Juanita Bynum: Bigger Than She Thought She Was

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com

Juanita Bynum better get some security.

Quickly.

All hell nearly broke loose when the popular televangelist walked through New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Sunday afternoon – as throngs of "Essence Music Festival" seminar attendees clamored toward her for a brief acknowledgment, a touch, a smile, or even a glance.

After the year Bynum has had in the public eye, it didn't come as a surprise that she kept it moving – rather swiftly, surrounded by a barrage of New Orleans' finest and convention security guards that conjured up imagery of a sunglasses-clad/sequin-gloved Michael Jackson and hundreds of policemen during his heyday.

The self-proclaimed prophetess, who was accosted by her estranged husband Bishop Thomas Weeks, III in an Atlanta area hotel parking lot last summer, has been through hell and back over the past eleven months – even becoming a new face of domestic abuse.

And believe it or not, she doesn't shy away from the shame and embarrassment of the unfortunate incident, which subsequently catapulted her into the national mainstream media spotlight.

She actually seems to relish in it.

"Now I know y'all ain't come here on the short bus so come on," she mused to an audience of what seemed to be packed with thousands of her supporters during her fiery sermon.

"I am standing here today to let you know that your breakthrough ain't coming but it's here," she yelled as hundreds of audience members hollered back in participatory fashion.

"Let me tell you something; God don't hurry up and do nothing. This very date was on the schedule. The date that you was born was on the schedule. The date that God said Hurricane Katrina was gonna come but he also knew that he was gonna fix the city so you can keep your apartment. Who am I talking to? So guess what; the devil tried to kill me in that parking lot because he knew when I got on this platform and I opened up my mouth: Your breakthrough was here. It ain't coming, it's already here."

Bynum, who has released a string of best-selling books and recording projects, had the crowd – of mostly black women – on their feet and clinging to her every word of the hour-long presentation, which was at times provocative, uplifting, inspiring and surprisingly humorous.

During a portion of the speech, she shared a recent interaction that occurred while out in public:

"I was in the mall the other day and I ran into some people and they walked up to me and they said, 'Are you alright?' and I said, 'No, is you alright for asking me am I alright?'

"She said, 'I'm praying for you,' and I said, 'I'm praying for you too.' "

"She said, 'You've been through a lot,' and I said 'And so have you.'

"Then she said, 'Well, I just know that yours has just been really public,' and I said, 'Baby, let me tell you something: You're only attacked from the range of who you are, and if that declares who I am, then guess what? I'm bigger than I thought I was.'"

More rapturous applause.

"If you're going through a hard time right now, it's because somebody is afraid of your destiny," she continued yelling at a decibel that shook the rafters of the super-sized convention center.

"Somebody is recognizing on your job, in your family that you are bigger than you thought you were."

*****

"It feels good to be back," Bynum told BlackVoices.com during an intimate chat following a Wal-Mart book signing shortly after a CNN appearance later that afternoon.

The gold-selling Flow Records recording artist has become a staple of the "Essence Music Festival" over the years. She's been sermonizing for the masses for the past five years or so, she said.

"Well I just think that it's time for us to refocus on the fact that there's always going to be issues and there's always going to be obstacles and because of our human status, trouble will never stop coming," she said about her message she shared with the audience earlier. "If we stop because something happens to us, we'll never get to destiny."

"I think it's time for us to do like you see kids do when they go to school; you have to put all your stuff in the backpack and take it with you," she added.

"At the time that everything happened in my life my ministry was flying and I had to fly with my trial in the air because you really don't have time to come down and land," she continued. "You come to a place where you make the decision: either I'm going to be led by my emotions or I'm going to be led by my destiny and I made a decision to be led by my destiny."

Watching Bynum on stage is like seeing lioness roar. But up, close and personal, the immaculately coiffed Chicago native is surprisingly demure.

