Welcome To
Talking Feather Radio
Meet our hosts
Penny Gamble-
For over thirty years Penny Gamble-
Penny, who was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, was exposed to music through her father who was a jazz musician and enjoyed drawing, painting and doing crafts with her mother who was an artist. Penny was mentored by several renowned artists in Rhode Island and studied at Rhode Island School of Design. Penny moved to Washington, DC in 1972 and attended the Cochran School of Art and Maryland College of Art and Design. She created art in her studio in Historic Hyattsville, worked with children in an aftercare program.
In 1992 to express her cultural heritage she co-
Through her non-
In 2005 Penny and her husband Thunder Williams co-
Penny Gamble-
dealing with Native issues for Radio One.
Penny has captured her life experiences which are expressed in several artistic formats.
As a mixed media artist, she has exhibited her paintings throughout the East Coast.
Penny has written several plays such as Whalin, Environmental Blues and performed
a play she co-
W. Thunder Williams
Biographical Highlights
Management Consultant:
o President, WAPEN Media Arts and Communication, LLC
WAPEN connects entrepreneurs and independent artists to
information, tools and networks that enable them to achieve
profitable business outcomes.
Officer and Director:
o OHKE Cultural Network, Inc. (*non-
o OHKE has a primary mission of bringing balance to the educational/socialization
process of children and young adults challenged by under-
• Cultural presentations and interpretative histories of
indigenous people of the Americas.
• Photographer: photojournalism and nature photography
in digital format.
Executive Producer, Co-
Community Activist and Organizer/Facilitator
Active participation in, and facilitation of, community civic and political activities;
and grass-
Native of Trinidad and Tobago
Take A Listen To The Talking Feather
Over the years we’ve had many outstanding guests bless us with their presence.
Below are some of our favorite shows.
Reverent June Julia Gatlin | Listen
When Reverent June Juliet Gatlin speaks, people listen. An internationally recognized
spiritual advisor and healer, Reverent June is considered a foremost authority in
matters of the human spirit. Operating within the realm of prophecy and healing,
she is a "seer" who brings our innermost feelings to verbal expression.
June is a
lover of words. She believes words are like musical instruments, creatively used
to give exciting entry into new worlds. She acknowledges words as the basic foundation
for expressing her existence. Her initial introduction into the world of words began
about age three. At three years old, in her birthplace of Akron, Ohio, she was proclaimed
to be a child of prophecy by officials of her church. In traditional African culture,
a child with "knowing" powers such as June's was said to be "born with the veil.”
Having this early ability contributed to Gatlin's desire to learn more about how
to express what she was sensing. She began to write at age five and continues to
the present day, having amassed a lifetime of daily journals and personal communications.
“As
a child I learned to enjoy the companionship of words, especially reading them. They
became my first and best friends,” she says. June uses the power of words to touch
the audiences she lectures. Speaking about self-
June Gatlin has uplifted the spirits of audiences
of all ages through lectures in public schools, universities, and churches, where
she devotes her energy to affirming and developing spiritual qualities as well as
offering messages of hope, faith, enlightenment, and personal responsibility.
June's
extraordinary moral and spiritual insight is greatly respected by those who have
profited from her words. Her spiritual counsel is sought by political and religious
leaders, entertainers, celebrities, business people, and distinguished luminaries
all over the world. Her candid manner and uniquely sensitive style are often controversial.
However, these qualities have contributed to her recognition as a leading authority
in matters of the Spirit.
June Juliet Gatlin is also
Melba Moore | Listen
Melba Moore was destined to be a star! Hailing from a musical family, Ms. Moore graduated
from the famed Arts High School in Newark, New Jersey. At the encouragement of her
parents, she went on to pursue music education at Montclair State University, but
her inner voice told her she had to see if she could make it as a performer. Ms.
Moore’s stepfather, pianist Clement Moorman, introduced her to several agents which
eventually landed her a role in the cult classic musical HAIR. It was in HAIR that
Ms. Moore became the first African-
Although Ms. Moore enjoyed working on Broadway, she didn’t want to forget about her first love…music. Deciding to focus more on her recording career, she made her recording debut on Mercury Records with I Am Love, followed by Look What You’re Doing To The Man. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for ‘Best New Artist.’ During this time, television shows (including her own variety show for CBS), numerous Grammy nominations and recordings followed. Ms. Moore was a regular on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson as well as The Flip Wilson Show. She scored a string of Billboard Charted hits with songs like “This Is It” and “You Stepped Into My Life”. Ms. Moore was the first female pop artist to do a non operatic solo concert at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House.
Ms. Moore continued to enjoy great success musically with such chart topping songs as “Love’s Comin’ At Ya,” “Keepin’ My Lover Satisfied,” “Living For Your Love,” “Read My Lips,” which she received a Grammy nomination for ‘ Best Female Rock Vocal’. She had two Billboard #1 hit singles for “Falling” and “A Little Bit More,” a duet with Freddie Jackson.
