Have Reality Shows gone too far? When we say it’s “Fall Season” that’s actually a pretty strong play on words. Why do we care more about sensationalism then sensitivity? Is the price of fame really worth the cost? Many people don’t know, but I have a 25 year plus history working in the entertainment industry. In my early 20’s I was a working actress doing movies, television and commercials. I never became famous, but I worked enough to receive benefits and to be a regular on various sit-coms and night time dramas.
I live a public life between community work, being a writer, speaking and working on the radio. I’ve learned oftentimes the way things appear may not always be as they truly are. Perception can be one’s reality, but when perception is clouded it can start a long string of misconceptions and deceptions. There comes a time in life when we all must go back to the basics and deal with facts and not just someone’s opinion or message.
The question we must consider is what is our core? What is our truth? What is the foundation we stand on that forms the basis of how we live our lives, raise our families and do the things we do. Do we do the necessary research when our gut tells us something isn’t right? What do we read? What do we watch on television? The bottom line is where do we go to get our information?
Over the past couple of years I’ve actually been approached to possibly be involved with a couple of different Reality Show projects. They never panned out either due to the inability to agree on terms or because in my gut I knew it wasn’t the right thing for me to do. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that television is all about ratings and the almighty dollar. We all know that sex and scandalous situations beef up ratings, which ultimately bring in more revenue, but when is enough enough? When do we reach a threshold of where we’ve internalized enough crap?
Entertainment is always going to be with us, and we all enjoy being entertained, but are reality shows really real or do they turn the spotlight on the things they want us to focus on and magnify areas where some of us may need to inspect our own lives and possibly seek forgiveness? Something worth thinking about.
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
Forgiveness is Universal
Wendy & Eva Kor @ The CANDLES Museum & Educational Center in Terre Haute, Indiana |
I opened with the synopsis of Desmond Tutu because last week I shared how my daughter and I were
headed to meet Eva Kor, a Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust, Auschwitz and was victimized by Dr. Josef Mengele, a Nazi doctor who did experiments on twins in Auschwitz. As I shared, Eva is the founder of the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, Indiana. The museum's acronym stands for "Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors. While visiting with her and spending the day at the Museum and Educational Center, I received a copy of her book, "Surviving The Angel of Death: The True Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz." I was somewhat surprised to learn Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote a piece proclaiming her book to be an important document showing the strength of the human spirit and the capacity to forgive. Before traveling across country to meet her, I never knew there was a connection between Desmond Tutu and Eva Kor, although it's very befitting. Forgiveness is universal.
My experience in meeting with Eva Kor was quite interesting. When we talked about our lives and how forgiveness was important for both of us to heal and move on we connected in a special bond. During the course of our conversation we spoke on various topics, and although we may not agree on everything, we do believe that if there's any hope for the future of mankind we must all learn to forgive. We all have our own roads to travel, or as my grandmother would say, our own "row to hoe," but what we all have in common is at the end of the day we want to be loved and we want peace in our lives. I challenge you today to release the pain of your past for the beginning of a brighter future. It does begin with us.
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Forgiveness Brings Together Holocaust Survivor & Survivor of Abuse
Eva Kor (The Forgiveness Project) - Photo: Grant Stapleton |
For those that may not be familiar with Mrs. Kor, she is a Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust and Auschwitz. She also has a twin sister and they were victims of Dr. Josef Mengele a Nazi doctor who did experiments on twins in Auschwitz. Mrs. Kor is the founder of the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, Indianapolis. The museum's acronym stands for "Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors. The museum teaches the importance of respect, equality, the power of forgiveness and peace. She believes, "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing."
My initial discussion with Eva Kor really surprised me and we actually talked for quite some time. Since that first call we've had a few conversations and we've exchanged some emails and written notes. During our conversations we talked about the work we both do that's centered around forgiveness and how wonderful it would be if we could meet and have an open dialogue. As I sit and write this article, my daughter and I are preparing to board an airplane in less than 24 hours to head to Indianapolis to meet her.
