Kids issue 2019 Featuring The CECE Show!

THE INSIDERS
Publisher & Chief Executive Officer
Tempestt Harris (CEO)
Chief Operating Officer/ Editor In Chief
Maresa Scott (COO)
Chief Financial Officer
Shukura Porter (CFO)
Creative Director
Michael Lopez
Administrative Staff
Sales Executive
Shukura Porter
Sales and Marketing
Michelle Mitchell
Ashley Lindo
Contributor
Contributor/ Correspondent
Lillian Blanche
Graphic Design
Layout Designer
Antoine Boderick
Elisha Cutter (Intern)
Fashion
Stylist
Jerry Thompson
Style and Wardrobe Contributor
Jekia Benson
Makeup Artist
Alexis Washington
April Hill
Writers
Writer
Desi Helm
Contributing Writer
Marage Blakeney
Intern Writer
Mary Lucas
Blogger/ Journalist Intern
Kaitlin Booe
Photography
Antoinne Duane Jones
Laurence Logan-The T.Z Studio
Todd Youngblood
Glen Byrd- Photo X Words
Videography
Toussaint Studios-
Emmanuel Toussaint
Corporate Public Relations
Pac Public Relations
Digital
Level21 Media LLC.
Yumpu
Wribits
IN THIS
ISSUE

Pg.26
Pg.16
Pg.33

4

6

SUMMER
FAMILY
FUN...

LEVEL21 MAGAZINE STYLE
WWW.LEVEL21MAG.COM

The Ce Ce Show Page 26

HOW TO
DRIP TOO
HARD

14

16
P H Y

WRITTEN BY MARAGE BLAKENEY
T
he prolific activist, Mahatma Gandhi, once
said that, ?Where there is love there is life?.
Juliana, Josh Anglero, and Peter Carey?s daily
lives echo Gandhi?s sentiment. They are
co-parenting their eight and nine-year-old
daughters, Elizabeth Rose and Angelina
Paris. These young girls are surrounded by
love from their mother, two dads, and three
sets of grandparents. In fact, you will be able
to watch their extraordinary love in action in
an upcoming reality show, based in
Charlotte, NC that will be featured on
Oprah?s OWN channel.
Elizabeth Rose, affectionately known as
?Rosie?, is a funny, creative, adventurous and
empathetic young lady. She is an aspiring
singer, dancer, and avid animal lover. She
meticulously focuses on martial arts skills six
days a week. Her training includes Tae Kwon
Do (TKD), Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, sparing and a
weekly stunt class. Rosie is a fashionista at
heart and she is always camera ready. Rosie?s
favorite song is Beyoncé?s ?Who Runs the
World?. She loves the cartoon, ?Teen Titans?.
Her parents describe Rosie as an outgoing
girl with a ?captivating personality that has
you wrapped around her finger with a wink
and a mischievous smile. She has a vibrant
personality and natural empathy that makes
her your immediate best friend. Everything
she talks about: school, her parents, her
friends and neighbors, is enhanced by her
spark. Rosie steals your heart with her quick
wit and spunk but she is also so loving and
cuddly and aware of other's feelings. She's the
first to run to hug you when she feels you
need it, and always lights up the room when
she walks in. Most of all she is fiercely loyal
to her sister and the bond they share is
unbreakable?. Rosie future aspirations
include becoming a veterinarian with a one
stop animal facility and a master teacher for
TKD and jujitsu.
Angelina Paris, is lovingly known as ?Angie?.
She is a passionate, clever, and charming
young leader. Angie loves to dance, draw,
and play video games such as Just Dance with
her family. Similar to her sister, Angie is avid
student of TKD and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. She
also attends a weekly stunt class with her
sister. Angie is an innate humanitarian who
is involved with several organizations that
work with the homeless community. Angie?s
favorite song is Bebe Rexha?s ?Love you the
way I R?. She loves the cartoon, ?Kim
Possible?. Her parents describe Angie as an
inquisitive and sensitive young lady who
?loves to learn and connect with people on
intellectual and emotional level. Angie tends
to be reserved until she is comfortable with
you , after she is, her personality shines through!
Just like her sister, the innocent and unconditional
love that emanates from Angie is one of her most
beautiful qualities. She is naturally beautiful, but
her soul is what shines through. It gives you a
sense of gentleness, and is almost ethereal. She is
such a grateful child; you can't even tell whether
she's about to laugh or cry, because when she
shows emotion, it's all on her face. From the
runway to the playroom, she's Rosie's partner in
crime. Together they make everyone wish they
had a sister?. Angie desires to become a black belt
in TKD and an engineer for NASA.
Their parents, Juliana, Josh, and Peter, have made
a conscientious decision to surround Rosie and
Angie with unconditional love. They are
instrumental in showing their girls that they are
rich with love and support. Rosie?s and Angie?s
parents have instilled in them that, ?the riches
they have are not quantified by dollar bills, no
matter how much money there is in the bank. We
have done our best to teach the girls that success is
earned and you must have a great work ethic and
work hard for what you have. They also know
that money comes with a great responsibility. The
more money we have, the more we should do for
those less fortunate?.
The family?s strong principle of love was one of
many contributing factors for being selected for
this new Charlotte based reality tv show. The
girls?parents mentioned that they, ?both really
enjoyed being on the show.They are excited to be
a part of this journey and share the opportunity to

