Today in Black History – The Iconic Leontyne Price “Happy Birthday”

Mydreamalive.com presents the Iconic Leontyne Price

What does it take to change the face of African-American culture?

A person that believes in what they believe and does not care what anyone else thinks!

One of her favorite quotes:

Accomplishment has no color

                                                         Leontyne Price

What an amazing person, performer, and voice like no nother.

Born in Laurel, Mississippi on February 10, 1927, Leontyne price grew up with  the love of music stirring inside of her veins. Like most African-American children, Leontyne got her music chops and internship in church, growing up listening to the type of music that could stir a soul. She new right then and there that she was going to make music, and affecting people’s lives, her  profession.

Now here is where the story gets interesting.

She chose to pursue a career in Classical/Operatic music and not jazz or gospel music!

huh??

This is where the disconnect happened for many of good ole down home black folks.

She went to Central State College in Wilberforce, Ohio and got encouragement and inspiration to further her love for the genre.  Leontyne went to college to become a music teacher. While hearing her sing one day in a Hall, the President of the College, Dr. Charles H. Wesley encouraged her to change her major from education to voice.

Leontyne Price earned her B.A. in June 1948, and headed to New York to study at the Julliard School of Music where she had won a full tuition scholarship. At Julliard, she received voice training from Florence Ward Kimball, a distinguished teacher, and, in her last year, she gave a strong performance as Mistress Ford in the student production of the opera, Falstaff. Upon seeing her in this production, Virgil Thompson immediately invited her to star in a revival of his opera, Four Saints in Three Acts, which ran on Broadway for three weeks in April 1952. Less than two months later, Price made her debut in Dallas, in a role that would carve her name in the minds of audiences everywhere; she appeared as Bess in a revival of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.

Leontyne Price achieved one of the greatest artistic victories of her career on January 27, 1961, when she debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. This performance ignited a 42-minute ovation, one of the longest in the Met’s history. Critic Harold Schoenberg wrote: “Her voice was dusky and rich in its lower tones, perfectly even in its transitions from one register to another, and flawlessly pure and velvety at the top.”

Over the years, Leontyne Price has won 15 Grammy Awards for vocal recordings she has made, and she has been on the cover of Time and 27 other magazines. In addition, she was the only opera singer to be represented in the list of “Remarkable American Women: 1776-1976” in Life Magazine‘s Bicentennial issue in 1976. She now lives quietly in a cozy house in New York’s Greenwich Village.

Even with her amazing popularity in Europe, her status as an African-American Icon has yet to be truly celebrated!

There is more than enough evidence, rewards, reasons, and accolades to make this happen today!

Derrick Butler is CEO and Founder of Mydreamalive.com which has a mission of changing the negative images that media portrays as African-American heroes, to positive images that are true African-American Icons.

Today I sold my first William Alexander Leidesdorff T Shirt and I am Thrilled!!

When I awoke this morning to a normal Wednesday morning..I thought today was going to be just a normal “Hump Day”, and now it will go down as a day that I will forever remember.

See, today I sold my first “William Alexander Leidesdorff” T- shirt and when I saw my report I had to check it twice just to be sure I was reading the report correctly.

A little history….

I started Mydreamalive.com 3 years ago..( wow..yes made it through the dreaded 2 years)….and I have never sold a William Alexander Leidesdorff  T-Shirt.

In fact, there maybe a bunch of you…the 6,000+ people who have read my blog,that are fans of African-American History, but don’t know who William Alexander Leidesdorff is.

Let’s say this…. William Alexander Leidesdorff is the FIRST…repeat the FIRST African-American Millionaire.

It is indeed a shame that a bunch of people don’t know the name and another shame that he does not have a day, or stamp in his honor.

Here is a picture:

First Black Millionaire

Just some highlights of his illustrious career:

“..a prominent civic leader and pioneer in the successful quest for California to become the 31^st state in the United States.  He was elected Treasurer of the City of San Francisco, owned the largest home in the city, constructed the first City Hotel, built the first commercial shipping warehouse, and donated the land to build the first public school in California.”  

So why is he such a big secret? Why does he not get credit? If anyone can answer that, please do post a comment.

