College Panel @ Castlemont High School

On Monday, September 23, 2013, we collaborated with one of Castlemont High School’s college advisers, Jameil Butler. Every Monday, Jameil facilitates an elective class through the Oakland Unified School District’s Manhood Development Program, which focuses on college and career readiness. The African American male students in the class learn about the importance of education and how to prepare for their future.

On this particular Monday, Jameil decided to bring in a group of college educated African American males to speak to the young men about their college experience. We were able to recruit Christen Brown of Creation of Society and student at Sacramento State and Vincente Mozell a graduate of California State East Bay to participate in the panel. Jameil and Vincente talked to the young men about the benefits and challenges of college as well as the importance of continuous learning, discovering their passion and embracing their own genius.

This is the type of dialogue that needs to continue. The one-off panel’s are great, but it would nice to see this happen more frequently. Our young men need the support of positive adult role models. Don’t you think?

If you are interested in getting involved with African American male Oakland Public School High School students, please visit http://www.thrivingstudents.org/5 or contact me for more information.

Healthy Relationships Event “Ubuntu”

On Sunday, July 14, 2013, 15 men and 17 women gathered at New Style Motherlode Dance Studio in Oakland to discuss healthy relationships. Below you will find a recap of the event, which we titled “Ubuntu.”
Background: From friends to parents to significant others, siblings, colleagues and community members, healthy relationships are an essential part of life. Healthy relationships give you the opportunity to connect, learn, grow, share, love, give, receive, build and progress; they allow you to live a fuller life.

The importance of healthy relationships can be better understood through the African Philosophy Ubuntu which is translated as “I am because you are.” According to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Ubuntu is “…the essence of being a person…we are people through other people.” He says “we cannot be fully human alone. We are made for interdependence. We are made for family. When you have Ubuntu, you embrace others. You are generous, compassionate…” Ubuntu is a spirit of sharing and collaborating. In other words “If I eat, we all gon’ eat.” It describes a sense of unity between people through which we discover our own strengths and virtues.

The purpose of the event was to encouage people to think about relationships in the context of Ubuntu. This is a simple concept that derived in Africa but is present in all human beings if it is allowed to thrive and prosper.

Ubuntu: “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf4hP3GkABI

Recap of event:

We started the event taking some time to get know one another with icebreaker questions such as “What are you passionate about?” and “Who in your life role models a healthy relationship?” In the spirit of Ubuntu, we also kicked off a fundraiser for two hard working and talented college bound youth, Charles Simon and Ibrahim Shaheed.

We continued to break the ice with a couple of videos to show the various types of relationships and perspectives on relationships in our community. One of the video skits, “Stay in Your Lane Insurance” compared car insurance packages to relationship packages. “All car insurance companies have certain packages where you can do things and they’ll cover you for it, but they also have certain things you can’t do because it’s not a part of your package. What if keeping people in their lane was just like car insurance?” Other clips like The Cosby Show and Living Single displayed happy, fun, loving friendships and family relationships.

The conversation took off with agree/disagree statements on common phrases and ideas heard in today’s society. Participants were split on statements such as “Birds of a feather flock together.” Some believed that your friends are a representation of you, while others believed it was okay and normal to have friends that are very different and who do not share the same values.

Statements such as “Women cannot have real male friends” seemed to stump the women with many unsure of where they stood. Several men responded with “it depends.” One of the participants stated that it is difficult for women to have real male friends because there is a conflict of interest; however, if they do have “friends” of the opposite sex, it is important that your partner knows them. Other statements included “the idea of the independent woman being detrimental to healthy relationships,” and “respect has to be earned. It is not automatically given.”

We also took some time to define a healthy relationship. The group came up with the following;
Unity—Forgiveness—Spontaneity—consideration—trust—healthy—will power attitude—interdependence—sex—unconditional—unconditional—Dignity—Security—Mutual Respect—Faithfulness—Friendship—Perseverance—Loyalty—Patience—Effort—Love—Communication—Attraction—Compromise—Goals—Faith—Truth—Support—Progression—Acceptance—Respect—Confidence

Next, we had some fun performing group skits focusing on social media relationships, materialistic relationships and how our actions affect our relationships and impact on young people. The skits revealed occurrences in relationships that we have or that we have experienced, such as,arguments due to a lack of communication and understanding, and poor behavior from youth as a result of the negative behavior they’ve adopted from their family members.

All of the icebreakers, videos, and skits led up to our small group discussions. Participants were encouraged to think about the ideas they came up with on the definition of a healthy relationship throughout the discussion.

