Anthony

Johns

Model / Actor

By Dale Ricardo Shields ~ iforcolor – August 2012

“Inner beauty to me is something that does not get old or wrinkle nor sick. Your spirit represents the beauty of loyal, good character and spiritual connection which shines through the outer.“

“Come and get a dose

To bless …

To be stress

Clean from head to toe…

To fly

It’s too hot to argue with people… kids.

Last time I check… I am grown.

… I will run for Jesus before and after the riches after the rags. No more sheets“

~Introducing~

Anthony Johns

Work ~ Model and Actor

Education ~ Texas College (Tyler Texas)

Born ~ Shreveport, Louisiana

City ~ West Palm Beach, Florida

Travels ~ Seoul, Korea

Life Goal ~ To open a charter school that benefits African-American urban youth.

Anthony Johns was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1983. The son of (Pastor) Sheryl and Eddie Armstrong. He was raised in San Antonio, Texas. His growing-up principles were based on spiritual and family attributes. Anthony comes from a family background of love, peace, and unity. He has three siblings; his oldest sister Mannessa Johns, his Sister Crystal Johns is a Banker in Atlanta, GA and his brother Courtney Johns an Air Traffic Controller for the United States Air Force. Growing up as a pastor’s child can become stressful with a lot of rules and standards to live up to. He counts all his blessings and joys from his childhood by giving praise to his mother and father, who provided him with the inspiration to mature into a strong spiritual human being.

“I am thankful for all my blessings and joys in my childhood.

I am grateful to my Mother and Father

who provided me with the inspiration to mature into a strong spiritual human being.”

“It is well in my soul.”

In high school, Anthony worked and saved his money for college. He became focus on graduation and researching a good college to attend. Anthony found Texas College (Tyler, Texas) an academic fountain to gather knowledge for his career and life.

He was accepted into Texas College in the fall of 2003 and majored in English Literature. A young scholar, (he speaks four languages) he also had an academic interest in the fields of Biology and Mathematics. Anthony joined the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. “The Fraternity’s fundamental purpose is an achievement. Early in this century, African-American students were actively dissuaded from attending college. Formidable obstacles were erected to prevent the few who were enrolled from assimilating into co-curricular campus life”

* “The founders sought a formula that would immediately raise the sights of black collegians and stimulate them to accomplishments higher than they might have imagined. Fashioning achievement as its purpose, Kappa Alpha Psi began uniting college men of culture, patriotism, and honor in a bond of fraternity.” (http://kappaalphapsi1911.com/site2/fraternity.htm)

The Kappa fraternal mission and vision base became a solid platform for Anthony to graduate college and pursue his dreams. He wanted to become a member of Kappa Alpha Psi because his uncle was a member and a great role model of achievement for him.

He graduated college in 2007. AJ (as his family and friends call him) found his spiritual walk in God and his path for modeling and acting through his family and college experiences. He enjoys giving back to the community through services in his church and his fraternity. Anthony enjoys traveling, reading, and working out. One of his greatest experiences was his Internship with the NASA Program. From 2007 t0 2009, Anthony taught English in Yeosu, South Korea.

Anthony’s inspiration toward the arts came from a struggle of social rejection, obscurity, and ostracism struggles. He suffered from a speech impediment and low self-esteem due to the pain of public rejection. “Rejection is emotionally painful because of the social nature of human beings and our basic need to be accepted in groups.”

He now believes when one door shuts another door will open with better opportunities.

“Bullying is mean-spirited, wrong, and very evil. I pray the school system in the public expose the abuse and search for solutions to the problems it causes. Some avenues parents can consider, are options like home schools, private schools, Christian or Montessori schools, which I will put my children in when I blessed with those gifts of life. Charter schools and magnet schools are also great options. We must protect our youth from bullying, to build their confidence through after-school activities such as martial arts, theater, performing arts, and sports. These programs are necessary tools for liberal education and productive life.”

Antony’s role model is Cornel West, a prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Philosopher, civil rights activist and professor, Cornel West has described himself as a “blues-man in the life of the mind, and a jazz-man in the world of ideas.”

