Good Day Atlanta Viewer Information: October 14, 2020
Future pilot gets VIP treatment at world’s busiest airport: Zaron Mack, 13, still can’t quite believe the reaction he’s received since Good Day Atlanta featured him back in August. The Kennesaw eighth grader is an aspiring pilot who hand-makes incredibly intricate paper airplanes — and his passion for aviation inspired many viewers to reach out with offers of support and encouragement.
One of those viewers was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport general manager John Selden, who invited Zaron and his other Jessica for a private tour of the world’s busiest airport last week.
“We pretty much got VIP service from the minute we got there,” says Zaron. “He took us around the airport…first it was this one big hill at the airport, where I could pretty much see everything. And we played a little bit of a guessing game to see who knew the most airplanes…I was keeping track of the points, too, and I won!”
Mack also got the chance to slide into the cockpit of an Airbus A321, an eye-opening lesson in the kind of commercial jet he’ll probably be piloting one day.
“In the smaller planes, I can say, ‘Okay, I know what this means, and that means,’ and I pretty much know 95-percent of the whole entire dashboard. But in the bigger plane like that, I pretty much know, like, 25-percent of the dashboard.”
Mack says the experience did nothing but strengthen his desire to take off on a career in aviation — and it’s just one example of the many people contacting the Mack family, offering to take Zaron on facility tours and actual flights.
Says Zaron Mack of all the attention, “I’m humbled by it.”
WEB LINK: https://www.atl.com
Grammy-winner Regina Belle finds “Freedom” in new video: With lyrics focused on the fight for racial justice and equality, Regina Belle’s “Freedom” feels perfectly tailored to this moment in history. But the song’s journey began nearly a decade ago when the Grammy Award-winning singer was asked to write something for the opening of a museum.
“This young man wanted me to come and perform at the opening of his African-American museum in Philadelphia,” Belle said. “Fast forward to last year, and I decided I wanted to put it out for Black History Month. The reason being … all the racial injustices, all of the prejudices, all of the things that African-Americans, specifically, were facing. And I wanted to do something, I wanted to be a voice.”
Fast forward again, and after a summer of unrest across the country, Belle decided to create a new video for the song. The clip — released on Belle’s social media platforms — uses powerful images from the past, present, and looking toward the future.
“The biggest message was, for African-Americans, we have to understand who we are," Belle said. "Our history can be convoluted looking in the history books because we don’t see ourselves in the true essence of who we are.”
“Freedom” is just the latest addition to Belle’s sterling body of work, which includes R&B chart-toppers “Baby Come To Me” and “Make It Like It Was,” not to mention the award-winning smash “A Whole New World,” a duet with Peabo Bryson.
And the singer says she knows that especially in such uncertain times, many people depend on the comfort of her music.
“Music has always helped me,” she says. “I tell people all the time, musical notes are in my DNA. I bleed music. I bleed notes, I bleed chords. So, that is my contribution to being part of the very fabric of people’s lives. Without even knowing their ups and downs, I get to be a part of people’s lives. So, music is a very powerful tool, and I try to be as responsible as I can with it because I understand its power.”
You can check out the "Freedom" video on Regina Belle's Facebook page here.
WEB LINK: http://www.iamreginabelle.com
"The Chi's" Birgundi Baker to receive the PVIFF 2020 Rising Star Award: The 15th annual Peachtree Village International Festival is virtual this year! This year the focus will be celebrities from the African and Latin Communities. The festival kicks off Thursday, Oct. 29, and will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 1. Birgundi Baker and her on-screen brother Alex Hibbert will receive this year's Rising Star Award.
This past season for "The Chi" focused on Baker's character "Kisha," after she was kidnapped and tramautized by someone in the neighborhood. The season had fans talking as it brought along real issues that we face each day.
You can follow Birgundi on social media @Birgundi_Baker. Click here to catch up on "The Chi." To purchase tickets to this year's Peachtree Village International Festival click here.
"Coming to America" sequel bought by Amazon Studios: It appears that the waiting and wondering are over. Reports show that the "Coming to America" sequel finally has a release date, after being sold to Amazon Studios for $125 million. Instead of heading to theaters, the movie is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Dec. 18. The film is said to focus on Prince Akeem returning to America when he discovers he has a long lost son. There are said to be many surprise cameos in the film. "Coming 2 America" was filmed right here in Atlanta.
Workout Wednesday with YogaSix Midtown lead instructor Laila Howard: It's workout Wednesday and Lauila Howard from YogaSix Midtown gives viewers a lesson on yoga. For more information on Laila Howard or YogaSix click here.