Ms. Moore later released Soul Exposed which featured a stellar version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” otherwise known as the Negro National Anthem. It featured such artists as Freddie Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Jeffrey Osborne, Lou Gossett Jr., Bobby Brown, Anita Baker, and Stephanie Mills. During this period Ms. Moore worked hard on her philanthropy. One of her major accomplishments was being instrumental in having “Lift Every Voice and Sing” inducted in the United States Library of Congress as the official Negro National Anthem. She worked strongly with Dr. Dorothy I. Height and the National Council of Negro Women as their national membership chairwoman. She also worked with Dr. C. Delores Tucker and the National Congress of Black Women. Ms. Moore also had a deep passion for children, especially those who were abandoned, abused, and born with AIDS and addicted to crack. She gave her time working with Hale House and also founded her own organization, The Melba Moore Foundation for Children.
Ms. Moore later returned to Broadway in the lead role of ‘Fantine’ in the musical Les Miserables. She became the first Black actress to step into that role in the acclaimed musical. More recently, she starred with Beyonce and Cuba Gooding Jr. in the motion picture “The Fighting Temptations”.
Currently, Ms. Moore is working on an autobiography with professor and former New York Times writer Mel Watkins detailing all of her achievements over the span of her career. She is also in the studio working on a new album which will be released on her new label A'Moore Entertainment, which she shares with her daughter Charli Huggins . The album is being produced by Rahni Song and Dominic McFadden, son of the late Gene McFadden of McFadden and Whitehead . It is scheduled to be released in early 2011.
Willard Tillman | Listen
SHAWNEE, Okla. —
About 300 people from across the United States and several foreign countries met for a National Gathering to discuss ways to redevelop and revitalize declining rural communities.
The meeting was held at Gordon Cooper Technology Center June 22 to 26.
The Oklahoma
Black Historical Research Project hosted the National Gathering along with sponsors
including the Rural Coalition and the Black Seminole Community of Wewoka.
For years, many people have been leaving rural communities seeking opportunities in urban areas, leading to decline of rural communities while adding to urban sprawl.
The National Gathering brings people together to develop strategies for redeveloping
rural America in ways that lead to rural self sufficiency and improved quality of
life, Willard Tillman, executive director of the Oklahoma Black Historical Research
Project said.
Education and planning sessions focused on four themes — land, water, energy and
food.
There are opportunities to redevelop rural communities in Oklahoma related to wheat
farming, agritourism, oil and natural gas exploration and wind energy development,
Tillman said.
These opportunities need to be developed in ways that improve the quality of life
for frequently excluded groups such as farm workers and minorities, he said.
Intelligent
and fair use of land, water, energy and food resources is important for all of us,
he said.
“Everyone should know where his or her food comes from,” he said. “This is especially
important now that major corporations are importing food from countries that may
not adequately address use of pesticides and processing sanitation.
“Locally grown
food is good for our economy and good for our health,” he said.
Gordon Cooper Technology
Center was chosen for this year’s National Gathering because Shawnee has the food
and lodging facilities close to rural communities such as Boley and Wewoka.
During the five-
Agricultural redevelopment
and renewed emphasis on the town’s history as a thriving black community in the early
1900s may be ways to keep the community from losing its identity and losing hope,
he said.
A daylong session was held in Wewoka that included a tour of the Seminole Nation
Museum, along with meetings about agriculture and land issues, community development
and local history.
The Rural Coalition was active in organizing and conducting the National Gathering.
Copyright 2011 The Shawnee News-
Michael J Murphy | Listen
Look up at the sky and notice how blue and beautiful it looks and after several hours observe the long white vapor like streaks coming from the back of airplanes.
Eventually you will see crisscross and checkerboard patterns that spreads making
the sky hazy. What we are seeing are chemtrails or Stratospheric Aerosol Geo-
There is a documentary called What In The World Are They Spraying co-
Many of his interviews and videos can be seen on his blog at http://truthmediaproduction.
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head | Listen
The last great North American glacier began its retreat some 10,000 years ago, leaving behind the accumulation of boulders, sand, and clay that is now known as Martha's Vineyard. The ancestors of Wampanoag people have lived for at least 10,000 years at Aquinnah (Gay Head) and throughout the island of Noepe (Martha's Vineyard), pursuing a traditional economy based on fishing and agriculture. The Aquinnah Wampanoag share the belief that the giant Moshup created Noepe and the neighboring islands, taught our people how to fish and to catch whales, and still presides over our destinies. Our beliefs and a hundred million years of history are imprinted in the colorful clay cliffs of Aquinnah.
Some 400 years ago Europeans reached Noepe in sufficient numbers to leave a record, and by the 1700's there were English settlements over most of the island. Our presence was quickly felt, and between, the dislocation from land dealings, and the influence of disease, our populations were reduced and our territories constricted. By the 1800's there remained but three native communities on Martha's Vineyard: Aquinnah, Christiantown, and Chappaquiddick. Aquinnah being the most populous and organized, we were able to maintain control over our land, despite intense efforts by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to end our existence. Over the past 100 years more and more native land has been lost as changes in the local economy forced tribal members to sell their lands, move to other parts of the island, or to leave the island altogether. Aquinnah was at different times in history referred to as a "praying town," an Indian District, and an incorporated town. Throughout it all we remain a sovereign tribe.