Con tin ued...
demonstrate how co-parenting can work after Juliana
and Josh's divorce.. We think it?s a blessing to be an
example of the new normal. . We don?t hold the kids
back from expressing their true opinions and sharing
their experiences on the show. ?.
With their huge hearts and their capacity to love
without boundaries, this family truly embraces H.
Jackson Brown Jr.?s words that ?sometimes the heart
sees what is invisible to the eye.?Unfortunately,
everyone does not share that same philosophy
considering that their family dynamics consists of one
mother and two fathers. Juliana recounted a recent
painful situation regarding this matter. "People feel
entitled to negatively express what a bad mother I am
for allowing my kids to be in an environment where
they have two openly gay dads. What people don?t
understand is what a true blessing it?s turned out to
be. One time all five of us went out to eat and the lady
kept looking over to our table. Once we finished
eating, Josh and Peter left with the kids and I went to
the restroom. The lady asked me if they were my kids
and I said yes. She then told me how I am committing
just as big of a sin for allowing my kids to be around a
gay environment. I know she had overheard the girls
saying daddy and Papi to them. She was very
interested in our conversation, apparently. She told
me how God would punish them for their lifestyle
and would punish me for being a bad mother. It
wasn?t the first time, so I?ve grown thicker skin but it
still makes me sad to see and hear so much ignorance.
All she saw was two gay men and the woman who
birthed the children and what a sinful, toxic situation
we were in?.
However, love is stronger than outside perceptions.
Edgar Allan Poe, once said that, "we loved with a
love that was more than love?. Juliana can attest to
that statement. She went on to say that, ?our
situation is definitely not traditional, the girls have
two dads and one mom, but it is really because of the
type of relationship that we share. We are a family
unit through and through. Every time that I have
gotten an ignorant comment, it only solidifies the
decision that we made to be a family for our kids.
Josh and Peter are amazing fathers and because of
our dynamics they now have three parents who love
and adore and would do anything for them. They
also have three sets of grandparents who love them
and cherish them. They have an army of people who
support and encourage them. All I see here is an
example of what great things can happen when you
work together and put the kids first?. With love,
anything is possible!
To see Angie and Rosie in action, please their
YouTube channel, ?Angie and Rosie Time?:

