E-mail a friendJanuary 14, 2009
Job-training expert Bill Strickland discusses the irony of the upcoming inauguration of an African American president when the current economic crisis has devastated the African American community. Voletta Wallace, mother of slain rapper Notorious B.I.G., and actor Jamal Woolard talk about the feature biopic, Notorious.
Bill Strickland
Bill Strickland
Job training expert addresses why so many disenfranchised people believed they were not capable of learning competitive skills. (1:59)
Full interview. (12:10)
As president-CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation and its subsidiaries, Bill Strickland builds partnerships to help the disadvantaged build a better future. He's also the author of Make the Impossible Possible, which includes his story of how a kid from Pittsburgh's ghetto would go on to lecture at Harvard and serve on the National Endowment of the Arts board. The MacArthur Fellowship "genius" award winner is also founder of the Grammy-winning MCG Jazz, the most successful jazz subscription series in America.
Voletta Wallace, Jamal Woolard
Voletta Wallace, Jamal Woolard
Wallace explains the real reason that watching her son's portrayal in Notorious caused her so much pain. (3:14)
Full interview. (12:40)
In an uncanny casting coup, Brooklyn-based rapper Jamal Woolard (aka Gravy) has been tapped to play the late Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls; aka Notorious B.I.G), in the upcoming big-screen biopic, Notorious. Smalls' mother, Voletta Wallace, is happy with the casting. She's the founder of the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, dedicated to the well-being and education of inner-city youth. A well-known figure in hip-hop, Wallace now lives in the house her son owned in New Jersey and manages his legacy.