The Ark of Self-
*Dr. Karen Davis-
Dr. Karen is well-
She offers NES Pro Vision Human Body Field Evaluations, Stress, Relaxation and NLP
Counseling, Therapeutic Reflexology, Life Extension Nutrition Counseling and Cellular
Ecology training (support of the Lymphatic System). She practices in the *non-
As a Certified Lymphologist, Senior Ambassador for Health and Peace of the International
Academy of Lymphology (IAL) and its sister organization, The World Wide Blood Protein
Research Society (WWBPS) she has accepted the duty and responsibility of teaching
others the Science of Lymphology and The Art of Lymphasizing. This non-
Currently Dr. Karen Davis-
.
Runoko Rashidi | Listen
RUNOKO RASHIDI
HISTORIAN, RESEARCH SPECIALIST, WRITER,
PUBLIC LECTURER & WORLD TRAVELER
PROFILE OF A PAN-
"History is a light that illuminates the past, and a key that unlocks the door to
the future."
-
RUNOKO RASHIDI
Runoko Rashidi is a historian, research specialist, writer, world traveler, and public lecturer focusing on the African foundations of world civilizations. He is particularly drawn to the African presence in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, and has coordinated numerous historic educational group tours worldwide.
Dr. Rashidi is highly sought after for radio, television, and newspaper interviews, having been interviewed on hundreds of radio broadcasts and TV programs. He has made presentations at more than 125 colleges, universities, secondary schools, libraries, book stores, churches and community centers. On the international circuit he has lectured in over 50 countries.
Dr. Rashidi is the author of Introduction to the Study of African Classical Civilizations. He edited, along with Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, The African Presence in Early Asia, considered "the most comprehensive volume on the subject yet produced". Dr. Rashidi also authored The Global African Community: The African Presence in Asia, Australia and the South Pacific. In December 2005 Dr. Rashidi released his first text in French, A Thousand Year History of the African Presence in Asia. He is the author of the forthcoming work Black Star: The African Presence in Early Europe.
As an essayist and contributing writer, Dr. Rashidi's articles have appeared in more
than seventy-
Included among the notable African scholars that Runoko has worked with and been
influenced by are: John Henrik Clarke, John G. Jackson, Yosef ben-
As a traveler, Runoko has visited one hundred countries, colonies and overseas territories in a twelve year period beginning in 1999.
Dr. Rashidi believes that his main mission in life is to help make Africans proud of themselves, to help change the way Africa is viewed in the world and to help reunite a family of people that has been separated far too long.
RASHIDI
P O Box 47479
Los Angeles, CA 90047
Phone: (210) 232-
Email: runoko@yahoo.com
Gabriel Ayala | Listen
A member of the Yaqui people of southern Arizona, Gabriel Ayala is at the forefront
of a new generation of Native Americans making a career performing classical music.
He began playing the guitar as a child. He earned a Master's Degree in Music Performance
from the University of Arizona in 1997, has taught at all educational levels from
elementary through college, and serves as a competition adjudicator. Although Gabriel
truly enjoys being a teacher his busy touring schedule allows him to only teach in
masterclass settings.
Ayala performs regularly throughout the United States and has
appeared at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Museum for
the American Indian, ASU Kerr Cultural Center and Oscar Meyer Theater in Madison,
Wisconsin. He has been recognized by the former State of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano,
now Director of Homeland Security, for his musical achievements. In addition, he
has also been honored as the Artist of the Month for the Indigenous Internet Chamber
of Commerce (IICOC). Gabriel has also been named Tucson Citizen of the Month and
recognized as the leading artist in Tucson for 2009 in “9 to watch in 09”. Not only
is Gabriel recognized locally and in the United States but has had the opportunity
to be the featured performer at the “Festival Internacional de la Guitarra Academica”
in Venezuela with Performances in Caracas, Guarenas, Guatire and on National Public
Television throughout Venezuela.
Gabriel was selected as one of ten musicians featured
in “Native Musicians in the Groove” highlighting stories of musicians in their struggles
while persevering with a career in music. He also has been featured in several media
publications such as “Native Peoples”, “Indian Country Today”, “SAY Magazine” (Canadian
and United States Editions), “Spirit of the Southwest (German Publication)”, “Native
America Calling”, “Canadian Broadcasting Corporation” and numerous others.
Ayala
has released three self-
As Ayala continues to travel throughout the United States and other countries he
serves as an advocate for education for all youth while instilling his values of
living a traditional lifestyle while abstaining from Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco. Gabriel
believes in leading our children in the right direction through his philosophy, “Honor
your elders, love your children, and respect your women”. Gabriel wants to share
the gift of music with as many people and show children that they can become whatever
they dream. Gabriel currently resides in Tucson, Arizona.