During the discussion, we were able to talk more about the comments and ideas mentioned during the icebreaker activities. We also took a deeper look at what it is that we each value in a relationship. We drew a line down the middle of a piece paper and on the left side, wrote what we valued in a relationship. On the right side, we wrote down either all of the values that showed up in our current relationships or all of the values that did not show up.

Some participants found that the majority of their values showed up in their friend relationships but not family relationships, while others found a few values that did not show up in any of their current relationships.

The discussions provided us all an opportunity to reflect on our own relationships, share thoughts, solutions and ideas.

Groups discussed some of the following challenges to developing solid relationships;
– Breakdown of family/Dysfunctional
– Trauma/Needing to heal
– Influence from negative media
– Having sex at an early age
– No rights of passage
– Lack of structure and guidance
– Culture shattered

Some of the solutions to developing healthy relationships included;
– Focus on core values
– Be self-aware w/in relationships
– Put your best foot forward
– Reality vs. Expectations
– Positive exposure
– Focus on passion-goals, heart, desires
– Have values and standards
– Be able to grow with the people you are around
– Be true to yourself and stay who you are
– Rebuild, Destroy, Rebuild
– Create systems, culture
– Vision, principles, reflection of self
– People who are aware spread the word about what you know
– Have respect for yourself and others

At the end of the event participants shared one word reflections about the event;
Think Tank—Passion—Educational–Social Media—Powerful—Value–LoGlobal (Locally, Global)—Truth—Awareness—Love—Insightful—Diversity—Compromise—Intuitive—Prosperous–A Start—Hope—Fun–Building

It is our hope that these meaningful conversations and positive energy will continue to spread. We encourage everyone to continue thinking about values and how relationships with others affect our own happiness, growth and development as well as the communities’. Think Ubuntu. Live Ubuntu.

Lastly, we (event hosts) noticed the responses to the statement “Respect should be earned it is not automatically given,” were split. We respect everyone’s opinion and belief, but we also want to encourage you to further reflect on this statement.

We believe respect comes from within. You respect yourself, then you respect others. It is not based on achievement or personality but is given because you inherently value people.

We start by treating all people well, but we may find there are some who represent ideals in life that we wish to strive for ourselves, and who we wish to honor further, or we may find there are people in life we do not wish to honor further.

For example, someone can gain even more respect by doing things such as serving on the court, getting their college degree in 4 years while working or beasting a track. On the other hand, someone can lose some of your respect by treating you and others poorly, cheating or copying others talents/work, or going against their word. However, respecting or not respecting someone’s achievements, talents, actions or attributes is a different thing. These things are not the foundation of respect.

When thinking about respect, think about Ubuntu. Remember, Ubuntu translates to “I am because you are.”

Let’s start or continue practicing Ubuntu now by reading the groups announcements;

Jamela:
Cinnamongirl, Inc. is looking for professional woman to mentor young girls of color. We are also recruiting youth ages 12-17 to join the program.
Cinnamongirl Inc. serves to empower and inspire girls of color to realize their highest personal and professional aspirations by offering leadership and self-esteem building activities, cultural enrichment opportunities and career development programs. Mentors develop relationships with the cinnamongirls, support their goals, dreams and ambitions and help lead monthly activities and empowerment dialogues.
Website: http://cinnamongirl.org/pages/program.htm
Contact me at jamelaejoseph@yahoo.com for more information

Also, I will be having a Pool Party on Saturday, July 27th. There will be food, drinks and a DJ. Please bring a $1 donation to support our youth scholarship fund. See flyer attached and feel free to contact me for the address jamelaejoseph@yahoo.com

Charles Hill:
New Style Motherlode Dance Studio-4225 Broadway Blvd. Oakland, CA 94611 Check out the website for class schedules http://www.newstylemotherlode.com/ Charles has also developed pamphlets on STDs, HIV etc. This would be a valuable resource for youth or anyone! Contact him at hcharles1234@gmail.com for more information.

Jameil Butler:
(Urgent Response Required)
East Bay College Fund’s Annual Retreat is coming up on Saturday, August 3rd at McClymonds High School in West Oakland. There are a lot of opportunities to volunteer your time and skills to make this a very powerful experience for our Scholars. Please see below about the volunteer opportunities, descriptions, and approximate times that you would be needed! Also check out our website at http://www.eastbaycollegefund.org/
1. Help with Set-Up and Registration (7:30am-9:30am) – help with putting up signs, setting up rooms, setting up breakfast, and getting Scholars registered. 2. Mock Interviewers (10:30am-12:30pm) – be a mock interviewer at one of our workshops and then share your insights and feedback with our Scholars! 3. Public Speaking Helpers (10:30am-12:30pm) – there is going to be a workshop on public speaking and we will need people to lead small groups of Scholars and help provide them with feedback. 4. Mentors for a Day (12:00pm-2:30pm) – enjoy lunch with one of our amazing Scholars and have a conversation with them about their goals and how to achieve them. 5. Career Panelists (2:30pm-4:00pm) – we may have several workshops in the afternoon that are small discussion groups with a professional from a particular field on what steps they took to get where they are today. If we do this, we would need panelists that represent Medicine, Law, Teaching, and Social Services. 6. Help with Clean-Up (3:00pm-5:00pm) – after a thorough day, your help is greatly appreciated to make sure our facility is just as beautiful as when we got there!

