| JAMAICAN NATIONALS ASSOCIATION (JNA) STUDENT RECEPTION | 
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In July 2004, Ambassador Dr. Gordon Shirley, Jamaica's eighth Ambassador to the U.S., and Permanent Representative to the O.A.S. assumed duties at the Embassy of Jamaica. During his tenure, he worked closely with the Jamaican Nationals Association in its community involvement activities.
For the past few years, JNA has recognized Dr. Shirley who has achieved excellence in his field of education, by naming the Student Book Scholarship Initiative in his honor.
On this Saturday, October 23, JNA will award book scholarships to 4 lucky students and celebrate them with a Student Reception.
Radio One will be covering the event as part of their 30 days of giving back to the community.
This event is FREE and open to the public.
Please email peppypromotions@gmail.com if you plan on attending and see flier below for more information.
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| JACQUELINE HALL FOR MISS MARYLAND USA 2011 | 
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Jacqueline Hall, 26, of Silver Spring Maryland will compete for the title of MISS MARYLAND USA 2011 on October 29th, 30th & 31st at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in North Bethesda, Maryland. Miss Jacqueline Hall is currently the Programming Coordinator at SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio in Washington, D.C. where she books celebrity guests to interview & perform on-air, and is also the liaison for artists visiting the SIRIUS XM studios. She attended the University of Maryland at College Park and in her free time enjoys working on creative projects and event planning for friends and family and hopefully one day a grander scale.
The MISS MARYLAND USA pageant is the Official Preliminaries to the MISS USA Pageant and is a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal Inc. joint venture. The young woman chosen as MISS MARYLAND USA 2011 will go on to represent the state of Maryland in the 2011 MISS USA pageant seen LIVE on NBC television, one of the most anticipated events of the year. For more information on the competition, click HERE
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Friends,
 | | Peppy and London of Carolina Kitchen at Reggae Tuesdays 10/19/10 |
Getting back into the swing of things is feeling kinda-sorta brand new and pretty good. You know how it is right? -- after a vacation, you need time to get back to the way things were; you need rest; you need to recoup; and at times you need to regroup (even if it is with yourself). To cut a very long story short (too much to read below), I did all of that and finally got back to my old peppy self on Sunday. I found that after having so much fun while I was away, I am now demanding more fun since I got back. It is obvious that having fun in the sun and partying in the States is like comparing apples and oranges, but I remain hopeful...Besides, I want to get it as much outdoor "movements" as I can before it gets too cold and I go into hibernation mode.
 Sankofa on Georgia Avenue was a nice spot Sunday afternoon. DJ Iwah played nonstop FELA music and the food, company and vibes made me feel "easy like Sunday morning." On Sunday evening as I sat outside Sankofa and people-watched while eating and listening to music, I was transported to New York City and the unforgettable experience I had seeing "FELA! On Broadway." I am in no way advertising for the promoters (they have enough money to do that on their own), but I will tell you that FELA! is a must see! Just in case you do not want to take my word for it and go see the Broadway production, consider attending "Black President's Day - a celebration of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti" on U Street at Tabaq this Sunday, October 24. Maybe you will get a small dose of what I am talking about.
Anyway, so while I was in Jamaica, I kept getting nostalgic about all the things I used to do while I lived there -- the cultural performances, nonstop reggae music, Sundays on the beach, great food, etc. I also remembered being heavily involved in Drama in the latter part of High School and so I have always had a passion for the movies. Even though I decided to not pursue an acting career, I have always been a lover of live theatrical performances and live performances in general. This past Sunday, as I got ready to attend the Jamaican stage play, The Plumber, I was shocked to realize that many Jamaicans and Caribbean people in the DMV area had no interest in attending. Before folks start jumping down my throat, understand that I am OK with Caribbean folks preferring to go to dances, carnivals, and other events. I get it that Sundays are family days and Caribbean people want to cook "big food" and chill. I just found it odd that The Plumber, which was promoted so heavily, did not have a larger audience. In retrospect, I know it could have been for any number of reasons -- some of which I discussed with the promoter, Earl Walker as we chatted candidly after the show.