He here is more info on him: Click here

and if you would like to own your own T Shirt: Click here

There are so many successful African-American stories that are yet to be told.

We need to get these stories out of the books, and onto the movie screens.

I applaud “Red Tails” for sharing the incredible story of the Tuskegee Airman.

Although there were some parts missing, and a little fiction.. at least it was an

epic African-American story…that was more than ready to be told.

Thanks for your time…

Derrick

Derrick Butler is founder of Mydreamalive.com a company founded in 2009 to  change the negative images displayed in media to positive images, and allow all African-Americans to see all sides of the American opportunity.

Blogging about Hair

Ways to make money in a Recession

        Mydreamalive.com is all about removing the obstacles that are in your way to make your dreams come true.  I am often asked, How do you know if you are on the right road? Let me be clear that there is only one way to be sure that you are on the right road. You must be Connected to the Holy Spirit! Yes, that is the way and the only way. Once you are on the right road, you will be connect to the amazing anointing and the road will be a true road to the purpose that God has in store for you. I have often been faced in life with challenges, and these challenges usually come when I am doing what I want to do in life and not do what God wants me to do. I often get my mind straight and decide that I am going to go in a direction that doesn’t have anything to do with the purpose that God has in store for me. I get on this road, and destruction happens. Now when the destruction happens, I then get on my knees and pray, “Oh Lord, please help me out of the mess I am in.” Thank goodness that God is a forgiving and passionate God, because if he wasn’t he would have left me a long time ago because of the crazy messes I get myself into.

Salon Chairs filled with customers what a great thing!

I was recently talking to a young lady about starting a Hair Salon, and she did not know where to get started.  I told her the first thing you have to do is pray, to be sure that you are going in the right direction. Then go to http://www.domainnames.com  to find and purchase a  url that speaks to the type of salon you want. Then write a business plan that spells out what she is going to do in terms of operations, marketing, and finance. Once all those ducks were in a row then she needed to do pray again, just to be absolutely sure. In all my life I have never seen a women go without getting her hair done. I don’t care if the women did not have food in the house, or pay her cable bill, she was going to make sure she was in the shop getting her hair done. So a Hair Salon is a very good way to go. Women spend so much time with their hair, I am amused watching my wife and daughters spend hours at a time deciding on how they are going to wear their hair that DAY! Every day it is the same routine, wake up shower, dress, and spend 1 hour deciding on the right style/look of the hair. Men we have it soooo easy. We go the barber every two weeks, and until we get to the point where our wifes/lady friends tell us its time to go, we don’t even think twice about our hair.  Perhaps I should go to http://www.domainnames.com and secure www.hairmadness.com! I bet I could get a whole lot of traffic and sell hair products…lol

People, whether you ar trying to figure out if you are on the road of anointing, or deciding to open your first business. You have to commit to moving forward.

Stay in the grace of GOD and take action..and the rest will fall in the place.

Remember:

“Seek you first the kingdom of GOD, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you”

Matthew 6:33

Derrick Butler is Founder/CEO of My Dream Alive Inc, the largest producer of Black History Clothing Online. Find out more at www.mydreamalive.com

$200 Billion Big Tech War Chest hurting Recession

Big Tech Hoarding Cash

What in the world is Big Tech Doing with such a large War Chest? With that much money on hand why arent’t they hiring people. The buzz on the street is that the Big Tech’s are trying to position themselves for a nasty season of Take Overs in the next 2 years. While Big Tech sits on there laurels with all that cash on hand. The Un-Educated publicc thinks that all the Policy Reform  that the Barack Obama Administration Initiated did not work. The Tea Party and the Republican party both are crying wolf as loud as they can that the Presidnent is doing nothing to help the American people. Give me a break! You have got to be kidding me. Instead of helping American revover from the Great Recession, corporate america should be doing there part just like Governement did theres. With the unemployment rate in August at 9.5%, we need coporate America to start hiring back some of the 1,000 that were laid off during the worst of the recession. We also need the banks to loosen the guidelines so that they can start lending money to small busineses that continue to have difficulty getting loans to start and continue in business. This county is healthy when both Big and Small business are doing there parts in hiring employees. President Barack Obama has only been in office for less than 2 years and has delivered some of the most aggressive reforms that Government has passed in two decades. Finally we have a President that knows exactly what he is doing and that has this country in the right direction. Clinton was the last Great President that got this country to incredible years of surplus. Once Obama gets Health Care and the Financial Sector under Control. He will have to cut spending by geetting rid of the fat in the Public Sector. If we can spend $21,000 per household which matches the spending livel that Clinton achieved in his term, this country will not only get out of the Great Recession, but get back to surplus and economic prosperity for all.

