kids-for-obama_web.jpgSunday, October 26
Kids For Obama: Family Festival for Change event hosted by Women for Obama-Miami and Mayor Manny Diaz. Activities include a special performance by Nestor Torres, a YES WE CAN children’s arts & crafts village, obstacle course, bounce house, videos, Obama Boutique,  Smokey the Clown, steel pan lessons with Samuel Johnston, kids and teens vocalists, TV show host Danni, kids art lessons by Phil Fung, pop artist and winner finalist for MoveOn.org’s Manifest Hope Gallery contest and vendors. The event will also feature a “Get out the Vote” drive to the polls for early voting and highlights of Sen. Obama’s policies on the arts, children, education and healthcare. Noon to 6p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26. Free admission. More info: 305-576-3790. At Peacock Park,  2820 Mcfarlane Rd.,  Coconut Grove.
Church Revival: Williams Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church., a.k.a. The Will, is celebrating its 86th anniversary and Fall Fellowship in the Word Revival.  Schedule: 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday,  Oct. 26; 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday,  October 27-28. Guest Proclaimer of the Word will be Pastor William Holmes Robinson of Atlanta, Georgia.  More information: 954-462 -5711 or thewillcme.net. Williams Memorial Church: 644-646 NW 13th Terr., Fort Lauderdale.

Wednesday, October 29
MEDIA DIVERSITY WORKSHOP:
The South Florida Black Journalists Association will host a workshop focusing on diversity in the media and sensitivity in the portrayal of minorities. The discussion, moderated by Tamara G of 97.3 FM The Coast, will include the following panelists:
• John Yearwood, world editor, The Miami Herald, and former NABJ national treasurer
• Yvette Miley, news director, NBC6
• Garth Rose, editor, Caribbean National Weekly
• Macollvie Jean-Francois, reporter, Sun Sentinel

The workshop will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Networking will take place from 6:30-7 p.m., and the discussion starts promptly at 7 p.m. The event will take place at the South Regional/Broward College Library, 7300 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines. Contact: Khari Williams, vice president of print for the South Florida Black Journalists Association at kwilliams@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4500

Thursday, October 30
Tina Turner: No need to introduce the diva Tina, but a few things you might not know about her: In 2005, she was honored as one of Oprah Winfrey’s Legends, recognizing African American women who broke barriers through their work, and she was one of the recipients in Washington, D.C. of the Kennedy Center Honors, the highest form of recognition of excellence in the arts in America. In February, Miss Turner performed with singer Beyoncé at the 50th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. She electrified the audience and the overwhelming requests from fans to perform live again fueled her decision to do some select concerts in North America and Europe this year, lucky us. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30 at the American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., downtown Miami. Tickets are $56.75-$150 at aaarena.com or ticketmaster.

Sunday, November 2
BOYZ II MEN: When the super-popular trio of Boyz II Men graces the stage of the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel (1633 North Bayshore Drive, in the Omni area in Miami), for the Thirteenth Annual M. Athalie Range Musical Celebration of Life Gala, on Sunday, Nov. 2,  they will be part of a very special tribute. Three distinguished pioneers will be honored for their decades of dedicated community service. Dorothy Jenkins Fields, founder of the Black Archives; Historic Preservationist Enid Curtis Pinkney, and the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1416 are this year’s honorees. They will receive awards at the gala event, which begins with a cocktail reception and open bar at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and the Boyz II Men performance.  Tickets, which include the open bar, dinner and the performance, are $150, $200 and $300, based on the location of the seating (seats closer to the stage cost more). For tickets, reservations and other information, please call 305-893-5468.

Sunday, November 9
CORNEL WEST AND TAVIS SMILEY: Educator and philosopher Cornel West will join TV and radio host Tavis Smiley in kicking off The Miami Book Fair International’s 25th Anniversary. The event will happen at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9 in the Chapman Room on the second floor of Building 3 at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus, 300 N.E. 2nd Ave., Miami. The book fair will continue through Nov. 16. Joining a host of other authors at the book fair, Nikki Giovanni will do a book reading at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Freedom Tower, Biscayne Blvd. and Northeast Sixth Street, Miami. For free tickets that must be reserved in advance, call 305-237-3258 or log onto www.miamibookfair.com.
*Advance warning!

SidonieSawyer@Gmail.com