#mediaicon

Stephen A. Smith stands as a significant figure in sports media, celebrated for his dynamic and often controversial commentary. Born on October 14, 1967, in the Bronx, New York, Smith grew up in the Queens neighborhood of Hollis. He attended Thomas Edison High School before earning a basketball scholarship to Winston-Salem State University, where he graduated with a degree in mass communication. This academic foundation set the stage for his illustrious career.

Smith began his professional journey as a sports commentator on WEPN in New York City, later joining Fox Sports Radio. His accurate predictions and insider knowledge quickly established him as a credible voice in sports journalism. In 2011, he rejoined ESPN and became a central figure on First Take, where his outspoken opinions and animated debating style have made him a household name.

Stephen A. Smith's talents extend beyond sports commentary. He has made notable appearances in TV shows and movies, including recurring roles on General Hospital and a part in the film I Think I Love My Wife. Additionally, he has ventured into writing, with his memoir Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes published in 2023.

The National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) regrets the passing of Barbara Gloudon, OD, OJ, IOJ, cultural and media giant and close friend of the Company. A noted guardian of Jamaica’s culture, Gloudon shared a close relationship with Prof. Rex Nettleford as they combined their creative imagination to represent the culture of the Jamaican people through the performing arts, most notably the Little Theatre Movement (LTM) Pantomime for which Nettleford choreographed in the early years and the NDTC.

In 1981 Barbara Gloudon formally took over the NDTC’s public relations. No stranger to the nation’s artistic ambitions following independence, Gloudon with the support of her mentor Theodore Sealy, then editor of The Daily Gleaner, had made the efforts to examine seriously the cultural expressions of the new Jamaica - music, dance, art, and theatre. The National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) was one of her beats, and she covered their tours to Stratford, Ontario (1963), Atlanta (1969) and Georgetown, Guyana (1972). Supportive of the Company’s essays in dance but equally concerned about its future, Gloudon has been careful to project an accurate image of the Company, mindful of her obligations to address a younger generation sometimes unfamiliar with its history. With a deep knowledge of Jamaican life and Caribbean traditions, sensitivity toward the human condition, and an appreciation of the need for cultural self-definition, along with her impeccable taste, Gloudon’s approach is invested with original ideas about communicating the artistic goals of the Company as well as other aesthetic concerns of the nation.