52 and counting....

Thanks, Everyone !
We celebrated 52 live shows on the air and we are still counting.

Happy Anniversary

Gospel Cafe celebrates a year of great music. We like to thank all our listeners for giving a small show a voice. Go over to the website gospelcafeonline.com for information on the show. The site contains videos, the blog and much more.

In Memoriam

In Memoriam
The passing of one our biggest supporter has left us a bit uneven. James Gregg was a quiet man. He was wise and family orientated. His untimely death leaves behind his wife, children, grand and great grand children,and countless of friends.
James Gregg was there for the Grand Opening of Mega E's Gospel Cafe and he immediately felled in love with the show. He spoke highly of the show and told friends and family. He complimented the show and also criticized it, when it didn't wow him.
The show sends it prays and blessing to his family.

September Artist Of The Month

Gospel Cafe is proud to select Yolanda Adams as September Artist of the month. Yolanda has become one of the most persuasive and popular voices in contemporary Gospel. She has worked with some of the biggest names in pop, R&B, hip-hop, and Gospel, Yolanda Adams's career has been marked by a string of hugely successful albums, sold-out tours, stand-out TV appearances, and a couple movie appearances including "The Gospel".

Yolanda recorded 1987's JUST AS I AM, which was released on a small Gospel label. The album drew comparisons to Aretha Franklin and lead to subsequent releases on Tribute Records (now Verity Records). 1991's Through The Storm earned Yolanda several Stellar Awards. Four years later, the R&B-infused More Than A Melody garnered Yolanda her first Soul Train Lady of Soul Award and Grammy nomination. Along with the accolades, More Than A Melody 'broke'Yolanda to a wider audience and established her as a force, in and out of the music industry.

Yolanda began to make a name as a live act and her galvanizing concerts became the stuff of legend. The excitement was captured on 1996's YOLANDA...LIVE IN WASHINGTON, which brought her another Stellar Award and another Grammy nomination, and lead to her signing with Elektra Records. Yolanda's latest cd Believe is a top selling CD

Donald Lawrence at work

August artist of the month

I first became aware of Donald Lawrence as the founder and lead for the hot gospel group The Tri-City Singers. Donald progression has been wonderful to witness. He is the winner of many stellar awards.
One of the most popular gospel choirs of the 1990s, Donald Lawrence and


the Tri-City Singers also managed to make waves with the secular media, similar to a handful of other
Christian acts during the decade. Comprised of Lawrence plus 34 members -- from the "Tri-Cities" of Spartanburg, South Carolina plus Gastonia and Charlotte, North Carolina -- the choir debuted with the 1993 album A Songwriter's Point of View on the tiny Gospocentric label. The album eventually reached number two on the gospel charts. At the end of the year, the Tri-City Singers had become one of Billboard's Top Ten Gospel Groups, as well as the recipient of several Stellar Awards and a nomination for the NAACP's Image Award. Second album Bible Stories followed in 1995 on Crystal Rose/Chordant Records, and the choir released a holidays LP, Hello Christmas, in 1997.
pick the selections you hear on the Gospel Cafe here

Never would have made it again

July Artist of the Month

John McClain is a Minister in the valley. His second CD Holy: A Message from the Heart is a favorite of the Gospel Cafe staff. We are proud to introduce this artist to the masses.
Check out his website jmfaith talk.com He also has a show airing on Kxxt 1010 in Phoenix.

Daddy, Papa, Father,Man of the house

Gospel Cafe salutes Father's on their day.

Thanks!

Thanks to all that have went to the website and sign our guestbook. There are many new changes and more to come. So check back regularly.

The Next President of America?

Here's to a new America, Tuesday June 3, 2008 Barrack Obama was selected as the Democratic President Nominee. The long 16 months primary race finally came to an end after South Dakota and Montana voted Tuesday. Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama split the two last primaries,with Hillary winning South Dakota and Barrack winning in Montana, before the official count was totaled Superdelegates committed to Barrack Obama's campaign sending him over the magical number of delegates needed to seal the nomination.
Now on to the general election as he set to battle Senator McCain to become the President of the United States. Question, Do you think it's possible for African American to become the president of the free world?

