This month’s edition of Urban Call Briefs features another group of “Role Models Beyond Beauty” who are doing wonderful things in our community.
“Role Model-Beyond Beauty” has been a Sophisticates Black Hair Styles and Care Guide magazine feature for more than 25 years. It highlights women of color who have made significant advances in their careers and who have given back to their communities. Nearing its 100th edition, the column has honored black women in a wide range of fields.
The column portrait art by commissioned artist Leo Rucker is also an art exhibition of 180 pastel portraits with the Role Model story about these accomplished women and their distinguished careers are in the personal collection of beauty industry leaders Sandra and Lafayette Jones. Visit RoleModelBeyondBeauty.org and the SMSi-Urban Call YouTube Channel (http://youtu.be/2VHP8iadIB8). In August 2013 the Role Model Beyond art portraits and editorial were featured at the National Black Theater Festival held bi-annually in Winston-Salem, NC where more than 30,000 festival participants had an opportunity to view the exhibition at The Sawtooth School of Visual Art.
The column is written by beauty industry icon Lafayette Jones and is co-authored by his daughter, Bridgette Miller Jones, who joined as co-columnist five years ago. Bridgette is a 2011 Spelman graduate and now East Carolina School of Dental Medicine candidate (2015). The “Role Model Beyond Beauty” column originally debuted as a touring 180+ piece art collection and exhibition.
The expanded exhibition opened for a second year in Winston-Salem, NC, the City of the Arts. Selected pastel portraits of the large collection commissioned by Sandy and Lafayette Jones and illustrated by Artist Extraordinaire Leo Rucker are being shown July 13—August 9, 2015 in the Milton Rhodes Sawtooth. A handful of profiles are included in this OTC Beauty Magazine edition.
Ursula Dudley Oglesby
Ursula Dudley Oglesby is part of the second generation of Dudley Products, Inc. Throughout her life, she has worked in all facets of the business including selling door-to-door, working in the factory and serving as Director of Customer Service. In addition, she has first-hand experience with entrepreneurship from when she was 11 by successfully running her own popcorn business and eventually diversifying into the fruit business and then selling pantyhose.
Presently, she has a number of key responsibilities in Dudley Products, Inc. First, she is the Chief Operating Officer which entails overseeing Manufacturing, Accounting, MIS, Legal and Human Resources. She is also President of Dudley Products Cosmetics. Her position requires her to lead the entire cosmetics multi-level organization including, but not limited to, sales, marketing and manufacturing. Dudley Products Cosmetics has enjoyed double digit growth under her direction.
Mrs. Oglesby received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Harvard College and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School. Her definite chief aim is to give women, especially African-American women, a dose of hope by enriching their lives so that every time they look in the mirror they can truly see the beauty on the outside and the inside, and know in their mind that God didn’t take time to make a NOBODY!!!
She is married to Mark Oglesby and is the mother of Mark, Jr. and Elena. She is a member of Providence Baptist Church and is on the Advisory Board for the Southern Community Bank in Kernersville. Mrs. Oglesby is the Vice Chair of the Piedmont Triad National Conference for Community and Justice. She enjoys her service with NCCJ and believes in the mission of fighting bias, bigotry and racism, and promoting understanding and respect among all races, religions and cultures. Mrs. Oglesby is also the President of the Advisory Board for the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences at NC A&T where her daughter attends the Child Development Laboratory.
Juanita Bynum
Juanita Bynum is an internationally acclaimed Bible teacher, prophet, psalmist and media personality. Founder and President of Juanita Bynum Ministries in Waycross, Ga., Dr. Bynum is the best-selling author of “My Spiritual Inheritance,” “Matters Of The Heart” (which sold 500,000 copies in less than a year), “No More Sheets,” and several other ground breaking books. Dr. Bynum is also a gifted vocalist and entrepreneur.
Dr. Bynum is fueled by a passion to fulfill God’s mandate for these turbulent times. Her thrust on character building by merging spirituality with everyday living provokes people to pursue a life of integrity. Wherever she goes, Bynum exhorts and encourages her listeners to deepen their intimacy with God and arise to their divine calling and destiny.
