Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 25

Lansing State Journal Tuesday NG TimMakinen Features Editor 377-1053 E-mail: livingflsj.com June 17, 2003 www.lsj.com A community event this week offers the perfect opportunity for whites to learn what it means to be African-American and a chance for blacks to welcome the effort. 0 St 'A Miami Herald Here's what's new in video stores today: Detroit, is about a narcotics detective It's showtime! Women ranging in age from 18 to 25 dance during an audition for a chance to perform at a birthday party for Clayton Clavette (riqht). The qirls will be oaid $125 for the four- to five-hour party and will be encouraged to have a good time and add to the scenery. who is lured back the police force after being fired to help solve the murder of Personal Patric I party favor guarantees V- good time a 1 another undercover narcotics officer. But things aren't always as they seem in this gritty film, starring Jason Patric and RayLiotta.

I In "Deliver Us From Eva," Cool stars as Ray, a playboy paid to date Eva (Gabrielle Union), an uptight, meddlesome woman whose family believes she needs a distraction. Trouble begins when Ray actually falls in love with Eva. I Real-life (at the time) lovers Brittany Murphy and AshtonKutcherstar in "Just Married," about a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, where their fledgling union is put to the test. By Anabelle De Gale Knight Ridder Newspapers NOW HIRING: Parry decorations. Apply in person.

Bring agent and head shot. Their job is to be the life of the party. Work the crowd, provocatively shake their moneymakers and get others to follow. And at all costs prevent the fete from heading south to Boredom City. They are the party motivators.

You'll find them at private soirees, nightclubs and special events. And the better they look, the better the host looks. vr "it's just as impor- You re always tant as good light- 11 CHRIS HOLMESLanslng State Journal Why are they smiling? Carrie Owens (left) and Suzanne Elms-Barclay have shared their differences and continue to learn about each other. ing," said Ocean UUpiUg LU gCl Drive, Fla.s Lana AlcnmraraA Bernstein, who helps UlSCOVeieu. plan the magazine's Heather Staton famed annual anm- Rorida flight attendant, versary party.

"Some mo(je CHANGING parties pour confet- tL Some have centerpieces. It's the difference between a nice party and a party people won't forget. Meet the average staffer young, hard-bodied and generally a real looker. Most are PERSPECTIVE Women: Learn more at chorus open house The Water Wonderland Chorus, a local women's singing group, will host "An Evening of Harmony" at 7 p.m. today at Chippewa Middle School, 4000 Kinawa Drive in Okemos.

Women ages 13 and older are invited to this open house and membership night to learn more about the chorus, which performs four-part, a cappella songs. Participants will have the opportunity to meet chorus members, learn a new song and find out about opportunities for performing with the chorus. Refreshments will also be served. Admission is free. Info: (888) 545-7464.

models, aspiring actresses or dancers who say they are not in it for the cash. It's all about the job benefits. Like being guests on the A-list. "You're always hoping to get discovered," See FAVOR Page 6D Juneteenth can help boost understanding among races Friend drink scam shows poor taste Dear Carolyn: A girl friend of mine (that's a friend who's also a girl, not a girlfriend) has this terribly annoying habit of going up to random guys in bars and saying, "Buy me a drink?" then taking her drink and ignoring the guy. I think this is EVIL! I've Musiq brings his soulful sounds to St.

Andrew's SHtry, smart singer Musiq offers a rare gift in an genre littered with players songs that are more old rated," said psychologist Thomas Gunnings of East Lansing. "The more exposure, the more and more we feel at ease," he said. Juneteenth organizers say the event is open to all. "If you were to come to our softball games, you'd see Hispanic, black and white players," said Plummer, 46. "You would not know that, if you didn't come." Some whites feel uncomfortable, though, confronting racial issues.

They wonder why they should be held accountable for what people did 140 years ago. "They feel bad about that slavery thing, but they don't know what to do about it," said Suzanne Elms-Barclay, 54, who is white and advocates that people learn about other cultures. For them, the struggle is figuring out not whether to reach out but how to reach out How to build a bridge Elms-Barclay of Lansing and Carrie Owens of Haslett are friends but could have grown up viewing the other as a stereotype. Elms-Barclay never had much exposure to African-Americans as a kid, and could have written off all of Black America to the myriad of modern stereotypes. Owens, who won't reveal her age but is old enough to have grown up in a segregated West Palm Beach, has a lot of reasons to hate.

"We know white people existed because my mother used to wash and iron for white people," she said. At age 12, Owens worked 40 hours see Juneteenth Page 6D By Christine Rook Lansing State Journal The workplace and the classroom are integrated, but at the end of the day, African-Americans and whites often go their separate ways. "We need to get together. We need to integrate," said Carrie Owens, a twice-retired educator, who as a black child in the South endured a culture of whites-only drinking fountains and whites-only parks. A community event this week offers the perfect opportunity a chance for whites to learn what it means to be African-American and a chance for blacks to welcome the effort.