Here's a partial playlist of 5-31-08

June Artist of The Month

Vanessa Bell Armstrong has been belting out gospel since the '80s. A native of Detroit and mother of five, she got her start working with Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. She has since gone on to work in both gospel and secular music. She did the theme song for the television series Amen. She has a new CD "Walking Miracle" thar soaring up the charts.
Check out a classic performance of her biggest hits:

Sample Playlist for 5-24-2008

Here's a few songs played on 5-24-08

Real Job

Before the e-mails and calls start pouring in, i have already apologized for my comment that taking care of kids isn't a real job. I was commenting on my producer youngest child going to school, so he's no longer needed to be a stay at home dad. I suggested that he get a real job like Rodeo Clown.

Gospel Cafe edited playlist May 17 08

Cafe On Disc

The Producer finally did something. "That's Correct" He sent out copies of the show to a few lucky listners as a gesture of thanks. Copies of The Gospel Cafe which air lives at 4pm in Phoenix and can be heard on the internet via KXXT 1010. Check your times listed on this site. If you don't recieve one, maybe it because you haven't sign the guestbook over at Www.gospelcafeonline.com

May Artist Of The Month

BEBe Winans
He has a wonderful voice that grabs you.

Learn The Gospel Slide

Learn the gospel slide for our 1st anniversary, We expect all to do it.

CD Release

We are pleased to announce that our good friend Minister Johnny McClain is celebrating the release of his new CD Holy: A Message From The Heart. April 18th at Kerr Cultural Center 6110 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale Az. It's a free event. 7pm- until with special guest Rev. Liz Candadey, New Testament Gospel Singers.
RSVP @ 602-237-8593. Seats are limited.
After the event we will have the Minister come by and tell us all about the event and the new Cd

With the recent passing of Charlton Heston, I was reminded of one of our skit from the Gospel Cafe show. Charlton Heston (Moses) was a excellent actor and his worked will continue to bring joy to many new viewers.
Here's Ten Commandments in 2 minutes:
Baby found in the Nile. Baby becomes Prince of Egypt. Prince has a soft spot for slaves. Prince finds out he is a slave. Prince is banished into the wilderness. Prince finds Shepard family. Prince becomes Shepard. Shepard goes to the top of the mountain. Shepard meet the Great I Am. Shepard becomes a messenger. Messenger returns to Egypt. "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape" (oops! wrong movie, but love the line) "Let my people go!" "No!" Bricks made without straw. "Let My People go!" "No!" "You'll be cursed!" Pharaoh says "So!" Pharaoh & Egypt cursed. River of blood, fire on water, locust and first born slain. Pharaoh says "Go!". Slaves freed. Pharaoh heart harden. Pharaoh goes back on word. Pharaoh's Army traps slaves by the sea. Red Sea opens up.(Back in the day, this was called a miracle. Now in the movie it's called special effects). Slaves waltzes through the parted sea. Pharaoh's Army drowns in the Red Sea. Messenger goes to the mountain top receives the commandments. "Thou shall not kill" "Thou shall not steal" "Thou shall not bear false witness" and seven more. Messenger returns from mountain to find former slaves in a freak-neak, Mardi-Gras, Bacchanal, Carnival and Idol worship all rolled up into one times ten. Slaves wanders in the wilderness for several hundred years.

April Artist Of The Month

When I was young, my father used to listen to many gospel artists, there were some I liked and some I just couldn't get into. He did however, turned me on to Reverend James Cleveland. Rev. James Cleveland voice was like no other during his period. His truly blessed voiced soar over our stereo and drew me near. I would later sing a song made famous by him in our church choir. I did a decent job, but there's only one James Cleveland. he went on to create the Gospel Workshop of America, He worked with Aretha Franklin on her groundbreaking gospel Cd "Amazing Grace" and worked with some of the best choir ever.

This month we celebrate his legacy and his outstanding work.

JAMES CLEVELAND was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 5, 1931 to Rosie Lee and Benjamin Cleveland during the height of the greatest depression. James’ grandmother attended Pilgrim Baptist Church, where she was a member of the choir. James had no choice but to attend these rehearsals with his grandmother and found himself sitting through these choir rehearsals – bored stiff!! Eventually James decided he would conquer the boredom through attempting to sing along with the choir. It was in one of these rehearsal that James’ singing was noticed and he was made choir mascot. The choir director, Thomas A. Dorsey wrote a song for him which launched the career of what was the be a long line of performances. Through Dorsey’s teaching and directing young James was influenced in a great way.

Find out more about this talent man here.

Busy, Who me?

I've been very busy. I trying to get these post out sooner but with every other thing going on they are still progressing very slow. Look out for the post on Black religion and HIV/AIDS. I'm still gathering information, doing my research.

Race and the White House

I hope we weren't naive to believe that religion, and race wasn't going to enter this election. This historic run for the White has the first woman, first African American and the eldest person to ever run the the highest position in the country.