“I love Dr. West because he is confrontational and direct. A historian of African American culture, his memoir Living And Loving Out Loud, concerning the hip hop generation is is a great book to relate to the youth and adults.”

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34157251/ns/today-books/t/cornel-west-being-true-funk-living/

“West is known for his combination of political and moral insight and criticism and his contribution to the post-1960s civil rights movement. The bulk of his work focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society and the means by which people act and react to their “radical conditioning. West draws intellectual contributions from such diverse traditions as the African American Baptist Church, pragmatism and transcendentalism.” ” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornel_West)

“Inner beauty to me is something that does not get old or wrinkle nor sick. Your spirit represents the beauty of loyal, good character, and spiritual connection that shines through the outer. The outer beauty should be maintained but in reality, it can be scared and burned and repaired. But your inner beauty repairs the outer into love”

“I loved the history and origins of modeling. My discovery of the modeling profession appeared in my freshmen year at college. I took an interest in fashion shows a fashion troupe discovered me. My friend, Giandria led me on that path of fashion modeling. I found a great photographer and started seeking agencies to represent me. I love the history of modeling. The origin of modeling began back in the mid-1800s in Paris, France. Modeling started to expand, nationally, in the 1930s. Models have crossed over into many different fields, such as acting, spokesmen and women, and sports. I love being a model. The windows of opportunity can be endless”

Anthony reflects that the modeling world can be very competitive, but it has changed to a diversified arena from mainstream to hip hop arenas. African Americans have had little success in the field of modeling. The hip hop entrepreneurship has created new jobs and venues for urban models. Fashion companies such as Sean John Clothing by Sean (Puffy) Combs, Rocawear by Damon Dash and Jay-Z, and House of Deron by Beyonce. The modeling game has became diversified through today’s urban pop culture.

His favorite designer is Chanel. Chanel is known for its stylistic versatile ready to wear luxury clothes. “Chanel is the French house of high fashion that specializes in haute couture and ready-to-wear clothes, luxury goods, and fashion accessories. In her youth, the couturière Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel gained the soubriquet “Coco” in the course of her career as a chanteuse de café in provincial France. As a fashion designer, Coco Chanel catered to a woman’s taste for elegance in dress, with blouses and suits, trousers and dresses, and jewelry (gemstone and bijouterie) of simple design, that replaced the opulent, over-designed, and constrictive clothes and accessories of the 19th-century fashion. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanel).” Actor Brad Pitt became the first male model of Chanel.

Anthony also admires the work of Ralph Lauren (Polo). “The “Polo” designer is a great product focusing on high-end fashion for men and women, as well accessories, footwear, fragrances, home (bedding, towels) and housewares; presents media content of its lifestyle, and it also runs a line of restaurants. Widely recognized for its Polo Ralph Lauren flagship label, RL Corporation also manages several other brands, based on the Ralph Lauren concept, under which it retails its merchandise. It also carries its subsidiary, Club Monaco. The company’s media content is presented by its division, Ralph Lauren.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Lauren)

“The other art form I take interest in is Acting. I have studied acting at local studios. I am looking towards acting in daytime dramas. Acting is a reflection of life which can help people to enter in the world of emotion and pain to soothe the journey of survival.”

A J 2013

“I watch the film what’s love got to do with it starring Angela Basset and Larry Fishburne. The reflection of the life I found in that film hooked me on Acting.”

His advice for your young inspiring models is to stay connected to your dream in bad times and good times. He feels that your dreams reflect your abilities and identity of what you can do and who you really are.

“If you focus on your dreams in this modeling business which is very competitive you can achieve in this arena. Creating a great team of friends and professionals around you will keep a balanced. Your dream of success and reality will manifest if this business is for you or not. You have to have faith. The first step to enter this modeling business is to create a proper portfolio and a headshot that you can take to agencies and modeling management teams. Make sure you have a model bag with you at all times which should include your portfolio with a headshot inside of it and lotion a business card holder and modeling resume.”

In ten years Anthony sees himself on screen, working as an actor. He also wants to be an inner-city life coach and author, solving problems in relationships and individual lifestyles.

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“I believe in and live, my personal quotation and future book title, that I am working on titled “The rejection was a blessing” in every denial moment God has a blessing set up for you.”