The celebration is called Juneteenth the commemoration of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers showed up in Texas to enforce President Lincoln's 2-year-old Emancipation Proclamation. The three-day Juneteenth festival is the 10th annual in Lansing, and organizers hope mid-Michigan residents of all races will attend. There's a tendency to think of Juneteenth as a black holiday. It's really an American holiday, everything the Fourth of July could have been had the Founding Fathers not excluded hundreds of thousands of people when they declared all men equal. As a result, Juneteenth is an opportunity to reach out and learn about each other blacks and whites, whites and blacks and maybe even talk about differences and similarities.

"We all have to make it our responsibility to learn about each other," said festival organizer Debra Plummer of Lansing. Musiq tried to convince her of this. I've tried telling her she's making an unspoken promise to these guys to at least chat a little. She claims she hasn't promised anything and if the guy sees it that way, it's his fault What's worse is that some of these guys think I'm her boyfriend and so come complaining to me. I'm running out of arguments against her behavior.

soul than neo-soul in the fact that they are respectful and romantic without sacrificing sexiness. He performs as part of the Grey Goose Music Tour at 1 8 p.m. today at St. Andrew's Hall, 431 E. Congress St.

in Detroit. Admission is $31. Info: (313) 961-6358. Carolyn Hax Advice for the under-30 crowd teltmewashpostcom ROD SANFORDLansing State Journal Drumming along: Sankofa Shule drummer Marcel McFadden will perform with his group at 11 a.m. Saturday on the children's stage.

It's human nature to find comfort in the familiar. Priscilla Wade, an East Lansing psychologist, grew up in an ethnically mixed household. As a result, she moves in a social circle that is just as mixed. "It's all very familiar," she said. That's not the case for many mid-Michigan families, however.

Many white families have an inner circle of white friends and attend all-white or mostly white churches. Many black families socialize only with other African-Americans, gravitating to all-black or mostly black churches. "Historically, it's been ingrained in most of our heads that the races blacks and whites should be sepa From "In the Kitchen with When cooking in the microwave: Unless the fish is i crumb-coated, cover with wax paper or plastic wrap to retain moisture while It cooks. mm I i i I J). Any suggestions to help me convince her? New York, N.Y.

Dear New York: Not being with her in bars, or anywhere else, seems like the most appealing option to me. It's time to go Dear Carolyn: I have a BF of three years who was married before. I've never been married. Since we started ring shopping, it seems like a lot of issues keep coming up from his previous marriage like he can't trust me because all women are evil and will try to hurt him, etc. I have told him it's not fair to put past baggage on me just because I share die same sex.

Now I can't help but feel he will hold things back from me because of these crazy notions. I am getting nervous because we are near ing the finish line, so to speak. Is this just marriage jitters? Salt Lake City Dear Salt Lake City: Uh, no? I think the pronouncement that "All women are evil" is on the first page of the "How to Run Like Hell" handbook. Good lord. Tell Me About It is Carolyn Hax's advice column for the under-30 crowd.

Have a question? Write to "Tell Me About It" The Washington Post, Style Plus, 1150 15th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20071, or e-mail tellmewashpost.com. Her column appears Tuesdays and Fridays. In 1885, the Statue of i Liberty arrived In New York City aboard the French ship Isere. Join the party What: Lansing's 10th annual celebration of Juneteenth a commemoration of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

When: Three-day fest Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Friday from noon to dusk, Saturday from 10 a.m. to dusk Where: Thursday on the east steps of the Capitol. Friday and Saturday events take place in Benjamin F. Davis Park at 5500 Pleasant Grove Road, south of Jolly Road in Lansing.

I Cost: Free i Compiled by Sarah Schmid. To Events schedule Thursday 1 5:30 p.m.: Opening ceremony Friday Noon: Three-on-three basketball tournament at the courts near the parking lot; food vendors open for business 5 p.m.: Softball tournament in fields north of the parking lot Saturday 10 a.m.: Sports finals begin and vending booths open. Vendors will sell food, handmade jewelry and items such as African woodcarvings. Workshops such as wood carving scheduled throughout the day. 1 11 a.m.: Children's stage opens Lansing gospel soloist; and Mallika Dancers, African dance group from Lansing 1 3 p.m.: Keynote address by Melvin Peters, professor of African-American studies at Eastern Michigan University; sports awards 1 4 p.m.: 1800s soldier re-enactment; African Masquerade Dancers of Lansing; gospel music by Bethlehem Temple Choir 1 5 p.m.: Rib cookoff winners announced; name that tune dance contest; Hustle Time with caller; Pointe Blanc; contemporary jazz by Harvey Pershay 1 8 p.m.: Performance by the Powerlight Band, offering Motown, jazz and rhythm and blues with performance by Sankofa Shule's drummers and dancers.

Stage is located near the playground equipment. Other performances include Faith Fellowship Children's Choir. Additional youth activities cake walk, face painting and crafts. Health fair begins. Nine local health organizations offer blood pressure screenings and provide information on weight loss, asthma and breast cancer.

1 2 p.m.: Opening and invocation followed by these performances: National anthem sung by Pointe Blanc, an a cappella group from Lansing; songs of praise by Lansing Teen Challenge; II Hype Crew, the Dwight Rich Middle School step team; Vera Riley, submit Info, fax it to 377-1298 I What's happening In live theater? For local calendar listings, i visit www.lsj.com.