Last week, the firestorm over Obama and Rev. Wright sent the run for the White House into a frenzy. The association between Obama and the minister came into question after flamed speeches hit Youtube and the cable news circuit. The speech that was chopped up and edit brought up the question again about Obama's loyalty to this country.

One again, he has to answer to question that other candidate has not. John Mcclain wasn't born in this country and yet no one has dare to ask him the question. Hmm.

Years we have heard some vile things coming from the pulpit in the name of Christ. George Bush has even stated that his God told him to go to war with Iraq. When the attack came against Obama because of statement of his former pastor, I was appalled. Rev. Hagee statement were just as vile and he endorse McClain. At this moment, Mcclain hasn't rescinded the endorsement.

I stated that Obama's Minister doesn't speak for him, He can't be held accountable for another person speech or sermon. I have friends who have said things that are riddle with controversy but that doesn't mean that that's my view or i would dismiss my friends for their view. I hope that we can see through this madness and get back to the real issue.

I hope that we understand that we can't continue on this path of destruction with the current administration and the Mc Same, who is running to replace him.

Here's his awsome and controversy speech in its entirety via MSNBC.

"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union."
Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.
The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.

Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution - a Constitution that had at is very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time.
And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part - through protests and struggle, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience and always at great risk - to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time.
This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign - to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together - unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a better future for of children and our grandchildren.
This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. But it also comes from my own American story.
I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.
It's a story that hasn't made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts - that out of many, we are truly one.
Throughout the first year of this campaign, against all predictions to the contrary, we saw how hungry the American people were for this message of unity. Despite the temptation to view my candidacy through a purely racial lens, we won commanding victories in states with some of the whitest populations in the country. In South Carolina, where the Confederate Flag still flies, we built a powerful coalition of African Americans and white Americans.
This is not to say that race has not been an issue in the campaign. At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either "too black" or "not black enough." We saw racial tensions bubble to the surface during the week before the South Carolina primary. The press has scoured every exit poll for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but black and brown as well.
And yet, it has only been in the last couple of weeks that the discussion of race in this campaign has taken a particularly divisive turn.
On one end of the spectrum, we've heard the implication that my candidacy is somehow an exercise in affirmative action; that it's based solely on the desire of wide-eyed liberals to purchase racial reconciliation on the cheap. On the other end, we've heard my former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, use incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation; that rightly offend white and black alike.
I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely - just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.
But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren't simply controversial. They weren't simply a religious leader's effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country - a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.
As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems - two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.
Given my background, my politics, and my professed values and ideals, there will no doubt be those for whom my statements of condemnation are not enough. Why associate myself with Reverend Wright in the first place, they may ask? Why not join another church? And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and You Tube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way
But the truth is, that isn't all that I know of the man. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God's work here on Earth - by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
In my first book, Dreams From My Father, I described the experience of my first service at Trinity:
"People began to shout, to rise from their seats and clap and cry out, a forceful wind carrying the reverend's voice up into the rafters….And in that single note - hope! - I heard something else; at the foot of that cross, inside the thousands of churches across the city, I imagined the stories of ordinary black people merging with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion's den, Ezekiel's field of dry bones. Those stories - of survival, and freedom, and hope - became our story, my story; the blood that had spilled was our blood, the tears our tears; until this black church, on this bright day, seemed once more a vessel carrying the story of a people into future generations and into a larger world. Our trials and triumphs became at once unique and universal, black and more than black; in chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a means to reclaim memories that we didn't need to feel shame about…memories that all people might study and cherish - and with which we could start to rebuild."
That has been my experience at Trinity. Like other predominantly black churches across the country, Trinity embodies the black community in its entirety - the doctor and the welfare mom, the model student and the former gang-banger. Like other black churches, Trinity's services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor. They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America.
And this helps explain, perhaps, my relationship with Reverend Wright. As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions - the good and the bad - of the community that he has served diligently for so many years.
I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.
These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love.