Not afraid to deal with hard, relevant issues, Dr. Bynum preaches in-your-face messages that have drawn thousands of women and men to her crusades and events. Dr. Bynum’s Weapons of Power conference, which was last held in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003, drew over 30,000 in attendance and was broadcast live on the major Christian networks, including Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Daystar and The Word network. Often addressing crowds of 50,000–100,000 as a keynote speaker at international conferences and events, Dr. Bynum has preached in many of the largest, well-respected pulpits in America and around the world.
Dr. Bynum is also a frequent radio and television guest, including serving as a regular host of TBN’s worldwide flagship program, PRAISE, which is viewed by over 100 million people. Within the TBN broadcast network she is affectionately regarded as one of the leading and highest rated National PRAISE hosts and guests with Nielson Galaxy Navigator ratings consistently among the top 10 of any host or guest on their network.
In addition, Dr. Bynum has been featured in magazines such as Essence and Ebony, and has also appeared on the front cover of the leading Christian magazines, Charisma, Ministries Today, and the Spirit Led Woman. In early 2005, Dr. Bynum ministered in song to audiences across America as a featured artist along with Yolanda Adams, Sheila E. and others as part of Southwest Airlines’ Sisters In The Spirit music tour.
In the midst of it all, Bynum has not swayed from her mission. She readily and candidly shares, “It’s not about platforms; it’s about people.”
Dr. Katie B. Catalon
Dr. Katie B. Catalon is a retired Cosmetology teacher with the Charleston County School District. She places emphasis on the fact that the 30 years were enjoyable years. She is the 14th President of the National Beauty Culturists’ League Incorporated, located at 25 Logan Circle N.W., Washington, DC 20005. She served many years as the First Vice President of the South Carolina State Cosmetologists Association (SCSCA). She is a member of the Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary of Our Lady of Guadalupe Court 110 of Charleston, SC. She serves on the Board of Directors for the YWCA of Greater Charleston, and is the recipient of the NAACP Sheroes Award, and also a recipient of the TWIN Women Award from the YWCA. She is also a life member of Gamma XI Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Theta Nu Sigma National Sorority, Life member of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), a member of the North Area Justice Ministry (CAJM), and also a member of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History. She is the recipient of many awards for community service. She is a member of Saint John Catholic Church in North Charleston, SC and is a widow, the mother of two daughters, Regenia, and Sharmina (deceased), grandmother of eight, and great grandmother of two.
She is the author of four published books: “Cross Town Route,” 1995; “Down Home,” 1999; “Three,” 2008; “John ‘L’ the Tall Man,” 2014. Most of all, she is delighted to serve as the President of the National Beauty Culturists’ League Incorporated, and is most appreciative of all courtesies extended by members.
In humility and constant prayer, she states that her life will always be to serve and assist others in ways that will always be pleasing to Jesus Christ.
KS Tichina Vaughn
Kammersängerin Tichina Vaughn has been critically acclaimed as leading interpreter of the dramatic mezzo-soprano repertoire and a much sought-after soloist and recitalist.
Upcoming highlights of season 2014-15 include debuts in the Semperoper as “Die Försterin” in a new production of Janacek’s Das schlaue Füchslein, as well as the “Witch” in the new production of Humperdinck’s Königskinder. Other roles in the Semperoper this season include “Klytemnestra” in Strauss’s Elektra, “Prince Orloffsky” in Der Fledermaus, and “Mary” in Der Fliegende Holländer. Guest engagements include appearances as “Mrs. Quickly” in Falstaff with the Bamberg Symphony and “Ulrica” in Verdi’s Ballo in Maschera for Teatro Massimo in Palermo.
Ks. Vaughn experienced tremendous success in season 2013-14 with her debut as “Klytemnestra” in Strauss’s Elektra and as “The Witch” in Hansel and Gretel at the Semperoper, Other roles included “Ursula” in Strauss’s Feuersnot, “Herodias” in Strauss’s Salome, and “The Ice Queen” in Weinberger’s Schwanda, the Bagpiper all on stage of the Semperoper. Guest appearances included “Azucena” in Il Trovatore for Sacramento Opera and “The Voice” in Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman for Seattle Opera.