"Things are still very emotional for me, and I'm still hurting and there are days that I feel pain and there are days that I feel down, the whole nine yards," she revealed. "[I'm] very human, you know what I'm saying? I think that people forget that. I preach, I pray and I prophesize but I'm a human being you know. I bleed, I have flesh and sometimes I feel the pain but I come to the point that I know that I can not stop this because there's too much that God has given me and I think that it would be an insult to not only the kingdom of God but it would be an insult to God for the gifts he put in me."

Amidst the media frenzy that ensued with her separation and subsequent divorce from Weeks, Bynum graced the cover of the January 2008 edition of 'Essence' magazine – to the shock of many.

"It was probably one of the biggest accomplishments of my life," she said. "I think when my face hit the front cover of 'Essence,' it freed me. It crossed me over. It introduced me to my real destiny and to get my real purpose."

"God has commissioned me to go into all the world and not just the four corners of the church, or just the four walls of the church," Bynum furthered. "When they asked me to be on the front cover, I felt like the kingdom was moving. And I was very exciting about that."

Bynum's very own kingdom – or Queendom, perhaps – is moving too.

She has a role in the upcoming film adaptation of 'Mama I Wanna Sing,' and will appear in upcoming episodes of the ABC Family drama series 'Lincoln Heights.'

Her brand will also extend to a line of bath products and her very own cosmetic line, that she said will be mineral-based with no drying mechanisms.

"It's my inspiration and it's what God gave me," she said, adding, "and in the midst of my trial, instead of me feeling and being crushed, I became brave and that's where I am."

Black Music Notes June 26

6/26/08: Jill Scott
Jill Scott's latest album 'The Real Thing' is coming to a television screen near you. And it's going to be a sight for your eyes and a pleasure to your ears. On June 29, TV One will premiere an original music concert special featuring the neo-soul high priestess in all of her glory. Titled 'Jill Scott: The Real Thing Tour (Live in Philly),' the one-hour special features the two-time Grammy Award winning wunderkind performing a mix of her classic hits such as 'A Long Walk' and 'The Way,' juxtaposed with material from her newer projects, including the inspirational anthem 'Golden' and the tell-it-like-it-is, take-no-prisoners 'Hate On Me.' The special (Scott's very first) was filmed in March 2008 at the Liacouris Center in Philadelphia. Encore airings of the show are scheduled to air on July 3, July 5, and July 11.

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6/26/08: D'Angelo
Despite going through legal woes over the past few years, neo-soul originator D'Angelo is back in the studio working on a new album. According to 'Billboard,' the singer is expected to release his new as-yet-untitled album next year on J Records. The company bought out his contract in 2005 from Virgin Records (who released his first two albums). Fans can expect the man legally known as Michael D'Angelo Archer to hook up with Raphael Saadiq once again, the two previously worked together on Saadiq's 2002 hit 'Be Here.' Although the album is still in its early stages, the 'Brown Sugar' crooner has plans to also land John Mayer on the opus, with a single to hit the airwaves by the end of the year. Until that time comes, fans can catch some of D'Angelo in his former glory with the recently released compilation, 'The Best So Far,' featuring hits, rarities and previously unreleased videos.

Image Direct

6/26/08: Gerald Albright
This week, one of the most sought after saxophonists in contemporary jazz, Gerald Albright, will release his eleventh solo project titled, 'Sax for Stax.' The set features eight covers from the Stax Records catalog , in addition to three originals written by Albright. The multi-talented sax player reached out to vocalists Will Downing, Ledisi, and Philip Bailey to help recapture classic music such as Issac Hayes' top five hit 'Never Can Say Goodbye' and the Staple Singers' hit 'Respect Yourself.' "I went through two box sets with over 20 CDs to pick songs that felt good and would work well melodically for the saxophone," Albright said.