Dream (My Dream Alive) 2009 Frederick Douglass

  Here we are in 2009!!

Hello All and welcome to My Dream Alive

I had to take a moment to reflect on all the things that just happenend in the United States.

I am like everyone else dazed, stunned, and excited all at the same time.

As founder and CEO of Mydreamalive.com I am utterly amazed at Barack Obama actually getting elected to offfice.  Alot of people feel the same way as I do. Not because of his qualifications or the fact that nothing happened while the election was going on, or the fact that he is the 1st African American President and the most powerful man in the world!

I am so proud of my country and I am soooo proud of Barack Obama and his wife Michelle and his daughters. If they were concerned they never showed it, if there was heighted security it never dominated the media outlets. I am sooo very excited that this man who was inspired by Abraham Lincoln would have the Audacity of hope and the commitment to make history.

I look back at the people before Barack Obama and I think about men like Frederick Douglass that pulled himself up and made himself a better person.

He was inspired by William Lloyd Garrison’s Speech about Freedom and this experience ignited a fire within him that created one of themost influential abolotionist in the history of America.

We have to dream and dream big in 2009. We have to let our minds wonder and get Inspired by some incredible models that exist in the world today.

Dream of being a Politician, businessperson,  Doctor, Scientist and Inventor.

Create the next big thing in Science that will change the world as we see it today.

You can pull yourself up from any current condition and achieve things that you have only dreamed about.

If Frederick Douglass can do it you can too!

If Barack Obama can do it you can too!!

Get Inspired Today!

Derrick   Butler                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

www.mydreamalive.com

5 Things we must avoid for Black History 2009 Mydreamalive.com

Civil Rights Movement

Black History Month has traditionally been all about the  Civil Right Movement and the categorizing that place and that time as the whole black experience.

Now that Barack Obama is President and the glass ceiling is shattered, I think that we need to move from 100 Civil Rights.

We have a long and powerful History of Great People!

Believe me when I say, I take nothing away from the Civil Rights movement, if not for the movement then we would not be where we are today. However; before the  Civil Rights struggle their were African American People that were finding a way to make it, and to succeed in society. Their were many people that through business, athletics, art, entertainment and armed forces, were able to make a dent in the Iron Veil.  The questions remain, who are they? and how did they do it?

The latest how did he do it?  Barack Obama, came up in complete oblivion to every African American tha was not in the Chicago political scene.

In 2008, does how could a man come through the system and not make a wrinkle! Then run for President and win, without really focusing on the African American community?

We need changes to Black History!

We need at least to change:

1. Current Movers and Shakers
2. Up and Coming Movers and Shakers
3. Education of Historic Contributors
4. Way to comment and
5. Inspirational unity and ways to show it

We have a whole month to really Inspire our Race to move forward but I don’t think we are truly capitalizing on the opportunity.

Let’s engage conversation on ways we can move forward.

We need change!

 

Black History Clothing Mydreamalive.com is back

Aaron Douglas Together we can Build the Future

Hello All:

   I haven’t written in a while, mainly because the Obama campaign win was an incredible journey.

Now that Barack has won, the question that everyone is asking is, what is going to change?

That is the burning question that everyone that I talk to keeps asking.  The answer is… I don’t know what is going to happen. That is what history is all about.

We at Mydreamalive.com are all about history. All about the people that made it possible for the United States to elect the 44th President, a African American man.

We are all going to have to watch and see history unfold.  My Dad and alot of other older African Americans really, honestly thought they would never see this day come. Well to be honest, alot of people in my generation thought this day would not come. If you have been reading my Blog then you know I picked Barack Obama to win and to win by a landslide. I did not believe the press at all, and it did not take a Rhodes Scholar to do the math and see that the electoral college was truly wrapped up 3 months before the election. The whole campaign was a Doctorate Thesis in Political campaigning. The world will study that campaign for the rest of time.