Some will see this as an attempt to justify or excuse comments that are simply inexcusable. I can assure you it is not. I suppose the politically safe thing would be to move on from this episode and just hope that it fades into the woodwork. We can dismiss Reverend Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated racial bias.
But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America - to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality.
The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through - a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American. Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. As William Faulkner once wrote, "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past." We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow.
Segregated schools were, and are, inferior schools; we still haven't fixed them, fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, and the inferior education they provided, then and now, helps explain the pervasive achievement gap between today's black and white students.
Legalized discrimination - where blacks were prevented, often through violence, from owning property, or loans were not granted to African-American business owners, or black homeowners could not access FHA mortgages, or blacks were excluded from unions, or the police force, or fire departments - meant that black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations. That history helps explain the wealth and income gap between black and white, and the concentrated pockets of poverty that persists in so many of today's urban and rural communities.
A lack of economic opportunity among black men, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one's family, contributed to the erosion of black families - a problem that welfare policies for many years may have worsened. And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods - parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement - all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us.
This is the reality in which Reverend Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. They came of age in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted. What's remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who would come after them.
But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it - those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations - those young men and increasingly young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future. Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race, and racism, continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. For the men and women of Reverend Wright's generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table. At times, that anger is exploited by politicians, to gin up votes along racial lines, or to make up for a politician's own failings.
And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright's sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.
In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience - as far as they're concerned, no one's handed them anything, they've built it from scratch. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they're told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time.
Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren't always expressed in polite company. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation. Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends. Talk show hosts and conservative commentators built entire careers unmasking bogus claims of racism while dismissing legitimate discussions of racial injustice and inequality as mere political correctness or reverse racism.
Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze - a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns - this too widens the racial divide, and blocks the path to understanding.
This is where we are right now. It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy - particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.
But I have asserted a firm conviction - a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people - that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice is we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.
For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances - for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans -- the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives - by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.

Ironically, this quintessentially American - and yes, conservative - notion of self-help found frequent expression in Reverend Wright's sermons. But what my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change.
The profound mistake of Reverend Wright's sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It's that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country - a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen - is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope - the audacity to hope - for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds - by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.

In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world's great religions demand - that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother's keeper, Scripture tells us. Let us be our sister's keeper. Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well.
For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism. We can tackle race only as spectacle - as we did in the OJ trial - or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina - or as fodder for the nightly news. We can play Reverend Wright's sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words. We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she's playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock to John McCain in the general election regardless of his policies.
We can do that.
But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we'll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change.
That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, "Not this time." This time we want to talk about the crumbling schools that are stealing the future of black children and white children and Asian children and Hispanic children and Native American children. This time we want to reject the cynicism that tells us that these kids can't learn; that those kids who don't look like us are somebody else's problem. The children of America are not those kids, they are our kids, and we will not let them fall behind in a 21st century economy. Not this time.
This time we want to talk about how the lines in the Emergency Room are filled with whites and blacks and Hispanics who do not have health care; who don't have the power on their own to overcome the special interests in Washington, but who can take them on if we do it together.
This time we want to talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life. This time we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn't look like you might take your job; it's that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit.
This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should've been authorized and never should've been waged, and we want to talk about how we'll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned.
I would not be running for President if I didn't believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country. This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation - the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election.
There is one story in particularly that I'd like to leave you with today - a story I told when I had the great honor of speaking on Dr. King's birthday at his home church, Ebenezer Baptist, in Atlanta.
There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organized for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She had been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and one day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there.
And Ashley said that when she was nine years old, her mother got cancer. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that's when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.
She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. Because that was the cheapest way to eat.
She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too.
Now Ashley might have made a different choice. Perhaps somebody told her along the way that the source of her mother's problems were blacks who were on welfare and too lazy to work, or Hispanics who were coming into the country illegally. But she didn't. She sought out allies in her fight against injustice.
Anyway, Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they're supporting the campaign. They all have different stories and reasons. Many bring up a specific issue. And finally they come to this elderly black man who's been sitting there quietly the entire time. And Ashley asks him why he's there. And he does not bring up a specific issue. He does not say health care or the economy. He does not say education or the war. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He simply says to everyone in the room, "I am here because of Ashley."
"I'm here because of Ashley." By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children.
But it is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger. And as so many generations have come to realize over the course of the two-hundred and twenty one years since a band of patriots signed that document in Philadelphia, that is where the perfection begins

March Artist of the Month

Detroit has birthed some of the greatest singers in the world: Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Vanessa Bell- Armstrong, The Winans family and many others but there is something about The Clark Sisters - Jacky, Twinkie, Dorinda and Karen (sister Denise left the group in the mid 80's). The Clark Sisters have spent the last three decades singing, preaching, evangelizing, and teaching the word of God across the country and abroad. Read more at Clark Sisters.com.

