of Emancipation and the unity of all races in the United States, the Wal-Mart Distribution Center and the City of Laurens are sponsoring the county’s third “Juneteenth Day” this Saturday, June 20, at Laurens’ Little River Park, according to event coordinator Michael Washington. The celebration commemorates the delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation to Texas citizens.
Laurens is one of six other South Carolina counties that recognize Juneteenth Day. Washington, Wal-Mart Distribution’s Human Resource Director, has been the driving force behind the event for three years.
“Juneteenth Day is the largest African American event taking place in Laurens, and we’re very excited to be a part of it.”
Rather than celebrating the actual Emanciapation Day, Juneteenth recognizes the date that the last American slaves were freed. Communication between states was not easy then, and it was June 19th, 1865, when Union soldiers finally brought the news to Galvaston, Texas, that Lincoln had freed the slaves. It must have been a relief to the enslaved African Americans working in the fields in Texas, just as it had been to those in the East two years before.
In remembrance of this day, Americans all over the country have celebrated during June simply under the name, Juneteenth Day. According to the Juneteenth official website, Juneteenth.com, this year marks 144 years that the day has been recognized as the oldest celebration for the end of slavery in the U.S.
Although Juneteenth Day celebrates the end of slavery in America, the day has come to represent a broader theme, and also emphasizes education and achievement, according to the organization’s website.
Laurens’ “Celebration of Freedom” is scheduled for Saturday. Festivities will take place at the Little River Park where they will begin at 1 p.m. and continue until 7 p.m. The day will include food vendors, speakers, music provided by a disc jockey, dance performances, and many other activities.
This year, Washington has been able to better advertise the event this year, but he said he plans to blanket the city, county, and even surrounding counties with fliers about the event.
“A lot of people are just not aware that this celebration exists,” he said.
The program will feature several prominent speakers from the community including Mayor Sharon Brownlee. Washington is grateful for the support that the city has given this project.
“The city basically started this, and we have really been able to get connected with them and collaborate our efforts,” Washington said.
He would like attendants to walk away with a full stomach, fond memories, and a new understanding of America’s history.
“Our main intent is to educate people,” Washington said. “We are moving on, but in a forward direction of growth.”
For more information on Juneteenth Day, contact Michael Washington at (864) 682-1465 or (864) 908-3658.
Juneteenth Day- "Celebration of Freedom"
by Kathleen Brown
For The Advertiser
In celebration of Emancipation and the unity of all races in the United States, the Wal-Mart Distribution Center and the City of Laurens are sponsoring the county’s third “Juneteenth Day” this Saturday, June 20, at Laurens’ Little River Park, according to event coordinator Michael Washington. The celebration commemorates the delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation to Texas citizens.
Laurens is one of six other South Carolina counties that recognize Juneteenth Day. Washington, Wal-Mart Distribution’s Human Resource Director, has been the driving force behind the event for three years.
“Juneteenth Day is the largest African American event taking place in Laurens, and we’re very excited to be a part of it.”
Rather than celebrating the actual Emanciapation Day, Juneteenth recognizes the date that the last American slaves were freed. Communication between states was not easy then, and it was June 19th, 1865, when Union soldiers finally brought the news to Galvaston, Texas, that Lincoln had freed the slaves. It must have been a relief to the enslaved African Americans working in the fields in Texas, just as it had been to those in the East two years before.
In remembrance of this day, Americans all over the country have celebrated during June simply under the name, Juneteenth Day. According to the Juneteenth official website, Juneteenth.com, this year marks 144 years that the day has been recognized as the oldest celebration for the end of slavery in the U.S.
Although Juneteenth Day celebrates the end of slavery in America, the day has come to represent a broader theme, and also emphasizes education and achievement, according to the organization’s website.
Laurens’ “Celebration of Freedom” is scheduled for Saturday. Festivities will take place at the Little River Park where they will begin at 1 p.m. and continue until 7 p.m. The day will include food vendors, speakers, music provided by a disc jockey, dance performances, and many other activities.