I am truly happy that I was able to contribute to the campaign and make an effort to bring change to America. Like Barack said, the whole election was not about him. I still think McCain is trying to figure out what he was talking about.

Ok before I go…. DID YOU SEE BUSH DUCK THE SHOES??????????? HILARIOUS!!!!!

Stay tuned for more.. I am back in the saddle and ready to go.

Stay Tuned because now that the glass ceiling is broken, there is nothing, no excuse to hold US BACK!!

Go Get It!!!!

wwww.mydreamalive.com

www.cafepress.com/mydreamalive

Today is Ultimate Inspiration – Barack Obama “President Elect”

President Elect Barack Obama

Booker T. Washington

Mydreamalive.com “Clothes & Products that Inspire, Motivate and Educate”

Can you believe what happened yesterday? There was no trickery at all by the Republican Party. Why???

Can you say > LANDSLIDE <

America has spoken and truly picked the best man for the job. The fact that this man happens to be the First African American elected to the highest office in the land, creates the most historic event in African American History.

Booker T. Washington once said:

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I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.
Booker T. Washington

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Character, not circumstances, makes the man.

Booker T. Washington

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Those that tell us that we can’t, we shall respond that sums up a creed of people..”Yes We Can”

Barack Obama and his incredible team has officially raised the bar of expectation.

I tell the young African American man  – Pull up your pants

I tell the African American woman        – Stand by and believe in your Man

I tell the race of African American people – The glass ceiling is now shattered and you can now do and be anything that you want to be. The Audacity of hope is real and you no longer have any excuses to hold you back.

You can look your self in the mirror and say “Yes I can”

You can look your kids in the face and boldly say… “You too can be President”

This day I am Inspired to achieve my dreams and aspirations. Mydreamalive.com is all about Inpiring people to be who and what they want to be.

Let no personal situation stop you from achieving your dreams.

When Barack Obama accepted the nomination to be the candidate for the National Democratic party, I will be the first to say… That was the start of the “African American Renaissance”

The time and this place will be written about, sang about, philosophied about until the end of time. Their will be programs and papers and books written about this moment in time. Artist will do paintings and write poems about this time.

The “African American Renaissance” will be a moment in time when the world will celebrate the fact that any man of color can achieve their dreams and achieve them.

What will you do with this time? What will you do that will signify your acceptance of this time and this moment.

Mydreamalive.com I give to you as a people, and I Inspire to be great!!

What about you?????

OBAMA, OBAMA, OBAMA, OBAMA, OBAMA, OBAMA!!!!!!

Today I Inspire to be GREAT!

Wow,  Here is another day!

Today is another day and you can Inspire to be anything! You can decide today that you are going to finally:

1. Stop Smoking
2. Be faithful to your relationships
3. Read a New Book
4. Clean that Garage
5. Get back in school and FINISH!
6. Stop Gossipping
7. SAVE! SAVE! SAVE!
8. Pick a Presidential Candidate <<<< Sometime soon people <<<<<
9. Laugh until it hurts!
10. Give someone a smile
11. Hug my love ones
12. Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while
13. Get off that sofa and EXERCISE!!!
14. Did I say Pick a Presidential Candidate Already??? <<<OBAMA<<< OBAMA<<<<OBAMA<<<  🙂
15. etc…..

You get my drift!

Today is what you make of it and your mind is your mind and you can inspire to accomplish GREAT things.

So many times you here people complain about their situation. Come on PEOPLE!!

Go to >>>>>>>> www.mydreamalive.com <<<<<<<<<

If you need inspiration.. their is all the inspirational clothing and figures you need to inspire you to change and to achieve the dreams that you have.

Barack Obama decided in his mind when he was young that he would be GREAT!  If you don’t ever make it up in your mind, then it will NEVER HAPPEN!

What did you want to be when you were 5?

What happened to that dream?

Get back on track and Inspire to be GREAT today! There is nothing in the way but YOU!!!!

 OBAMA * OBAMA * OBAMA * OBAMA