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Monday, July 21, 2008
Malik Yoba and the Digital Divide
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Actor Malik Yoba with Kei Ramsey, left, and Amber Lee upstairs at Straits Monday night.
There’s a really simple story behind actor Malik Yoba’s involvement with the Alliance for Digital Equality, which advocates improved Web access in underserved minority neighborhoods.
“Julius (Hollis) accosted me on the street,” Yoba laughed, referring to the ADE’s chairman. “I was in town working on Tyler Perry’s movie, ‘Why Did I Get Married,’ staying at the Twelve.”
When the two men ran into each other, Hollis immediately struck up a conversation. Soon he had convinced Yoba to lend his voice to public service announcements for ADE.
“I was interested in the issue itself,” Yoba said during a preview party Monday night at Straits. “I try to do what I can to raise awareness for issues. “And Julius has a way of getting all kinds of folks to do all kinds of things.”
Today, the ADE holds its Digital Empowerment Summit 2008 at the Georgia Tech Conference Center. A panel discussion moderated by Texas State Sen. Rodney Ellis and AJC business columnist Maria Saporta takes place from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The crowd at the Monday night event included Mayor Shirley Franklin, King Center CEO Isaac Farris, and Dr. Jay Yadav, CEO of Cardiomems.
And Lehman Brothers managing director Ernest G. Green, who was one of the brave African American students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., in 1957.
“I’m interested in how we close the digital divide,” Green said. “It’s a focus that’s long overdue.”
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He’s leaving, she’s staying. They’ll make it work.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nicolas Bour and sweetie Elissa Rosen.
Maybe this belongs on Meridith Ford’s dining blog, or Blanca’s dating blog but hey, we’re all about collaboration and versatility at the AJC, so here goes.
Nicolas Bour, the acclaimed exec chef at the Farmhouse at Serenbe south of the city, and the lovely Iris in east Atlanta before that, is leaving town. He’s been lured away by an exec sous post at the Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C., and leaves Thursday.
Sunday night, a group of friends including caterer Dennis Dean, Atlanta Peach editor Drew Brown, chefs Jonathan St. Hilaire and Ricardo Ullio and Project Open Hand’s Caroline Bortnick gathered at Shaun’s to toast him on his way out of town.
“I’ve had a very loyal following,” said Bour, a fresh-ingredients fan who’s finally made peace with diners who order well-done steaks and other horrors. “They followed me from Iris to Serenbe and they’re here tonight. It’s very humbling.”
Bour’s girlfriend of two years, Elissa Rosen stayed close by his side.
“It’s hard to leave,” Bour said. “We have that to go through.”
Food has factored significantly throughout their relationship, probably like any chef’s. She recalled with a smile the blueberry pancakes he’d make for her early on, the lobster bisque she’s come to crave, the addictive grilled cheese sandwiches he whips up for her and her friends.
Bour and Rosen, an assistant editor at Atlanta Peach, plan to keep things going. It’s a short flight from D.C. to Atlanta, after all.
“We always enjoy our time together,” he said.
“Now we’ll enjoy it more,” she said.
With the sun setting and the weekend ending and Bour four days from leaving, someone ordered another round.
