::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

By Mona Austin Ahead of the May 31 release of his 13th studio album, Kirk Franklin blessed his most faithful fans in DC with a free listening party on Wednesday.  Held at Bishop Alfred C. Owens' Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church and hosted by local radio personality Cheryl Jackson of Praise 104.7-FM, the Q&A format of the event had an intimate vibe as Franklin took questions from and selfies with a few audience members, between playing cuts from the album.  Kirk is the first to admit that singing is not his forte. He shines brightest as musician, producer and songwriter. Franklin is truly in his element as a writer on the "Long, Live, Love" project.   Fans have grown accustomed to jammable beats and feel good hooks, but this work is more heart-impacting as he lends the same strong pen he displayed for Tamela Mann's hits to himself to provoke self examination and spiritual excavation with the goal of embracing God's matchless kind of  love.  God's...

buzzz worthy. . . Marsha D. Sumner Marsha D. Sumner, a native Washingtonian and celebrated local gospel radio announcer for two decades, died on Saturday, January 24th after a brief illness. She was 69. Sumner, who was born on April 20, 1945, attended DC public schools and graduated from Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School, where she excelled in sports and received an athletic scholarship to Tennessee A&I State University.  Marsha declined the offer saying:  “All they wanted me to do was run track and that rubbed me the wrong way.” Alternatively, she started a career in government service, working at HUD and FEMA for 30 years in areas that included recovery work at natural disaster sites. “I felt like I had found my niche,” she once said. “At the end of the day, I could always see that I had helped somebody.” “While she was traveling around the country covering earthquakes,...

buzzz worthy. . . Washington, D.C.- What happens when you invite one of today's most celebrated spiritual teachers to offer free advice in a busy public place? Find out in "Help Desk," a new show hosted by Gotham Chopra, Deepak Chopra's son, as he sets up an outdoor desk with spiritual life coach Iyanla Vanzant this Sunday, January 12 in Washington D.C.'s Union Station for two sessions from 9:30am ET - 12:30pm ET and 2:15pm ET - 5:15pm ET. Come down to Union Station, East Hall for a once in a lifetime chance to get advice from Vanzant who will sit down with a few select passersby, on a first come, first serve basis only.' In "Help Desk," Vanzant brings her spiritual wisdom to the streets, offering life-changing answers to hard-hitting questions about relationships, health, and personal transformation. WHEN: Sunday, January 12 9:30am ET - 12:30pm ET 2:15pm ET - 5:15pm ET WHERE: Union Station, East Hall 50 Massachusetts Ave NE Washington, DC...

buzzz worthy. . . Recent stats punctuate the rise of women entrepreneurs  as significant economic drivers in business. The women's leadership summit "Sisterhood Confidential" will address ways to compete and grow from the trend in DC on October 3-5, 2013 The late James Brown sang a song that aptly contextualizes the current state of employment in America: "This is a man's world, but it wouldn't be nothin' without a woman or a girl." Those lyrics are true   indeed . Women are credited with having a significant impact on the economic growth of the nation as work optional households have declined. A new report suggests that of the 46.9% of employed women in the U.S. labor force, there are 8.6 million women owned businesses that play a part in sustaining America's economy. Further it showed women entrepreneurs are currently the fastest growing subset in the country, employing 7.8 million workers (Source: American Express Open).   At...

buzzz worthy. . . Grammy winner to perform in a rare limited engagement on the day before Mother's Day George Washington University will present critically acclaimed balladeer BeBe Winans at Lisner Auditorium on Saturday, May 11, the day before Mother's Day. Beginning at 8:00 p.m. Winans will review over two decades of Gospel, R&B and Soul infused inspirational songs for one night only. The 50-year-old, who keeps the schedule of a newborn (he said he rises at 4 a.m. and is asleep by the time the sun goes down) chuckled about making an exception for his DC fans, "I'm staying up pass my bedtime." BeBe Winans is the youngest son in the Winans family. The Winans family is to gospel music what the Jacksons are to pop. The entire family has recorded music professionally. "The Winans," a quartet of all the boys in the family (but BeBe), became one of the most celebrated groups in gospel music. BeBe was their driver before he and his twin sister ...