THE FAB LIFE OF ANGIE AND ROSIE

Model @ImaniCargill
shot by @i_staybizzy
(Creative Director -level21

WRITTEN BY MARAGE BLAKENEY
Charlie Chaplin, once said that ?a
day without laughter is a day
wasted?. Amari Price is not
wasting any time or laughs. She
has millions of people rolling on
the floor laughing. Affectionately
known as, ?CeCe?, she has made a
name for herself within the
comedy sector. She is a funny
ten-year-old girl with perfect
comedic timing. CeCe has
received accolades from satire
geniuses such as, Kevin Hart,
Martin Lawrence and Ellen
DeGeneres. She has also been
featured in Elle, People, and
Cosmopolitan Magazines.. She
has even appeared on the Steve
Harvey Show. As a native of
Bogalusa, Louisiana, CeCe is
proving that big things can come
from small spaces.
Since the age of three, CeCe
began performing her hilarious
antics as a comedian. During Mr.
Barack Obama?s re-election bid,
CeCe was watching one of his
commercials and blurted out,
?He?s cute!?. Her mother, Daphne
Watson, immediately recognized
the magical spark of her
daughter. Therefore, she turned
on the camera and encouraged
26

her to continue her witty banter. As a
stroke of genius, her mother told CeCe
to say, ?Welcome to The CeCe Show,
everybody!?Those six words created a
social media phenomenon. By the time
Watson launched her daughter?s
Instagram page in late 2013, she had
garnered over 50,000 followers. In 2014,
she entertained over 1,000 attendees
with her first sold out live performance
show. Her mother was astonished by
CeCe?s star power.
She did not realize the fullest potential
and power of laughter. According to
their People Magazine story, ?I was like,
?What is going on?'?says Watson. ?We
were just playing around, not trying to
make a career out of it!?But now, thanks
to paid advertisements and branded
content Watson posts on Instagram,
mother and daughter have more than a
career? they have a blossoming social
media empire. Watson says the money
has been ?life-changing,?especially after
a series of difficult years for the family.
In May 2014 Watson sold her car and
home and left Cece?s older sister
Cameran, who was 10 years old at the
time, with their Father, Salesman
Christopher Price. She also left their
brother Jalen, 14 (from a previous
relationship), at home to finish their
school years while she, Aubry and Cece
moved to Las Vegas with the supposed
promise of a live stage show at one of the
family-friendly casinos. ?I thought I was
doing the right thing by taking a chance,
but I fell on my face,?Watson says of

Continued...
making the move without a signed contract." Sadly, a show never materialized from that mode.
?It put me in a bit of a depression mode.?But instead of returning to her full-time day job back
in Louisiana, Watson doubled down on Cece?s social media presence. Now, other than during
the one month each summer Cece spends with her dad in Baton Rouge, Watson typically films
two videos a week.
Today, CeCe has over one million followers on Instagram and more than 650,000 followers on
Facebook and YouTube. She has been receiving rave reviews from numerous of individuals.
Even Kevin Hart, who refers to her as his protégé, has been quoted as saying, ?I?m a fan of
hers? she is beyond hilarious.?Her side splitting antics and spot on impersonations, included on
YouTube?s ?The Best CeCe Show Vines and Instagram Video 2017?has been viewed over six
million times. CeCe?s latest music video, ?Don?t ?t Pop Em On Me?is a viral success. Her other
song ?Maybe I Like Dirt?is a catchy tune that kids can relate to because ?why parents always
tryna whoop you when yo room ain?t clean, you don?t wanna come in there don?t come in
there?. In May, she will be hosting the 11th Annual 2019 SCM Awards in Memphis, Tennessee.
If you?ve ever watched any of CeCe?s videos on YouTube, Instagram or Facebook, it is clear that
CeCe is LOL: living on laughter!