The Gospel Cafe selected the Grammy winning group as thier artist of the month, several of thier hits songs will be played throught the month. The Clark Sister are winners of 3 Grammy awards this year including Best Traditional Gospel Album for Live: One Last Time.

Rejoice!

Gospel Cafe is happy to announce that their producer returns for the next show. The producer has been absent for three weeks due to illness. This is great news considering that the producers' wife was informed that he might not pull through the night. God knows and God is able. The producer was diagnosed with onset diabetes. When he went into the hospital his blood sugar level was 1010, yes he was the walking dead. Many of his body functions were fighting a crashing system, but like most males he was still reluctant to go to the hospital. It was a good thing he did, he was told a moment later he wouldn't have been able to make it in.
The producer was claiming he was always thirsty, extremely fatigue, a constant need to urinate all symptoms of diabetes.One day in Emergency and three days in ICU and couple days in room at the hospital, he was able to return to his home. It was amazing to see him recuperate, from his near death state.
For information about Diabetes, check out American Diabetes Association

Artist of the month

MarcusCole is February Artist of the Month. The information is from his Msypace page. Please visit there and listen to a few of his songs and then go purchase the CD.

Bold, soulful and musically refreshing are just a few of the words which come to mind when describing singer-songwriter Marcus Cole. Blessed with a distinctive voice and the gift to craft songs in a unique and poignant way, Cole is definitely one of the most exciting talents to emerge upon the music scene in years. While it is common for all music to be placed within a descriptive genre, Coles versatility as an artist precludes his being labeled as simply gospel. His music ministry scratches beyond the surface message of Christ and will appeal to the masses in an honest and thought provoking way. A native of Saginaw Michigan, who from a young age recognized his eventual call to ministry, Cole has devoted the past decade of his life to refining both his ministry and considerable musical gifts. As a respected vocalist, songwriter, musician and producer, Cole garners the respect of his peers within the gospel music industry. It was as a member of the seminal gospel group Commissioned that Coles voice was first introduced to a national audience and left its indelible mark in the hearts and minds of countless gospel music lovers. Cole feels blessed to have received such favor in his professional life and welcomes the next chapter with the release of his debut album Write My Song. Featuring 11 incredible tracks, Write My Song takes its listeners on a musical journey that will appeal not only to aficionados of gospel music, but to all who appreciate great music, irrespective of genre. Co-written by Cole and produced by Luther Mano Hanes, this album truly offers something for everyone. From the old school R&B flavored track Thats Alright, to the lushly stringed ballad Remember To Breathe, one can find it all on this project. Beyond the albums extraordinary musicality however is the conveyance of one central message.To be encouraged and that there is always hope through Christ. Says Cole What I want people to know foremost through my music is that no matter how dark the road in life may now be, it doesnt necessarily mean thats where youll end up.

Welcome MYSPACE

Gospel Cafe also have a Myspace now and the friends are pouring in. We are please to be apart of that network as well. The more people we reach the better. so head over there for other informative and insightful blogs and mingle with a few of our heavy-hitting friends. Myspace/gospelcafe1010.

We Shall Over Come

If you remember any thing about American history while in school, there were a few Black historic figures they taught during the late 70's and early 80's. We learned a little about Christopher Attucks, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, George Washington Carver, Martin Luther King Jr. (only that he had a dream), If you're lucky, maybe there were mentions of Nat Turner, Malcolm X, Langston Hughes, Dr. Charles Drew.

There were countless other African Americans that contributed to American History. Although it is nice to concentrate on Black History in the month Of February, Black History is 365 days. I rather like Black History is American History, without one, there would be no other.
The show "We Shall Overcome" is dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The show celebrates his life and his vision and hopes for a greater America. America greatness is always brightness when all it's citizen are working together pulling together for a positive goal.
We have come a long way my children and yet we have a long way to go. There are things like reverse discrimination, Jenna 6, Victims of Hurricane Katrina, Issue of immigrants vs Border control still looming to keep us divided. The fight is not over, we shall overcome.

Janurary Artist of The Month

One of our favorite artist at Gospel Cafe is Kirk Franklin. I met Mr. Franklin in Detroit when he was releasing his hit Cd "The rebirth of Kirk Franklin." That's when I gain a strong love for his craftsmanship. We have played at least one of his songs per show. Now here's are some Video to go with those songs we have played. Kirk Franklin is our first artist of the month.

Kirk Franklin has a new Cd "The Fight of My Life" features the explosive "Declaration (This is It)" is a very uplifting and praising song. Kirk gives his fans (Gospel Cafe) more fantastic music to feed the soul.