This year, Washington has been able to better advertise the event this year, but he said he plans to blanket the city, county, and even surrounding counties with fliers about the event.
“A lot of people are just not aware that this celebration exists,” he said.
The program will feature several prominent speakers from the community including Mayor Sharon Brownlee. Washington is grateful for the support that the city has given this project.
“The city basically started this, and we have really been able to get connected with them and collaborate our efforts,” Washington said.
He would like attendants to walk away with a full stomach, fond memories, and a new understanding of America’s history.
“Our main intent is to educate people,” Washington said. “We are moving on, but in a forward direction of growth.”
For more information on Juneteenth Day, contact Michael Washington at (864) 682-1465 or (864) 908-3658.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Salkehatchie- funny name serious service
Little feature story I just wrote for the paper. Major props to these people, I don't know if I could do it.
Salkehatchie- funny name serious service
By Kathleen Brown
For the Advertiser
Hauling, pulling and shoveling, the busy ranks of First United Methodist Salkehatchie Summer Service Camp are working long hours at three different work sites in the city, and won’t be wrapping it up until this Sunday.
The Summer Service Camp, sponsored by the South Carolina United Methodist conference, and the newest Laurens branch, is now one of over forty groups in the state.
The 24 campers, who began work on Sunday, have come together from Greenwood, Greenville, Fountain Inn and other upstate cities, in addition to a few from First United Methodist in Laurens.
“The camp was created because people realized there was a need for missions at home,” said camp director Emil Finley, referring to Salkehatchie’s history.
Founded in 1978, the various camps around the state assist local families in need of home maintenance. The camp is unique in that it brings together youth and older adults to work as team members on set projects.
Camper and Laurens native, Elaine Britt Turner of Greenwood, says the age difference doesn’t bother her.
“This is my life,” said Turner, motioning to a group of young people working on a porch foundation. “I taught public school for 33 years, and I’m used to this.”
Each member must be 14 by the time of registration, but Glen Blocker, in his eighties, obviously didn’t need to worry about that.
As the oldest member of the camp, Blocker, a well-known volunteer from Laurens, does get some perks.
“I go home at night to sleep and shower,” said Blocker with a laugh.
On the camp’s website, salkehatchie.org, the application asks for hard working youth and adults. Just how hard these campers would find themselves working, however, might have come as a surprise to the first year campers.
Wake up call is promptly at 5:30 a.m. where sleepy campers pick up their makeshift bedding from the floors of the Laurens Middle School’s gymnasium. The work starts two hours later when the teams arrive at their different work sites. With only one break for lunch at noon, and supper not until 6 p.m., campers are putting in almost a 12-hour day. At the end of each day the whole camp gathers together for worship, devotions, and speakers.
Finley explained that members of the Laurens First church have been attending the camps out of town for years, and felt the need to start up their own.
“We want to give back to the community,” said Finley. “We really believe in reinvesting in Laurens County.”
Finley chose three houses, all located in the Jersey Community near Sanders Middle School, for renovation by the camp. He selected them from a pool of more than 70 applicants in Laurens County.
“We received a lot of response,” Finley said, “but we decided on the three that needed the most help and that we knew we could realistically do.”
The campers have a long list of projects that they are determined to complete by the end of their busy week.
“We tore out linoleum, the stairs, and started fixing the roof,” said 17 year-old Lee Cochrine of Greenville. “And this was all just the first day.”
The other projects also include building two new front porches, replacing kitchen and bathroom appliances, rewiring a home’s electricity and doing countless other maintenance projects the teams can get their gloved-hands on.
Time is not the only thing that could hinder the campers in their progress. Insects, heat and lack of sleep all came up when campers discussed the difficulties they have encountered so far this week.
Laurens resident Carla Culbertson, 20, said she really doesn’t like sleeping on the floors, but that she does have one small comfort.