What's interesting about all of this is I come from German heritage and I'm third generation American born on my mother's side. To have an opportunity to meet and talk to Mrs. Kor about the power of forgiveness across ethnic, cultural, and generational differences is very powerful. I look forward to what will come out of our journey and I plan to keep everyone posted! Forgiveness truly is a powerful weapon that can turn a mess into a message and the destiny of one into the hope for many.
"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." -Mahatma Gandhi.
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
"When Did Having Character & Integrity Go Out Of Style?"
My grandmother used to always say pay attention to your first mind. She would also say when someone or something crosses your mind, pay attention to what your conscience is saying to you. Recently the two words I can't seem to get out of my head are "character" and "integrity." It seems as if those two words don't carry much weight in our society today. What happened?
When I looked up the word "character," it's described as the combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. It also deals with one's mental and moral qualities. The word "integrity" is described as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and moral uprightness.
It seems like we are more interested in someone like Miley Cyrus and her "twerking" and whatever else she stands for, instead of the life and death of UCLA football player, Nick Pasquale, who was killed by a car a couple of weeks ago. When I heard about his death, although he was not a "star," so to speak, on the football field, he was a light when it came to how he lived his life off the field and how he influenced and touched almost everyone he came in contact with in a positive way.
The common thread or chord that the words "character" and "integrity" have in common is one's morals. The dictionary describes morals as, "a person's standards or behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do." I think that explains it right there. As a society (and in some families) our standard of what is acceptable has slipped. We've allowed the world to slip in and corrupt the very core of our judgment on what is good verses bad when it comes to human actions. Are we more concerned about fame and money or a strong foundation for our youth to have a solid future?
Dr. Martin Luther King once said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." I know we live in a society where the color of our skin can still cause someone to judge us in a certain way, but I challenge all of us to look at our own lives and see how character and integrity line up. Is your "content" positive or negative?
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.
When I looked up the word "character," it's described as the combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. It also deals with one's mental and moral qualities. The word "integrity" is described as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and moral uprightness.
It seems like we are more interested in someone like Miley Cyrus and her "twerking" and whatever else she stands for, instead of the life and death of UCLA football player, Nick Pasquale, who was killed by a car a couple of weeks ago. When I heard about his death, although he was not a "star," so to speak, on the football field, he was a light when it came to how he lived his life off the field and how he influenced and touched almost everyone he came in contact with in a positive way.
The common thread or chord that the words "character" and "integrity" have in common is one's morals. The dictionary describes morals as, "a person's standards or behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do." I think that explains it right there. As a society (and in some families) our standard of what is acceptable has slipped. We've allowed the world to slip in and corrupt the very core of our judgment on what is good verses bad when it comes to human actions. Are we more concerned about fame and money or a strong foundation for our youth to have a solid future?
Dr. Martin Luther King once said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." I know we live in a society where the color of our skin can still cause someone to judge us in a certain way, but I challenge all of us to look at our own lives and see how character and integrity line up. Is your "content" positive or negative?
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Unacceptable!
For the most part I
normally don't really get caught up with the Oscars. Some of my friends find that amazing since I
was an actress for several years (almost a quarter of a century ago) and since
for almost another 20 years I've been in the event business. Both of my careers would scream pay attention
to the Oscars.
However, this year I was involved with putting on a
fabulous affair at the Ebell of Los Angeles with co-chair Evelyn "Sparkle"
Toliver and I have to say it was an amazing evening. Although I had to wear a hat of
"host" or "event coordinator," I was able to partake in the
festivities and for the most part see what was going on the screen. This year there weren't a lot of African
Americans up for the golden statue, but we were present and represented. Of course we all looked forward to seeing who
wore what on the red carpet and who dazzled us and captivated our
attention. I would have to say, our first
lady Michelle Obama, not only was amazing as usual wearing a silver Naeem Khan
dress, but she closed the night by naming the best picture with class, style
and purpose from the White House.