If you or a friend is interested in helping out in any way, please email Jameil Butler jameil@berkeley.edu as soon as possible. The strength of East Bay College Fund lies in the amazing people that support our Scholars!

Christen Brown & Maurice Neal-Creation of Society
Creation of Society is a brand that strives to promote a conscious society by leading by example and producing quality products that reiterate their world perspectives and ideological views. Their vision is to promote and grow their brand via unique clothes and wearable art equipped with social and ideological statements as well as, independent documentaries, speaking engagements and multimedia marketing resources.Check out http://creationofsociety.com/ IG: create1society

Camille Harvey-Imani Community Church
Night Walks every 3rd Friday of the month. “The Night Walk provides us with an opportunity to UNITE against violence, stand together as a community, and engage with the community around us” Check out imanicc.org and Contact the Night Walk Coordinator Sloane Noel sloanenj@gmail.com for more information

Jazmyn Hammons:
Stay tuned for more Open Mic Nights, a developing event in Burlingame
Contact: Twitter: @iflymagicarpets IG:jazzstretch

Mike Snead:
Had done research on the Harlem Children Zone and works with Elmhurst Middle School. If you’re interested in learning more about what he does and how you can get involved Contact Mike at Contact him at michaeljsnead@gmail.com

Douglas Sessions-Clouds Clothing:
A clothing line with the mission to “Live above it all. Have fun. Do what you want to do. Be what you want to be”
IG: CloudsCoverage
Contact: douglassessions@gmail.com

Alcian Lindo:
Beautiful singer looking for a website designer.
Contact: aklindo@ucdavis.edu

Mareesa Valentine:
Check out the organization Mareesa volunteers with, MISSSEY-Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth
Website: http://misssey.org/
Next Event: Family Picnic Day Fundraiser
Saturday, September 7, 2013 12-5p
Mosswood Park-3612 WEBSTER STREET OAKLAND, CA 94609
Single tickets $10
Family tickets (2 ADULTS, 2 KIDS) $20
Food: Hot dogs/links, hamburgers, veggie burgers/hot dogs and all the yummy side dishes, beverages too
Family activities: Face painting, baseball game, volley ball, water balloons, arts & crafts
Youth Open Mic

Dominique Drakeford:
2nd Annual Community Thrift Store on Tuesday, July 30th and Wednesday, July 31st 3pm-8pm at EOYDC 82nd International Blvd Oakland, CA. All items will be under $20! The sale will support EOYDC’s Pathway to College Program as well as Dominique Drakeford’s Sustainable Business Start- up Fund. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to support our community and learn about sustainable fashion.
Contact: dominquedrakeford@gmail.com

Pendarvis Harshaw-Journalist:
Check out his latest work discussing Oscar Grant and Trayvon Martin. Read, listen, email, tweet, share!
http://www.kqed.org/a/perspectives/R201307180735
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video/9100403-oakland-cleans-up-after-zimmerman-protests-turned-violent/
http://www.youthradio.org/news/coming-age-trayvon-martin-and-oscar-grant

Event Hosts:
Continue the conversation around healthy relationships and be more conscious of the way we live our life and the people we surround ourselves with. We also help everyone will continue the conversation about Trayvon Martin (Sign the wall), Oscar Grant (Go see Fruitvale Station!) and the violence taking over our community. Tentative Date for the Next Event is Sunday, September 8, 2013. Save the Date!

See you at the Pool Party!

Community Building at Mosswood Park

We had another successful potluck style community day at Mosswood Park on Saturday, April 27th. This was definitely one of my favorite events. Everyone is so often busy working, going to school, developing projects, managing businesses etc. it is important to take some time to just chill and have some fun. I felt really proud to be a part of a community of positive, smart, talented, caring, hard workng and motivated young adults from the Bay Area.

Whether someone brought food, drinks, a football, a camera, a smile, good energy or just an empty stomach, a sense of community was felt.


Let’s keep this up! Continue building relationships, networking, collaborating and supporting one another. It really is powerful!