“Thank God for blow up air mattresses,” Culbertson said. “I don’t know what I’d be doing right now.”
Bryce Keely, a 14 year-old camper, says he is enjoying his first Salkehatchie camp experience, except for the twenty or so mosquito bites that he lifts up his pant leg for inspection by Finley.
Despite the mild complaints, the campers and leaders are determined to “keep on keeping on.”
“Helping people out makes you feel good,” said 17-year-old Fountain Inn resident, Paige Brooks.
Finley explains that the need for helping others is his top priority for faith.
“You can’t live a life of faith without doing anything,” Finley said. “If you don’t live faith, then you won’t experience it.”
Finley hopes that this year will be the first of many camps that the church will put on. He hopes that the campers, as well as those outside of the camp, will become interested in further working within the community.
“Service is the outgrowth of faith and the essence of life,” he added.
Salkehatchie- funny name serious service
By Kathleen Brown
For the Advertiser
Hauling, pulling and shoveling, the busy ranks of First United Methodist Salkehatchie Summer Service Camp are working long hours at three different work sites in the city, and won’t be wrapping it up until this Sunday.
The Summer Service Camp, sponsored by the South Carolina United Methodist conference, and the newest Laurens branch, is now one of over forty groups in the state.
The 24 campers, who began work on Sunday, have come together from Greenwood, Greenville, Fountain Inn and other upstate cities, in addition to a few from First United Methodist in Laurens.
“The camp was created because people realized there was a need for missions at home,” said camp director Emil Finley, referring to Salkehatchie’s history.
Founded in 1978, the various camps around the state assist local families in need of home maintenance. The camp is unique in that it brings together youth and older adults to work as team members on set projects.
Camper and Laurens native, Elaine Britt Turner of Greenwood, says the age difference doesn’t bother her.
“This is my life,” said Turner, motioning to a group of young people working on a porch foundation. “I taught public school for 33 years, and I’m used to this.”
Each member must be 14 by the time of registration, but Glen Blocker, in his eighties, obviously didn’t need to worry about that.
As the oldest member of the camp, Blocker, a well-known volunteer from Laurens, does get some perks.
“I go home at night to sleep and shower,” said Blocker with a laugh.
On the camp’s website, salkehatchie.org, the application asks for hard working youth and adults. Just how hard these campers would find themselves working, however, might have come as a surprise to the first year campers.
Wake up call is promptly at 5:30 a.m. where sleepy campers pick up their makeshift bedding from the floors of the Laurens Middle School’s gymnasium. The work starts two hours later when the teams arrive at their different work sites. With only one break for lunch at noon, and supper not until 6 p.m., campers are putting in almost a 12-hour day. At the end of each day the whole camp gathers together for worship, devotions, and speakers.
Finley explained that members of the Laurens First church have been attending the camps out of town for years, and felt the need to start up their own.
“We want to give back to the community,” said Finley. “We really believe in reinvesting in Laurens County.”
Finley chose three houses, all located in the Jersey Community near Sanders Middle School, for renovation by the camp. He selected them from a pool of more than 70 applicants in Laurens County.
“We received a lot of response,” Finley said, “but we decided on the three that needed the most help and that we knew we could realistically do.”
The campers have a long list of projects that they are determined to complete by the end of their busy week.
“We tore out linoleum, the stairs, and started fixing the roof,” said 17 year-old Lee Cochrine of Greenville. “And this was all just the first day.”
The other projects also include building two new front porches, replacing kitchen and bathroom appliances, rewiring a home’s electricity and doing countless other maintenance projects the teams can get their gloved-hands on.
Time is not the only thing that could hinder the campers in their progress. Insects, heat and lack of sleep all came up when campers discussed the difficulties they have encountered so far this week.
Laurens resident Carla Culbertson, 20, said she really doesn’t like sleeping on the floors, but that she does have one small comfort.
“Thank God for blow up air mattresses,” Culbertson said. “I don’t know what I’d be doing right now.”
