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Myspace Layouts The Bishop S.F. Makalani-MaHee comes from a steel and concrete building in the heart of the projects in the Bronx. She has moved up in the world: Her current home has wooden floors.
And a garden patio! Yeah!
The Bishop has been combining West African percussion with spoken word poetry, old-school-down-home-preachifying and a Certain Musical Theater Something since she was introduced to the djembe by Sophie B. Hawkins in 1989.
The Bishop is profoundly loud, severely pierced, gay in ways that Harvey Fierstein can barely imagine. She is deeply committed to civil rights, and locating a spiritual home for herself and like-minded people in a world that is increasingly distracted by the profane.
Bishop Makalani-MaHee
The Minister:
The eldest child of Evangelist/Minister Of Music; she was the Founder/Pastor of Redefined faith Worship Center (formerly Redefined Faith Unity Fellowship Church); the first place of worship for African-American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender people, not only in the city of Atlanta, but in the Southeast as a whole making her the youngest commissioned Pastor in Unity Fellowship Church history.
The Right Reverend Makalani-MaHee is Founding and Presiding prelate of the International Fellowship Of Independent Churches (I.F.O.I.C), making her the first known openly lesbian consecrated Bishop with apostolic succession. She has also served as the initial presiding Bishop with U.C.M (United Christian Ministries).
The Bishop was the Senior Minister for The Great Congregation I.F.O.I.C. a place for spiritual growth. It is the first place of worship in the tradition of the Black Church for the lesbigaytrans; and other liberated thinkers in the city of Miami and South Florida as a whole. She was the founder/spokesperson for concerned clergy; an organization dedicated to the social-spiritual support of the lesbigaytran communities and their allies. She is the Founder/C.E.O for Gay Black Pride South Florida and Publisher of the new International Publication Holla Magazine (an SGL quarterly).
The Artist:
"The Bishop" has had a long and successful career in the arts starting off as a classically trained Actor, Dancer, Singer in musical theater starring in such musicals as Grease (as Miss Lynch) and in productions for Ujamma Black theater ("The Gospel Of The Harlem Renaissance, Sun People, and "We Got To Fight Apartheid").
She continued her theatrical pursuits in Christian theater in the ensemble piece "In White America, Fort Evil, "The Lord Will Make A Way" @ N.Y.s The Lambs Theater, and Hazel Smith's "Time For Coming Out".
She made her award winning dramatic debut as Toni in Dale Benjamin Drakeford's "Mind And Body.
Her collaborative experiences as a Writer/Performer includes her tenure with S.T.A.R Theater (doing H.I.V./A.I.D.S education), "Queer Justice" @ W.O.W Café, and the critically acclaimed "A Lady And A Womyn" with her former partner Dr. Shirlene Holmes.
She also had the pleasure as a Director to Direct such productions as; Souls On Fire" @ S.A.M.E Theater (Produced with Silverfingers Productions), "No Detours Ahead" (a solo drama on the life of Billie Holiday as a quest director for G.S.U.), "Current Events" (Both company and solo-drama projects).
She is the founder of Silverfinger Productions originally founded as Atlanta first Womyn's theater company, now striving to showcase unheard voices as the arts outreach of the I.F.O.I.C. (The Internatioal Fellowship Of Independent Churches).
She has been educated in such intuitions as The Church, Julia Richmond-Talent Unlimited Performing Arts High School, Ujamma Black Theater, and American Folk theater's Youth theater. She also has the distinction of being the frist private studentt of award-winning stage actor Ella Joyce (of TVs "Roc").
She has taught Theater classes and courses as well as lectured for Ujamma Black Theater, Georgia State University, Soapstone Center For The Performing Arts, and Agnes Scott Collage. In addition she has lectured at Spelman and Morehouse colleges; as well as presenting at numerous conferences and social conscious gatherings such as "Earthday" for which she performed with rocker and old friend Sophie B. Hawkins.
A contributing columnist her articles have appeared in National and local publications.
As a musician and spoken word artist, she also plays venues from churches to taverns.
She is currently enjoying performing her one womyn show "Sistah" in which she explores her experiences growing up in the Pentecostal Black Church and the projects of the Bronx and coming out in those environments.
The Bishop has founded Heart Theater (a youth theater troupe). Which performed its inaugural piece Journeys a HIV/AIDS educational play Conceived and Directed by The Bishop.
As an Artist, it is her mission to sing, write, perform, teach, direct, and produce the works of God, and to use the stage as platform for healing and affirmation.
Her main mission in life is to be an instrument where God can give back to the oppressed what we have been robbed of - a place to worship.
"In reaching a defining point in my artistic endeavors I am seeking to use the stage as platform for healing and affirmation."
"Continue To Walk In The Light, Redefine Your Faith, And Remember It's All About The Rhythm."
She can be reached here, or via
[email protected]