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6/26/08: Swizz Beatz
Just last year super-producer Swizz Beatz was hospitalized for exhaustion, and by the looks of it hasn't slowed him down a bit. The hip-hop hit-maker has been in the studio crafting hits for Jay-Z, G-Unit, Ludacris, T.I. , Alicia Keys, and surprisingly the icon himself Michael Jackson. The Bronx native (legally known as Kasseem Dean) recently revealed his plans to not only produce some music for the King of Pop, but produce his tour as well. "I'm probably gonna be producing his tour and everything," he explained to 'MTV.' "I'm designing planes for Gulf Stream and everything. They called me. I'm around different people. I'm around billionaires. I'm around people like that." This October Swizz Beatz plans to release his new studio opus entitled, 'Life After the Party.'

Film Magic

6/26/08: Erykah Badu
This fall, Erykah Badu is planning on bringing some of her voodoo experiences on the road the neo-soul diva was recently added to the tenth annual "Voodoo Experience Festival," held October 24-26 in New Orleans. In addition to Badu, Wyclef Jean, Joss Stone, and Lupe Fiasco are among the other acts on board to join alternative rock headliners R.E.M. , Nine Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots. Tickets are priced at $115, while a three-day VIP pass will available for a whopping $450.

6/26/08: Ludacris
Trying to maintain a successful career in the music industry as well as Hollywood can be a bit strenuous for some rappers. But not Ludacris! Luda (as he is also known as) not only has his new album, 'Theater of the Mind' slated to hit stores in September, he's also in the process of filming a few movies. On Halloween, the actor/rapper will be appearing in Guy Ritchie's new film 'RocknRolla.' He also recently finished shooting 'Max Payne,' a crime thriller fronted by Mark Wahlberg. When asked which profession he likes most, he simply replied: "Music is still my number-one love. I just balance a lot of different things now." Hollywood is still calling him, though. To date, Ludacris has starred in the Academy Award winning movie 'Crash,' the John Singleton-produced 'Hustle & Flow' and 'Fred Clause,' alongside Vince Vaughan.

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6/26/08: Ne-Yo/Keyshia Cole
The 2008 Reggae Sumfest is guaranteed to kick off with a bang! On July 18, new-school R&B superstars Ne-Yo and Keyshia Cole are tapped to headline this year's international night at the Montego Bay festival, which takes place from July 13-19. Reggae Sumfest will also showcase the best of the best in Dancehall and Reggae music including Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, and Lady Saw, among many others.

Film Magic

6/26/08: Will.I.Am
Crafting hit music for The Black Eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake can only inspire an artist/producer such as Will.I.Am (born William James Adams Jr.)to go beyond the music industry. Fans can expect to see the Black Eyed Peas front-man in the forthcoming X-Men movie, 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine,' playing a role opposite of Hugh Jackman. Will.I.Am recently revealed to 'MTV News' that the character he'll be playing is a teleporter by the name of John Wraith. In addition to 'X-Men,' the producer also landed a role in the 'Madagascar' sequel. "With 'Madagascar 2,' I think there has to be an angel or something or my grandma's prayers guiding that," he says. "It's pretty, pretty dope. And I'm grateful and happy about it all." 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' is expected to hit theaters in May 2009.

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6/26/08: Mashonda
After releasing her debut album 'January Joy' internationally, Mashonda returns with two new singles 'All or Nothing' and 'No Panties' from her forthcoming untitled album. The Harlem reared singer describes her first single 'No Panties' as being "all about giving your man whatever he desires; no limits." In addition to her new music hitting the radio airwaves, the ex Mrs. Swizz Beatz (real name: Mashonda Tifrere-Dean) is the creative director and model for an upcoming coffee table book entitled, 'Alter Ego Revealed.' Mashonda's new album is set to drop in early next year.

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6/26/08: Lauryn Hill/Kanye West
'Entertainment Weekly' magazine recently unveiled its 'New Classics' list in which they ranked the best in music, movies, TV shows, and books from over the past 25 years. Lauryn Hill's mega-selling solo debut 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' landed at number two slot behind Prince's timeless classic 'Purple Rain,' which held down the top spot. Other artist that made the list included Kanye West (No. 4), Jay-Z (No. 7), Outkast (No. 12), Beyonce (No. 19), Mariah Carey (No. 21), Nas (No. 28), and The Notorious B.I.G (No. 40), among many others.

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