Bryce Keely, a 14 year-old camper, says he is enjoying his first Salkehatchie camp experience, except for the twenty or so mosquito bites that he lifts up his pant leg for inspection by Finley.
Despite the mild complaints, the campers and leaders are determined to “keep on keeping on.”
“Helping people out makes you feel good,” said 17-year-old Fountain Inn resident, Paige Brooks.
Finley explains that the need for helping others is his top priority for faith.
“You can’t live a life of faith without doing anything,” Finley said. “If you don’t live faith, then you won’t experience it.”
Finley hopes that this year will be the first of many camps that the church will put on. He hopes that the campers, as well as those outside of the camp, will become interested in further working within the community.
“Service is the outgrowth of faith and the essence of life,” he added.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Eleventyseven Story
One of my stories for the Advertiser, it was on the front page above the fold! Pretty excited about my first ever front cover.
I had a great talk with the lead singer, Matt Langston, in a coffee shop in downtown Laurens.
They are all pretty chill people and easy to get along with. It was definitely one of my favorite stories so far.
Band makes it big and keeps local roots
by Kathleen Brown
For The Advertiser
After touring for almost four years, the members of the pop-punk band,Eleventyseven have begun to get comfortable playing shows around the country, and as a result, they sometimes feel out of place when they come home to Laurens. Not as alien however as a certain incident left them feeling while on tour in Japan last year.
A couple minutes before being thrown off a subway car in Tokyo, band members, Caleb Satterfield, Matthew Langston, and Jonathan Stephens, had been a little perplexed at the fact that they were literally the only males on the crowded vehicle.
“Looking around we thought, ‘Wow, the women really outnumber the men over here,’” said Langston who is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band. “We had boarded the all-girl school shuttle.”
Like subway signs in Japanese and yelling policemen, a lot can get ‘lost in translation’ while touring a foreign country, but the one thing that remains intact is the band’s ability to please their fans-no matter what language they speak.
“We do the same shows, but we try to talk as little as possible in between songs,” said Langston. “It’s always a fantastic experience.”
Caleb Satterfield, who plays bass and performs background vocals, said he doesn’t think the language barrier is a hindrance to Eleventyseven’s growing popularity in Japan.
“There aren’t any defined genres in Japan so it’s just music,” said Satterfield. “The kids like the music regardless of the label it has.”
The band will be making new memories overseas at the end of the month when they begin their second Japanese tour on June 30. The tour will be a chance for Eleventyseven to promote the upcoming release of their new album, “adventures in Eville.”
Since the band’s formation in 2002, the musical talents of Satterfield, Langston and Stephens have carried them far from the main streets and tiny venues of their hometown where they struggled to shake-off their “garage band” status.
On their third album the band electro-pop rocks listeners with their self-proclaimed up-beat style while adding a few new twists.
“This album is pretty diverse,” said Satterfield. “We’ve got some synth-pop, some punk-rock, even a little rap.”
Eleventyseven’s almost 40,000 fans on MySpace have already had the chance to hear several singles from “Eville.” As of Thursday “Evil Genius” had been listened to 12,000 times, and the band is excited to air the music video they made for what they hope will be their next big single.
Despite their expanding fan-base, they have continued to remain true to the positive message that they have been shaping since their early days as high school students playing gigs in Laurens County.
“We want the music to mirror what we are and what we are genuinely passionate about,” said Langston.
With an album release set for June 9, a new music video filmed and a Japanese tour booked later this month, the band has been lucky to catch a breath. That busyness prompted them to purchase their own “creative” lodge in the mountains of North Carolina.
“We can’t really say where but it’s a secret cave inside of a mountain,” Langston joked.
After the two-week tour the band plans on escaping the distractions of the world for a while and concentrating on writing music. Yet, in spite of the new “cave” and 20-show tours in Japan, Eleventyseven finds that their hometown always calls them back.
“Laurens is like no other place,” Satterfield said, “and it will always be home to me.”