30

TWO OF A K I ND
WRITTEN BY: MARY LUCAS
Allow us to introduce Liam Ethan Alexander (Mayer) and Christian Joél
Jordan (Mayer); Sons of our very own Lillian Blanche; a boss lady with
her music career and Co-Host of Level21TV.
Christian is a break dancing phenom and a formidable chess player.
Alongside him stands his brother Liam, a young Youtube star in the
making whose goal is to follow in his brother?s footsteps. Chinese
speaking, chess playing, and becoming a gymnast-astronaut-boxer sum
up what Liam wants to be. The two have a unique and diversified taste
in hobbies and we wanted to find out why.
Christian knew he wanted to be a break-dancer when he saw the movie
?Battle of the year? featuring singer Chris Brown and desired to play
chess internationally after watching a game at school. When asking
Liam what sparked his various career desires he stated: ?The reason I
wanted to do gymnastics is that I want to do what I saw in the circus
taking care of us and doing other things with that. My friend?s. Different
people. Everyone. They all inspire me."
The two shared great advice for anyone who may have any fears about
their dreams or goals.
Christian: ?Think about all of the bad things that can
happen and eject them out of your system. And think
about all of the good things that can happen and keep
them in your system.?
Liam : ?I just tell kids not to be afraid because it?s really not true. Think
about the good things.?
with my Paw Paw.? (He passed away two days after taking the boys to
UniverSoul Circus in Charlotte May 2018 of a heart attack.)
With Boxing, Liam met Lillian?s step-brother Justin Deloach in 2016 for
the first time in Augusta, Georgia and was introduced to the sport as
Justin prepared for his next big fight under Mayweather Promotions. He
returned home to Charlotte and has been in love with the sport ever
since.
Liam says, ?It shows me how hard my punches are and mostly some
of the times, seeing the crowd waiting for boxers to come out is
exciting.?
For two seasons starting in 2017, Christian has been apart of the Lil?
Stingers Dance team. This is the Official young dance group for
Charlotte?s NBA team.
Christian loves being a part of Lil?Stingers. He thought it was a great
experience & fun. He was recently on NBA highlights after wrapping up
a routine with his signature break dance moves.
We asked about what surprised him about being a part of the group he
stated ?At first I thought we were going to meet Michael Jordan because
he?s the owner but we didn?t meet him. I also thought we would do a lot
of freestyle. It was more choreography than I thought.? Being that
Christian was mainly a break dancer he contributes his improved
choreography skills to being apart of the team with Coach Critesha.
What do Christian & Liam like best about what they do?
?The opportunity for people to see what they are doing and to be able
to inspire & amaze them!? was their firm answer.
What could have possibly inspired these awesome young men?
As far as boxing is concerned, Liam suggests ?Creed, my Uncle Damiani
(Lillian's Biological Brother) and Uncle Justin Deloach. My Uncle Damiani
is really strong. He practices boxing with me sometimes.?
On Liam?s YouTube channel he discusses what he wears, items he
enjoys cooking, and he also explored how things function. To start his
channel, he had to give inspiring reasons to his Mom about why he
should be able to start a YouTube channel. Liam expressed that only
through ?Hard Work & Responsibility? led to the creation of his channel.
Being so young and driven, surely these two had to have been afraid.
Liam: ?Well kind of. I am not scared of being a gymnast or boxer but an
astronaut yes, because something might get me. There are monsters in
space!?
Christ ian: ?No, I am not afraid because there?s nothing to be afraid of. I
don?t have a lot to lose.?
Follow their endeavors via Instagram @iamjoeljordan &
@ThePapiLiamShow on Instagram
Christ ian: "My mom inspires me because of all the hard work she does

32

NEW YORK
FASHION
WEEK
FLASHBACK
LEVEL21 MAGAZINE & THE FASHION
EXCURSION TOOK OUR GIRLS TO NEW
YORK SEPTEMBER 2018 TO WALK FOR
INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER RUTU!
Keomi Smith
Tatiana Moore

Ashley Olano
Isabel Brugueras
Johanna Jimar
Ashleigh Plyer
34

Brianna Cunningham
Jurne Smith
Tysley Shine
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURENCE LOGAN