 I can understand folks not wanting to spend back-to-back dollars to see two Jamaican plays (Oliver will be in town this Sunday); maybe the attendance was poor because most folks can relate to Oliver Samuels, who has been one of Jamaica's favorite actors for decades and is now a household name; maybe it was because a lot of folks associated The Plumber with the "Shebada" plays which have homophobic overtones and tag-lines which are designed for comic relief versus an actual story; maybe folks just could not afford it...Who knows? Whatever the reason, it was a little heartbreaking for me to see the not-so-good turnout because it was a really, really, well written and superbly acted performance. The actors played their parts convincingly, connected with the audience, and were well suited for their respective roles. To sum it up, the play SELL AAFF even if it was not SOLD OUT!! As Earl said "Peppy, I really wish more folks had come out, because this was an excellent show." My sentiments exactly, Earl. CLICK HERE TO READ MY REVIEW & MORE.
 As we continue to bring awareness to the breasts all of October, I cannot stress the importance of doing regular self examinations, annual mammograms and contacting your doctor as soon as you notice anything "iffy" on or around your breast area. Study after study shows that black women develop breast cancer at earlier ages, and have higher mortality rates. If you are a black woman and that does not reinforce the point, I do not know what will. I recently had my breasts checked out and even though just making the appointment is a little intimidating, it is one of those things in life that are necessary. The results show that my breasts are doing very well, so I am extremely thankful for that!
This month especially, I just want to personally send a virtual hug to all the breast cancer survivors (females and males). I also want to encourage everyone else to remember that early detection can save lives. Do NOT be afraid to touch and examine your breasts even if your breasts do not stand at attention as they once did. The bright side is that you still HAVE breasts. And for those of who you claim that your man fondles and sucks on your breasts on the regular -- make no mistake, THAT is not a thorough breast examination (even if he IS thorough, :-)
Happy birthday to all celebrating this week and early next week including Brian Devine, Omar Stephenson, Sista Pat, Renee Excell, Sunshine Jefferson, Cherri Poet, Patrick Swaby, and Kuroji Ntu.
Peace and blessings,
Rosie "Peppy" Parke
Creative Director
PEPPY ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONS, LLC.
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PUPPY LOVE WITH OLIVER SAMUELS COMES TO DC THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24
 After three weeks of performances in the UK, OLIVER SAMUELS' latest play, "PUPPY LOVE," with co-stars Dahlia Harris, Natalee Cole and Earl Brown, is coming to the University of the District of Columbia on Sunday, October 24 at 6pm.
Tickets are in popular Caribbean outlets in Maryland, DC and Virginia. For more information fans can contact (240) 462-5843, editor@everybodysmag.com or visit www.everybodysmag.com.
"Puppy Love" is fun ... tantalizing, intriguing and hilarious ... Oliver is at his best and so is Dahlia Harris, one of the best actresses on the Jamaican stage. Magnificent directing and set design by Trevor Nairne; brilliant writing by playwright Patrick Brown. Although it is a comedy, there are elements of seriousness which explore friendships, love and family relationships.
A 20 year old girl Karen Cross (Natelee Cole) under peer pressure falls for her protective father's Harry Cross (Earle Brown) best friend and middle age business partner Dick (Oliver Samuels). Dick tries desperately to repel Karen's predatory advances, but weakens and gets sucked in by her alluring and disarming charm and stunningly beautiful nubile body. The situation drives a wedge between the two men and plunges Dick's 30 year marriage to Denise (Dahlia Harris) into crisis ... Astute writing from Patrick Brown keeps the audience one step ahead of the characters.
Flier is below but since Peppy Entertainment & Promotions is a sponsor, we are offering $2 off all presold tickets.
Email peppypromotions@gmail.com if you are interested or visit www.everybodysmag.com to purchase regular priced tickets.
SEE YOU AT THE SHOW!
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