In season 2012-13 Ms. Vaughn made her Korean National Opera debut as “Mrs. Quickly” in Verdi’s Falstaff, returned to Frankfurt Opera as “Princess Eboli” in Verdi’s Don Carlos, and made role debuts as “Frau Mary” in Wagner’s Der Fliegende Hollander and “La Grand Vestale” in Spontini’s La Vestale on the stage of the Semperoper Dresden. Other highlights of the 2012-13 season included her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle as “Maria” in Porgy and Bess, as well as the roles of “Ulrica” in Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” and “Princess Eboli” in Don Carlo for the Semperoper Dresden. Other success included her return to the Arena di Verona as “Amneris” in Verdi’s Aida conducted by Placido Domingo.
In Season 2011-12 Ms. Vaughn made her Israeli opera debut as the mezzo soloist in Verdi’s Requiem in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and role debuts as “Ortrud” in Lohengrin, and as “the Ice Queen” in Schwanda, the Bagpiper in Dresden. She debuted as “Azucena” in Il Trovatore at Greek National Opera, and performed “Amneris” at Arena di Verona. She was “Ulrica” in Un Ballo in Maschera, “Prince Orloffsky” in Die Fledermaus, “Venus” in Tannhauser, and “Jezibaba” in Rusalka at the Semperoper Dresden where she became a member of the ensemble in season 2010-11 debuting in the role of Isabella in Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algiers.
Tichina Vaughn began her operatic career as a member of the Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera after completing her studies at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She made her European debut at the Stuttgart State Theater, where she was awarded the title of Kammersängerin by the Cultural Ministry of Baden- Württemberg. In Stuttgart she experienced great success in such roles as “Princess Eboli” in Don Carlos, “Azucena” in Il Trovatore, “Cornelia” in Giulio Cesare, “Widow Begbick” in Mahagony, “Giulietta” in Tales of Hoffman, “Herodias” in Salome, “Venus” in Tannhauser, “Fricka” in Die Walküre, “Waltraute” in Die Götterdämmerung, and “Erda” in Siegfried and Das Rheingold.
As a visiting artist, Tichina Vaughn has been heard at the San Francisco Opera, the Los Angeles Opera, the Seattle Opera, the Finnish National Opera, the Hamburg State Opera, the Frankfurt Opera, Opera Graz, the Bregenz Festival, Teatro Verdi di Trieste, Teartro Carlo Felice Genova, the Rome National Opera, Teartro Verdi Ancona, the Arena di Verona, the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the Korean National Opera, the Greek National Opera, as well as the National Theater of Las Palmas und the National Theater Hong Kong.
In addition to her many operatic successes, Ms. Vaughn has performed in symphonic concerts, chamber concerts and recitals in many prestigious concert halls around the world. Orchestras and conductors include the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, the Taipei Symphony and the Stuttgart Philharmonic as well as Maestros Placido Domingo, James Conlon, Fabio Luisi, James Levine, Nello Santi, Mislahv Rostropovich, Nicola Luisotti, Daniel Oren, Bobby McFerrin, Lorin Maazel, and Yves Abel to name a few.
Her discography includes the Stuttgart Ring Cycle, that was filmed for the Euro Arts distributed DVD and recorded for a Naxos CD Set, in which she portrays FRICKA in Die Walküre and WALTRAUTE in Die Götterdämmerung, as well as her solo portrait CD entitled “Christmas At My House.” Additionally she appears on NEW RELEASE Live from the Semperoper 2012: SCHWANDA, DER DUDELSACKPFEIFER.
In addition to her title as Kammersängerin, Ms. Vaughn has been the recipient of many awards and honours throughout her distinguished career; among them are the Metropolitan Opera National Council Award, Opera Index Vocal Competition Award, Richard Tucker Study Grand Award, and a Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Study Award.