WRITTEN BY: MARY LUCAS
LIFE OF MEKHI
Mekhi Pharr?s parent's motto is ?school first and then modeling/acting.?They want to
make sure he gets time to play with his friends before or after he has a modeling/acting
gig. When asked about balancing work/home life & Mekhi?s Modeling career they
responded:
?We make sure that Mekhi gets his school work done before we focus on his other
passions. As parents, we divide and conquer when he has auditions or needs to be at
casting, but we both try to be in attendance if our work schedule allows it.?
Mekhi is extremely outgoing and has a big heart. He is always up for an adventure and
is adaptable. Mekhi?s parents envision him to be a thinker, a doer, and visionary.
When asked Mekhi about his future goals, and he said: ?I would love to travel and
experience new things/cultures. I would love to make money so that I can donate to
help people. I am also working to become an architect or an engineer; from Middle
School- High School and then College.?
When asked about his favorite photo shoot Mekhi stated: ?My favorite photo shoot so
far was working with Todd Youngblood for the color block challenge because I was able
to be free and express who I am without limitations?.
Authenticity, Cool Clothes & Fun Times are Mekhi?s favorite things about modeling.
Level21 can?t wait to see you grow into yourself & see you rocking designer fashion!
You can follow Mekhi @LIFE.OF.MEKHI
36

ENTERTAINMENT WATCH
JAVION BEATTY
CREATIVE DIRECTION: TEMPESTT HARRIS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: LAURENCE LOGAN

WRITTEN BY: MARY LUCAS
Yummy Spa Naturals
A
va Watkins, the creative 6-year-old behind Ava's Yummy Spa
Naturals wanted to create something for kids ?so they could smell
yummy. She loves taking baths & she wanted to create a product
that her peers would enjoy.
Ava's Yummy Spa Naturals feature products such as bath bombs,
body creams, hand, and bath soaps, specifically designed with
children ages 2-13 in mind. Ava encourages everyone to enjoy
her products. When Ava?s Mom was asked about balancing
work/home life & Ava?s entrepreneurship she stated:
?To be honest, managing as much as I do can be stressful at
times. I continue to push forward even in stressful situations
because I know that the end result will be so much greater! I do
what I do because I am passionate about it and I love my kids. I
want to see them have the best and be the best! Balancing it all
takes a lot of prioritization, dedication, focus and honestly,
PRAYER!?
40
We asked Ava?s Mom what she sees in Ava & her potential to
grow and she stated:
?Ava has a big personality. I wish I would have had the
confidence and charisma that she has as a kid when I was her
age. I believe that Ava is going to be a person of influence, no
matter what career or path she ultimately chooses in life. She's
just got "it"!
Cotton Candy is Ava?s favorite body butter scent. Even though
she can?t eat the body butter, she loves to smell it.
When asked about her future goals Ava stated: ?I want to be a
scientist when I grow up. I would also like to be a tennis player
like Serena Williams!? We here at Level21 can?t wait to see your
business soar to new heights.
You can contact Ava at: https://www.instagram.com/yummyspanaturals/
https://www.instagram.com/ava.jael/
https://www.facebook.com/yummyspanaturals/
You can purchase Ava?s Product?s here:
https://squareup.com/store/yummyspanaturals

WRITTEN BY MARAGE BLAKENEY
The World Report on Disability noted that
?approximately one billion people in the world are
living with a disability, with at least 1 in 10 being
children?. Oftentimes, children with special needs
are overlooked and/or mistreated. However, the
Special Olympics (SO) is intent on changing that
narrative. The Special Olympics ?is a global
movement of people creating a new world of
inclusion and community, where every single
person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of
ability or disability.?
The Special Olympics assist children, as young as
two years old, to achieve their dreams of
becoming athletes. Eunice Kennedy Shriver
founded the Special Olympics in 1968. It was her
vision to provide a welcoming space where people
with special needs can realize their fullest
potential through sports. This year, the Special
Olympics World Games was hosted in Abu Dhabi
on March 14-21. This event was used as a pivotal
platform in creating a more inclusive world.
One of the athletes selected to represent Team
USA in the Special Olympics World Games is
Erykah Culbertson. The physicians had informed
her parents that ?she would never ride a bike or
skate?. However, Erykah was determined to defy
the odds. Her athletic career with the SO began in
42
MEET
THE
DETERMINED
2005. Since the age of eight, Erykah has added
146 state gold medals to her trophy case. Her
sportsmanship and athleticism was the basis of
being selected as one of 270 members for the USA
team from a candidate pool of 39,000 athletes.
However, these achievements did not happen
overnight. Erykah had to overcome challenges
such as developing effective communication and
motor skills. Her parents, Michael and Wanda
Culbertson, realized the importance of early
intervention. Early intervention provides targeted
resources to children with developmental delays
or specific health conditions from free to low cost
to the families involved. These services include
physical therapy, speech therapy, and cognitive
skills development. Michael and Wanda became
an ?advocate for their daughter? by educating
Erykah?s teachers and others on the unique
challenges of autism. Their tenacity to provide
Erykah with every chance to succeed led them to
discovering the Special Olympics.
Christopher Reeve, once said that, ?once you
choose hope, anything?s possible?. Through the
Special Olympics, Erykah found hope, passion, and
her voice. This wonderful organization has
afforded her the opportunity to ?meet new
friends? and fulfill her love of sports. In fact, Erykah
was featured in 12 interviews with WWE wrestler,
Charlotte Flair, to promote the Special Olympics
World Games during the 2019 Super Bowl in
Atlanta. Similar to her idol, Florence ?Flo-Jo? Griffith
Joyner, Erykah is going for the gold, on and off the
field. Her career aspiration is to give back to others
by becoming a Special Olympics coach. She is
determined to make an impact on this world.
Erykah?s advice to everyone is ?don?t let others tell
you what you cannot do?. Now that you have met
the determined, what are you going to do?

