Cindra Taylor, Executive Director for Premier Academy Inc., a nonprofit childhood education provider that has provided quality education to over 21,000 low to moderate income children in metro Atlanta since 1971, has over 29 years of early childhood education.

After working with the YWCA of Greater Atlanta, Taylor had the need and desire to give back to the community and decided to join Premier Academy’s Board of Directors on which she served for five years in different capacities. Taylor said it was only natural to take on a leadership role with the organization.

“Growing up my mother had a childcare center and when I came to Atlanta, I vowed I would never ever work with children again because my first love was accounting. Nonetheless, we don’t always get to choose what our vision, passion and purpose in life really is. It’s been a blessing to line up with my calling in terms of being in a field that can impact children. This is why I took on the role with Premier Academy.”  

Taylor says she’s always wanted to strive for excellence for the sake of the children, and since joining Premier Academy Inc. in 1996 she has a lot to be grateful for. “Through accreditation standards we ensure that children are exposed to the absolute best. The best in their teachers, the best in their learning environment, and obviously the best in their instruction and curriculum. We have been nationally accredited since I came on board in 1996 and I’ve been able to maintain and be a model as to what excellence for children should look.”

Taylor attributes her success to having the right team. “Bringing people around a common issue is important, and the common thread through all of this is we care about the success of children. We strive to ensure our children are ready for school when they leave our centers.”

Although she credits having a solid team to her success she notes that parental involvement is key. “Research says that when parents are involved in their children’s educational life they have a better chance of succeeding. We have a parent coalition here at Premier which offers parents an opportunity to tell us what we can do to make their child’s experience better. We also reserve two parent spots on our board so parents have voting rights and can help make decisions.”

Taylor offers parents 4 considerations to make when searching for an early childcare center:

1. Make sure the educational level of your child’s teacher is such that they know about the child development field. Ensure the teacher has a spirit of continuing education of their own.

2. Look at the operations of your childcare center. Make sure the ratio allows for indiviualized care. All children don’t learn at the same pace.

3. Be sure the center you choose promotes learning for the child.

4. What is the relationship that the organization wants to have with the parent?

There’s no question Premier Academy is a best kept secret in Atlanta, and while they have great success, Taylor says she would like to improve on their marketing strategy and move towards the use of advanced technology and social media. The future for Premier Academy looks bright. Taylor says she’s looking for someone to whom she can pass the baton, someone who is willing to take the organization to the next level. Although she has yet to find that person, she is optimistic that the person exists and will far surpass what she’s been able to achieve.

You would expect that a woman who’s worked in education for over 29 years would have a lofty dream of retiring in the Caribbean on white sandy beaches, but Taylor says when she retires she’ll be at Grady Hospital rocking babies. “When I had my oldest daughter she was premature and I was really sick. Someone took care of my baby and that is going to be the place that I go to give back because I know someone did it for me.”

For more information on Premier Academy and to celebrate their 40 Year Anniversary on Sunday March 24, 2012 visit www. premier-academy.org

The 3rd annual Buckhead Restaurant Week runs Saturday, February 25^th – Sunday, March 4^th, 2012. Each day, participating restaurants offer guests a 3-course, fixed price menu for either $25 or $35. The menu usually consists of your choice of appetizer, main course and dessert. It is the perfect opportunity to try out a new restaurant or visit some of your favorites. The jaw-dropping list of participating Buckhead restaurants include:

• 10 Degrees South
• Aja
• Anis Bistro
• Aria
• Atlanta Fish Market
• Bistro Niko
•  BrickTop’s
•  Buckhead Diner
• Café at the Mansion on Peachtree
• The Café at The Ritz-Carlton, Cantina
• The Capital Grille
• Coast
• Dantanna’s
• Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
• FLIP Burger Boutique
• Georgia Grille
• Imperial Fez
• Kyma
• La Fourchette
• Latitude
• MARKET Buckhead
• Mosaic
• Nava
• Ocean Prime
• Paces 88
• The Palm
• Portofino
• Pricci
• Prime
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House
• Season’s 52
• Shula’s 347 Grill
• Southern Art
• Tavern 99
• Ted’s Montana Grill

Visit www.brwatlanta.com for more information and to view all of the Buckhead Restaurant Week menus.

Photo Source: Reality Tea

So what really happened at the funeral? According to Mark Trigg the family never discussed having a public funeral but agreed to have one camera stream the service in the back of the church for fans.

Trigg made it clear that he had spoken with Bobby Brown’s attorney Chris Brown prior to the funeral and that they agreed Brown could attend with his three older children and brother Tommy Brown but his children were to sit with their uncle behind the family and Bobby was welcome to sit with the family

Trigg says Brown violated the agreement. “This was not about anything other than practical space considerations.”

Trigg said that when Brown tried to seat himself and his children in the front rows, security “discreetly, polietly, respectfully” asked Brown’s children to sit with their uncle. Trigg said that “for whatever reason” Brown took offense.