Langston agrees, “On one hand we are really happy traveling, but we also realize that there is something to be said for the ‘small town America’ feel.”
Eleventyseven’s album is scheduled to be released online June 9. For more information on the band and their tour schedule go to their website, eleventysevenrocks.com.
I had a great talk with the lead singer, Matt Langston, in a coffee shop in downtown Laurens.
They are all pretty chill people and easy to get along with. It was definitely one of my favorite stories so far.
Band makes it big and keeps local roots
by Kathleen Brown
For The Advertiser
After touring for almost four years, the members of the pop-punk band,Eleventyseven have begun to get comfortable playing shows around the country, and as a result, they sometimes feel out of place when they come home to Laurens. Not as alien however as a certain incident left them feeling while on tour in Japan last year.
A couple minutes before being thrown off a subway car in Tokyo, band members, Caleb Satterfield, Matthew Langston, and Jonathan Stephens, had been a little perplexed at the fact that they were literally the only males on the crowded vehicle.
“Looking around we thought, ‘Wow, the women really outnumber the men over here,’” said Langston who is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band. “We had boarded the all-girl school shuttle.”
Like subway signs in Japanese and yelling policemen, a lot can get ‘lost in translation’ while touring a foreign country, but the one thing that remains intact is the band’s ability to please their fans-no matter what language they speak.
“We do the same shows, but we try to talk as little as possible in between songs,” said Langston. “It’s always a fantastic experience.”
Caleb Satterfield, who plays bass and performs background vocals, said he doesn’t think the language barrier is a hindrance to Eleventyseven’s growing popularity in Japan.
“There aren’t any defined genres in Japan so it’s just music,” said Satterfield. “The kids like the music regardless of the label it has.”
The band will be making new memories overseas at the end of the month when they begin their second Japanese tour on June 30. The tour will be a chance for Eleventyseven to promote the upcoming release of their new album, “adventures in Eville.”
Since the band’s formation in 2002, the musical talents of Satterfield, Langston and Stephens have carried them far from the main streets and tiny venues of their hometown where they struggled to shake-off their “garage band” status.
On their third album the band electro-pop rocks listeners with their self-proclaimed up-beat style while adding a few new twists.
“This album is pretty diverse,” said Satterfield. “We’ve got some synth-pop, some punk-rock, even a little rap.”
Eleventyseven’s almost 40,000 fans on MySpace have already had the chance to hear several singles from “Eville.” As of Thursday “Evil Genius” had been listened to 12,000 times, and the band is excited to air the music video they made for what they hope will be their next big single.
Despite their expanding fan-base, they have continued to remain true to the positive message that they have been shaping since their early days as high school students playing gigs in Laurens County.
“We want the music to mirror what we are and what we are genuinely passionate about,” said Langston.
With an album release set for June 9, a new music video filmed and a Japanese tour booked later this month, the band has been lucky to catch a breath. That busyness prompted them to purchase their own “creative” lodge in the mountains of North Carolina.
“We can’t really say where but it’s a secret cave inside of a mountain,” Langston joked.
After the two-week tour the band plans on escaping the distractions of the world for a while and concentrating on writing music. Yet, in spite of the new “cave” and 20-show tours in Japan, Eleventyseven finds that their hometown always calls them back.
“Laurens is like no other place,” Satterfield said, “and it will always be home to me.”
Langston agrees, “On one hand we are really happy traveling, but we also realize that there is something to be said for the ‘small town America’ feel.”
Eleventyseven’s album is scheduled to be released online June 9. For more information on the band and their tour schedule go to their website, eleventysevenrocks.com.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Field Day...Always Fun
I covered my Alma Mater's (Laurens Academy) Field Day last week for a photo spread we did covering the annual event in the county.
I got some pretty adorable pictures and realized two things...
1. I could never ever teach elementary school.
2. I want to have field day too.
I got some pretty adorable pictures and realized two things...
1. I could never ever teach elementary school.
2. I want to have field day too.
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