So as we were all
enjoying the night and trying to have a good time, across the social media
world, there was this (stupid) publication called The Onion that tweeted out
about our young adorable girl actress Quvenzhane Wallis from the film,
"Beasts of the Southern Wild" calling her a cunt. When I heard that and then saw it in print I
was done. That was very offensive and
not acceptable. We're talking about a young lady who was five when she auditioned
for the film and is now nine. Miss
Wallis is the youngest nominee by the Academy Awards for Best Actress. She has now gone on to star in Steve
McQueen's upcoming film "12 Years a Slave," and was recently cast as
the title character in the film remake of "Annie."
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The Ebell of Los Angeles Presents Academy Awards Night
It's always good when we can
"party with a purpose." The Ebell of Los Angeles will host a special
Academy Awards Night on Sunday, February 24, 2013. There's no doubt that in addition to the
Dolby Theatre, the best place to be for this affair is the other cultural icon,
the historic Ebell of Los Angeles. I
became a member of the Ebell last year under the leadership of Shirlee Haizlip,
best known for her book, "The Sweeter the Juice: A Family Memoir in Black and
White." Under Ms. Haizlip's presidency she worked hard to make sure that
all women knew the doors of the Ebell were open to everyone.
The Academy Awards Night Party is not
only to highlight the Oscars, but it's a time that Membership Chair and Fourth
Vice President, Evelyn Toliver wants to create an atmosphere that sets out the
"red carpet" for future members.
The evening will feature great
dining by Chef Louis Pechan, music by Jerome Dean and his band and many
surprises throughout the night. The
decor for the evening will call to mind the Hollywood dominated by Dorothy
Dandridge, Hattie McDaniel and Sammy Davis, Jr., to name a few.
The Ebell of Los Angeles is an educational and philanthropic organization founded by women in 1894. The mission is to participate in and encourage the educational, cultural and social growth of the diverse Los Angeles community. The Ebell administers a college scholarship program for women and men and a program that assists women in need. The Ebell also maintains and preserves its art collections and its historic Clubhouse and Wilshire Ebell Theatre. Patty Hill serves as the President of the Ebell of Los Angeles. Membership Chair and Fourth Vice President, Evelyn Toliver and Wendy Gladney serve as The Academy Awards Night Co-Chairs. The profits from the evening will go back into the Fine Arts Theatre where the Club will engage middle & high school girls in their STEM initiative.
Monday, February 11, 2013
One Person Can Make A Difference & Touch A Life
This past week
Forgiving For Living, Inc., taught a class on self esteem to a group of young ladies in Watts we meet
with monthly. Before the class began and
while we were waiting for some of the other young ladies to arrive, I decided
to go around the table and ask what was a highlight for them since the last
time we were together. What I found a
little shocking and puzzling was several of the girls shared they went to the
cemetery to see one of their loved ones "rest in peace." I'm not totally sure the age of the dearly
departed, but I could tell he was a young person.
What makes me write
about this particular situation is because more than one of the young ladies in
the class shared this same sentiment. As
I began to reflect on their conversation and emotions, I thought about how all
of us are a product of our environment and the way we process things or
navigate through situations is based on what we are exposed to. For these young ladies if death (whether
through gang violence, murder, or just random acts of violence because of their
location) is something they face on a regular basis, they begin to possibly
build a wall around their emotions and they may even begin to see death as a
way out.
I feel that we as
adults need to do our best to try and help our youth hold onto their innocence
and hope for a better future. As I sit
and write this article my mind drifts to the saying, "you can take the
person out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the
person." (You can also exchange the
word "country" for other words to describe a person's location). But, I want to beg to differ. If we replace negativity with positive
thoughts and a plan or process to a better life or situation, I believe all
things are possible. I didn't come from
the same exact situation as the young ladies I mention in this story, but I did
come out of a desperate situation that may not seem full of hope, but because
of a few individuals that touched my life in a positive way, I sit here today
writing to you. One person can make a
difference and touch a life.
Healing Without
Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle.
Pass it on!
Visit
www.WendyGladney.com &
www.forgivingforliving.org. You
can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured
on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @
5:00am.
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