As if that weren’t enough, when security attempted to move him, Brown tried to get Bobbi Kristina involved as well as Cissy Houston, and according to Trigg, Brown was not to initiate any contact with his daughter. “What was asked of him, however, was that if [she] didn’t initiate that contact…then he was not to reach out for her, just to respect her and her wishes during the service. That was the agreement.”

Trigg says that he was made aware of by Brown that he would have to leave the funeral service by 2:00pm to perform with his group New Edition, but after all the commotion Brown gave a kiss to Houston’s casket and left with his family.

Trigg wanted to set the record straight. “At no time did the [Houston] family tell Bobby that he wasn’t invited. Bobby was always invited to the service from the outset.”

“… and I also believe that mint will be very big in fashion next spring,” Lady Gaga said in her latest music video “Marry The Night.”

Kanye West wearing a mint green sweater

Mint green may be the new trend for the upcoming spring season.  The color was featured during the Spring 2012 New York Fashion Week.  It was also featured on the Chloe Fall 2011 runway.  London fashion reporter Ruth Styles calls the look eco fashion, and says it’s seriously cool.

So, can you see yourself sporting a mint green outfit?  Tell Tastemaker what you think.

Leave it to country singer Miranda Lambert, who is married to “The Voice” co-host Blake Shelton, that would probably be no! It’s evident that Lambert is no fan of Brown based on her recent twitter rants and seems to be irritated that he won a Grammy last Saturday.

According to abcnews.com in a concert Thursday, Lambert held up a handwritten poster that read, “Take notes Chris Brown” and later said [...] “So that’s why my daddy taught me early on in life to use a shotgun.”

Of course Brown couldn’t just let that go, he fired back in three separate tweets yesterday and it seems like people are waiting for Lambert to fire back. Why are we so slow to forgive but quick to continue to stab those in an unhealed wound? Guess this will be a saga that continues. If only there could be a bigger person in this situation–wishful thinking!

To read more on this story visit abcnews.com

Winfrey’s father Vernon was a coal miner turned barber, turned city councilman, who had been in the military at the time of her birth. Winfrey had a pretty rough childhood. Molested by a cousin, uncle, and family friend, she constantly moved back and forth from Wisconsin to Tennessee. At age 14, she had a child who died shortly after birth.

Winfrey stated that she was inspired to pursue a career in media by her grandmother. Ever since Oprah learned how to talk, she was on the stage. It started when she was a child interviewing her corncob doll and the crows on the fences. Not knowing that she would one day be one of the greatest talk show hosts of all time.

After she won a beauty pageant at age 17, Winfrey caught the attention of a local black radio station. They hired her part time to do news. She worked there from her senior year of high school until after her first two years of college. Winfrey was the youngest and first black female news anchor at Nashville’s WLAC-TV.

Eventually Oprah landed her own television show in Chicago. In 1998 Oprah had a total of 14 million daily viewers. Oprah ended her show on May 25, 2011, and turned her main focus to her newly begun television channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network.

As a philanthropist, the media queen has made generous contributions for many causes. In the wake of hurricane Katrina, she created the Oprah Angel Network Katrina Registry which raised more than $11 million for relief efforts. Winfrey personally gave $10 million to the cause. Winfrey has also helped 250 African-American men continue or complete their education at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Today Tastemaker Magazine honors the life, legacy, and pursuit of excellence of Ms. Oprah Winfrey.

It is up to us to reclaim the true meaning of black love because it has been corrupted by ”baby mama/baby daddy” drama. The famous words “You are NOT the father” are heard within mainstream America on a daily basis. It’s hard already to be a black person in America with the stipulations that are already upon us and  sometimes love is the only thing that will keep us sane.

Love Of My Life
By Mr. Dvyne

Thank you for being who
you are to me
What you are to me
For having the courage to come
this far with me.

Thank you for awakening this love inside
My soul has come alive
To whom does my heart belong?
I don’t have to decide
Thank you for giving me the
chance to love you

I’d die for you
I’d have no regrets
Because I truly adore you
Thank you for doing all
the things you do
Forever be with me, and
I am with you.

Black Power Couples

1. Barack and Michelle Obama
2. Sean and Beyonce Carter
3. Denzel and Pauletta Washington
4. Djimon and Kimora Hounsou
5. Omar and Keisha Epps
6. Will and Jada Smith
7. Carmelo and Lala Vasquez
8. Nick and Mariah Cannon
9. Grant and Tamia Hill
10. Boris and Nicole Kodjoe
11. David and Tamela Mann
12. T.D. and Serita Jakes

And the list goes on and on…..

Celebrate Black Love with Tastemaker Magazine.

The last time we heard about a good love letter was the 4 page letter Aaliyah sung about on her album ‘One In A Million’. But Tyrese keeps the love flowing from Valentine’s Day with his latest video, “Nothing On You” featuring our January/February cover girl Chilli, from his album, Open Invitation. In the video the two battle the ups and downs of love, but Tyrese assures his love Chilli that he’s a one woman man with his heartfelt love letter.

The last time we chatted with Tyrese was in Atlanta for the Trumpet Awards and he tells us this is his best work yet. What do you think of the video?