Safiya Songhai

Infobox musical artist
Name = Safiya Songhai


Img_capt = AmberMag.com Shoot in Manhattan
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Melissa Hendricks
Alias = Melissa McClinton, Safiya McClinton, Melissa-Safiya McClinton
Origin = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupation = Film Director, TV producer, TV host, Beauty Queen
Years_active = 1999 – present
URL = http://www.Mpirefilms.com

Safiya Songhai, (born in July 25th, 1984 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is the stage name of Melissa Safiya McClinton a Student Emmy award-winning American Film director, on-air talent and beauty queen. Songhai is the reigning Miss Black Massachusetts USA [ [http://missblackusa.org/Contestants2008.htm Miss Black USA - Scholarship Pageant ] ] , and a former Miss Five Boroughs [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/us/24pageant.html?pagewanted=print Winners Cite Broken Promises in Pageants - New York Times ] ] for the Miss New York Pageant.

Biography

Family

Songhai was born in Philadelphia to Dwight Lamont Hendricks and Tamara Lee Pierce [ [http://main.wgbh.org/ton/programs/7023_01.html 10 O'Clock News | [Nthabiseng Mabuza ] ] . Songhai's parents met at the Philadelphia International Film Festival and Market, a Festival which Songhai would later win her first film award. Her mother came from a prominent Philadelphia family and was the co-creator and host for WPVI's show Visions [ [http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=resources/tv_listings&id=5803934 6abc.com: Visions 3/27/08 ] ] , and later worked at various stations as a camera woman and a news editor for Frontline [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2429953/filmokey Tamara McClinton - Keywords ] ] . Her father was a carpenter and teacher who lived a very bohemian lifestyle, only making enough money to pay off his bills and then spending the rest of his time involved in grass roots efforts to improve the crime ridden areas of Philadelphia through cultural and political efforts. The couple split when Songhai was a year and a half old and was the only child of both. In 1999, Songhai's father was murdered in a robbery attempt against him in North Philadelphia.

Songhai's mother remarried Loman C. McClinton [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=krIpACnO8g4C&pg=PA272&lpg=PA272&dq=loman+mcclinton&source=web&ots=7XiZEtJv38&sig=8O7BaKu19-efsGkbAMt7G9Ar2BU] ] , now an Attorney, Retired Police Sergeant, Marine Sergeant, Actor, Stand-up Comedian, and a member of Mensa.

Songhai is also the granddaughter of renowned dermatologist Dr. Harold E. Pierce, great niece of Retired Federal Judge Lawrence W. Pierce niece of internationally acclaimed artist Barkley L. Hendricks, and cousin of actress model and sportscaster Jayne Kennedy.

Education

After the age of 7, she was raised in Roxbury ,Massachusetts, and graduated from Boston Latin School [ [http://www.learntoquestion.com/about/latin/quotes/index.html Boston Latin in Quotations since 1635 ] ] . Songhai excelled at Public Declamation, Student Government, writing and graduated in the top 10% of her class. She was also the President of the African Cultural Society, and a member of the National Honors Society. Songhai was voted most likely to become Head Master due to her immense involvement in her high school. Songhai also founded two awards, the Latin Spirit Scholarship and the Crystal Apple Teacher's Award [ [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/12/15/inez_middleton_64_beloved_boston_latin_teacher/ Inez Middleton, 64, beloved Boston Latin teacher - The Boston Globe ] ] while she was President of the Student Council.

Higher Education

Songhai began her studies at Dartmouth College, concentrating in Film, History and Creative Writing. Later, she transferred to Howard University [ [http://www.filmmaking.net/directory/filmschools/film_schools_details.asp?id=360 filmmaking.net | directory : film schools : Howard University ] ] where she graduated summa cum laude and became a third generation legacy of the school. Shortly after graduation, Songhai was accepted into the MFA film program the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University .

While in undergrad Songhai landed the position as a television host at the PBS affiliate WHUT-TV in Washington, D.C. and worked at WJZ-TV in Baltimore as a producer and announcer for the Maryland Lottery. She won a student Emmy [ [http://media.www.thehilltoponline.com/media/storage/paper590/news/2002/10/18/Sports/Football.PreGame.Show-300275.shtml Football Pre-Game Show - Sports ] ] in her final year in college.

Film career

In 2003, Songhai began her fledgling film production company Mpirefilms [ [http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=i47r08.2.1 TESS - Error ] ] . The first projects were short films, Public Service Announcements [ [http://www.cablepositive.org/news/6-27-03.html Cable Positive ] ] and even audition tapes for reality show hopefuls. Her first film LadyLike received distribution through AltCinema [ [http://www.altcinema.com/ladylike.html Shady Bi ] ] and has been screened internationally. Now the company has won several awards for its work and is in production for several feature films scheduled for release in 2010.

Filmography

News Reporter

Songhai is apart of the investigative news team on RNN-TV's magazine program 'The Richard French Live Show', in Westchester County, NY. She covers the Justice beat reporting on issues involving crime, policy, law and the penal system.

Pageantry

Songhai was 1st runner up in the Miss Black USA 2008 pageant held on June 23rd 2008, and is the reigning Miss Black Massachusetts USA. Songhai has had a notable career in the Miss America Pageant system. She won the title of Miss Five Boroughs in 2004 placed in the top ten winning preliminary on-stage questions in the Miss New York Pageant. Prior to this win, Songhai was 1st Runner up to Miss District of Columbia 2003, 2nd Runner up to Miss District of Columbia, 2001, and was 1st Runner up to Miss Metropolitan Manhattan 2004. Songhai's talent is usually a comedic monologue, and she has won top-inerview, and on-stage question at nearly every pageant in which she has competed.

Name Change

Inspired by the pride and solidarity of the historically black, Howard University campus, Songhai decided to change her name from Melissa McClinton to Safiya McClinton and later Safiya Songhai. Safiya means clear and pure minded woman in the Swahili Language. After searching for several years to find a sir-name to match, she chose Songhai from the largest and most accomplished 15th and 16th century West African Empire now present day Burkina Fasso and Niger, whose leaders emphasized education and social, economic and gender equality.

References

External links

*imdb name|id=2256154

* [http://www.Mpirefilms.com Mpirefilms Official site]
* [http://www.MissBlackUSA.org Miss Black USA Official Site]
* [http://www.missamerica.org/competition-info/state-contestants.asp?state=New+York&year=2004 Miss America Official Site 2004]
* [http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=i47r08.2.1 Mpirefilms Trademark registered]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/us/24pageant.html?pagewanted=print New York Times Article]