Breathe Love--- Even on a Rainy Day: December 2023

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

An Afternoon with #TyroneRasheed(portrait photographer), and one of the co-authors of GOOD IS POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE.

An Afternoon with #TyroneRasheed

(portrait photographer), and one of the co-authors of GOOD IS POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE.

Beautiful People,

Today I was privileged to spend the afternoon at the exquisite Harlem brownstone of Tyrone and Barbara Rasheed. Married for 47 years, they are one of the most Loving couples I know.

Tyrone was busy in his studio preparing for an exhibition in 2024 and allowed me to see some of his iconic, musuem quality photos which can be purchased by collectors.

From #HarryBelafonte with Common #ArethaFranklin and #JamesBrown at the Apollo Theater #MuhammedAli #EarthaKitt, Billy Mitchell #NancyWilson #Rihanna #GladyKnight #DionneWarwick #RubyDee #KatherineDunham #JohnLegend #Ludacris #KimoraLee #Fantasia #MayaAngelou, #HonorableCharlesRangel Ben Vereen with LeVar Burton and #LeslieUggams #RevDrCalvinButts Phyllis Stickney #LynnWhitfield #WinnieMandela etc., etc! I saw hundreds of photos but there are thousands! All I could do was Breathe Deeply and say WOW, Magnificent!

In GOOD IS POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE former Ebony/Jet photographer Tyrone Rasheed writes in his piece OBSERVATION BABY...

"People ask me if I have a favorite photo. I don't have a favorite photo. They are all special. Gifts from God. I do remember the great Muhammed Ali bought me breakfast at Salaam's at 116th in Harlem. Aretha Franklin was beaming with joy at her birthday party. I was nervous shooting Lena Horne and she said to me "Calm down and I'll give you a kiss." I immediately calmed down and she kissed me on the cheek.

From actors, athletes, business owners, ceos, boxers, children, elders, ministers, musicians, politicians, presidents, presidential inaugurations and schoolteachers to flowers, trees, hummingbirds and butterflies, every opportunity to use my gift is a blessing.

I've been given this gift of photography from God. I love documenting moments in people's lives. My images of family days, birthdays, weddings, retirement parties, births, funerals and family portraits will live on forever. "

Coming 2024...

The book GOOD IS POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE is an Anthology of Hope with writings collected by Rev. Melony McGant and a profound Foreword by Ben Vereen.

The book is edited by Andrea Christofferson and Shannon Wong with Sacred Re-Memberings (writings) by more than 100 co-authors.

GOOD IS POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE is a Testament of Love designed to remind us that All People of all ages are special and deserve to be heard and honored. This is a Legacy Project that honors not just Ms. Betty J. Tilman but everyone whose name is attached to the GOOD IS POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE book.

Mark Your Calendars for Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 for the official launch when we will be hosted by NYPL Performing Arts Lincoln Center at BRUNO AUDITORIUM Start Time is 5:30pm.

Always, Melony 👑🦋👑

Miss Mellie Rainbow 🌈

#TyroneRasheedPhotographer #GOODISPOWERFULBEYONDMEASURE

#NewBooks2024 #NYPLPerformingArts

Rev.Melony McGant aka Miss Mellie Rainbow

Melony McGant, poet, storyteller, humanist and world lover of children lives on HOPE; works to breathe in love, and exhales fear (false expectations appearing real). She says "Perhaps our current challenges are wake-up calls for our collective awakening to truth." And she believes that the truth is, there is no need for our constant bickering, our disdain for eachother, for wars and killing, for world hunger, massive disease, for discrimination, subjugation, or oppression. She maintains that LOVE, even on a rainy day, is the answer to our dreams, our individual quests, and our future collective identity. "If we can learn to value our children, our elders, ourselves, and our Mother EarthHeart, then surely we have the power to impact society and to create a world filled with JOY."

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About Melony...

Rev. Melony McGant Bio

Rev. Melony McGant, aka Miss Mellie Rainbow loves to travel, explore cultures, connect with people, and dreams of a compassionate World with safe, loving communities, equal opportunity with justice and peace for the next seven generations (and beyond) of All the Earth's children.

She truly believes that "peace is possible through compassion, cooperation, courage, creativity, deep listening, faith, forgiveness, good purpose, healing, hope, humility, integrity, joy, kindness, mercy, patience, respect, understanding and the gift of Love!", and uses social media platforms to inspire others.

She is a storyteller, thought-leader, poet, & compassionate communications professional with more than 30 years’ experience in assisting both people and organizations discover and promote their professional or personal life missions. From business and not for profit CEO's to job seekers, elders, parents and children; through deep listening, Melony has quietly impacted, coached or supported thousands of people on their life journeys.

Currently a resident of New York City, Melony has worked as a marketing professional, owned her own full-service marketing firm and was assistant to cultural icon, choreographer and Oprah Legend, Miss Katherine Dunham. She worked for many years as a Labor Services Representative for New York State Department of Labor where she was able to hone her skills as a career/life coach and personal empowerment workshop facilitator; has a BA in Communications from Marshall University, is a Certified Level One Trainer in Kingian Nonviolence (University of Rhode Island Summer Institute), and is a Vietnam era war veteran (United States Navy).

An avid reader, in 2018 she appeared in two episodes of the Great American Read, an eight-episode national television show on PBS that "explored the many ways in which novels affect, reflect and connect us all."

An ordained Interfaith Minister, and author of the coming of age novel "Sunshine & Olivier: A Parable of Love" (IUniverse), which will be reissued for the 20th anniversary of its publication in the fall of 2019, Melony is also the primary author of "The Healing Adagio: A Love Symphony In Five Parts" and the journal, empowerment workbook "Seeker Dreamer: Amazing, Brilliant, Compassionate YOU!" (both published by Authorhouse). Her books are available on Amazon.

Rev. Melony McGant's writing is also featured in several other books, magazines and newspapers including the first edition of The Poetry Cafe (Art for Awareness), W & Art (an international women's premium art talk magazine), African Voices Magazine, MBE/WBE Magazine, Our Time Press, and the Chicago Citizen. Early in her career she was a columnist for The New Pittsburgh Courier.

Her writing also appears in GLORY: A Life Among Legends by Dr. Glory Van Scott (Water Street Press), "Passing It On: Moving Stories of Activists 1960 to 2000" by Bev Jenai-Myers (Archway Publishing), "Go Tell Michelle: African American Women Write to Michelle Obama" (SUNY Press), "The Book of Hope" and "The World Book of Healing" (both by Beyond Borders Press).

While living in Pittsburgh, PA, Melony served on the boards of Big Brothers and Sisters and the Pittsburgh Branch NAACP. An avid supporter of the Andrew Goodman Foundation VOTE EVERYWHERE program, she strongly believes in embracing the values of good citizenship.

She has received the New Mexico Not Even One Service Award, the 911 Red Cross Volunteer Award in NYC, the Pittsburgh City Council Women's Recognition Award, and the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund Award for Service (MBELDEF).

To contact Rev. Melony McGant, email: melonymcgant@yahoo.com

Breathe Love--- Even on a Rainy Day

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

An Afternoon with #TyroneRasheed(portrait photographer), and one of the co-authors of GOOD IS POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE.

Rev. Melony McGant aka Miss Mellie Rainbow

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