DREAMS & NIGHTMARES
WRITTEN BY MARAGE BLAKENEY
44
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is often
attributed to the saying, ?I have a
dream?. However, many times our
dreams are shattered because of
poverty, poor education, and crime.
Therefore, the dreams end up becoming
nightmares that Dr. King did not
envision. In fact, talkpoverty.org
revealed that North Carolina is ranked
40th in the country with a 20.9
percentage rate of children living below
the poverty line. According to US News,
North Carolina is ranked 23rd in the
nation for its Pre-K through 12th grade
education. Based on these sobering
statistics, how can we prevent our
dreams from becoming a nightmare?
Fortunately, Charlotte, North Carolina is
addressing this question utilizing an
innovative strategy called, the
Renaissance West Community Initiative
(RWCI). According to its website, ?the
mission of RWCI is to promote a
collaborative community centered on
quality housing, education, health,
wellness and opportunity. The ultimate
goal of the initiative is to contribute to
economic revitalization on West
Boulevard. To achieve this vision, RWCI
will: 1) develop and implement a
high-quality cradle-to-career
educational continuum that includes a
child development center and a pre-K ?
8 school; 2) ensure children and families
have access to wraparound services that
meet their unique needs related to
health, mental well-being, job training,
parent support, education, and social
services; and 3) support the
development of mixed-income housing
that serves our targeted geographic
area?.
The Renaissance West Community
Initiative is based on the success of East
Lake in Atlanta. East Lake is a Purpose
Built Community. In the mid 1990?s, the
Villages of East Lake was riddled with
rising poverty and crime rates. In 1995,
community leaders devised an
innovative way to revitalize this
community by incorporating education
opportunities, healthcare resources,
and affordable housing. Within the two
decades of its inception, East Lake has
experienced a 97% crime reduction and
100% employment rate.
Realizing the success of the East Lake
model, Charlotte established this same
initiative in 2012 to revitalize the
Boulevard Homes neighborhood. RCWI

poverty?. One method of eradicating poverty and education challenges is their cradle to career
continuum. From the age of six weeks to five years old, children can attend the Howard Levine Child
Development Center. There is also a Pre-K through 8th grade STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
the Arts, and Math) academy to prepare young students with critical skills for high school and beyond.
RCWI offers adult GED, computer literacy, financial literacy, and skills development certificate classes
?to improve the quality of life and opportunities for residents?.
This collaborative effort of RCWI is transforming lives of children and adults. It is providing a holistic
approach to addressing crime, poverty, and low academic achievement. William Clement Stone, once
said that, ?definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement?.The Renaissance West
Community Initiative is focused on achievement because it is a community built on purpose. Now, that
is how you prevent the dream from becoming a nightmare!

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