Community Event “The Action Plan”

In 2012, we organized four community events for young adults. From the events, came great discussion and relationship building. Now we are ready for the action. We kicked off the year with “The Action Plan” event at Halftime Sports Bar where twenty five people gathered on Sunday, February 24th to begin developing action plans to implement in the community. It was a lot of fun. Check it out!

Power Through Politics

Event Recap: “Power Through Politics”

The Power Through Politics event organized by me and my friends, encouraged Quincy Cotton, 20, to register to vote.

On Sunday, October 14, 2012, Quincy and 17 others, gathered at Exhale Salon on 14th Street in downtown Oakland to learn about the 2012 Presidential Candidates and California’s 2012 ballot propositions.

Guest speaker Venus Johnson, Deputy District Attorney for Alameda County, gave a powerful presentation focusing on the struggle of African Americans to obtain voting rights and the importance of voting today. She said “it is important to know our history, to know where we come from in order to know where we are going.”

She talked about the fight for African Americans to receive equal rights once slavery ended. In 1870, the 15th Amendment stated that, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Thus, African Americans (not including women) were given the right to vote.

This all changed when Reconstruction ended in 1877. Laws and practices were put in place to make sure blacks would never again freely participate in elections, but they were unable to ban African Americans from voting with the 15th Amendment in place.

Instead, they wrote into the state constitution a number of voter restrictions making it difficult for most African Americans to register to vote. For instance, the new constitution required an annual poll tax, which voters had to pay for two years before the election and the literacy test which required a person seeking to register to vote to read a section of the state constitution and explain it to the county clerk.

In the 1950s, the civil rights developed and African Americans in the south organized to demand their rights guaranteed in the U.S. constitution. The Voting Rights Act, signed into law by President Johnson on August 6, 1965, suspended literacy and other tests in counties and states showing evidence of voter discrimination. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended the practices that denied African Americans the right to vote in Southern states.

One of the most memorable stories Venus shared, was the story of James Meredith, who was shot a few miles into his solo March Against Fear to encourage African American voter registration in 1966. Martin Luther King Jr. later came to finish the March of Fear.

Venus also discussed the struggle for women to obtain voting rights. Women were not included in the 15th amendment, so they fought for their rights through movements such as the Women’s Suffrage. Participants were also moved by the strong involvement of African American women in the Women’s Suffrage March in 1913. By August 26,1920, most women were able to vote (Georgia women could not vote until 1922)
One of the participants, Jene’ McLean, 23, had previous knowledge of African Americans’ voting history but learned new pieces of information and enjoyed reflecting on her history. “It was a huge eye opener and would really put things into perspective for those who do not see the importance of voting,” Jene’ said. “I gained more knowledge to share with African American colleagues who have expressed their lack of interest in voting.”

To lead into Venus’ discussion about President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, we challenged participants to identify quotes from both candidates. Participants got the majority of the quotes correct; however, several were incorrectly identified. This encouraged participants to not simply assume “this sounds like Obama” or “Romney would probably say something like this” but to actually do their research and learn their positions on issues that matter to them. “The information is not hidden from us,” Venus said.

We also showed videos to illustrate the media’s impact in the election, specifically through mediums such as twitter, facebook and Hip Hop. The media has the ability to easily persuade and to rapidly spread information.

Nicki Minaj for example, rapped on the track Mercy, “I’m a Republican voting for Mitt Romney/You lazy bi—-s is f—ing up the economy.” Minaj’s line went viral and appeared in headlines as “Nicki Minaj Endorses Mitt Romney.” Minaj claimed it was creative humor and sarcasm. Performers often say things in the context of their work that they do not mean literally; their fans can be easily influenced by their “creative humor.” We encouraged participants not to solely rely on social media to get information and make their decisions.

Venus then went on to provide information on both candidates and discussed their views on issues such as immigration, health care and education. Quincy, who registered to vote during the event said “Before I had no idea about any of this stuff but now I have a good idea of who I am going to vote for.” Quincy, along with myself and others still have a lot to learn. The presentation made the learning less intimidating and provided a great foundation to become engaged in the issues.
The last portion of the event focused on the propositions. As a group we discussed seven of the eleven propositions. Together we learned what the proposition were and what they would do according to the yes side and according to the no side. Participants were able to share their opinions and personal reflections on propositions that were important to them.

Alcian Lindo, 23, talked about her concern about early childhood programs and was able to learn more about proposition 38, which is a tax to fund education and early childhood programs. Each participant was given a pamphlet with information on all eleven propositions and web links to receive more information.

At the end of the event, we joined in a circle for final reflections. Participants said they felt informed, empowered and encouraged. “The event was uplifting and informative,” said Byron, 23. ‘It was like being at a young black peoples’ think tank!” We all agreed to share the information we received and to continue having these important conversations with our peers.

Please vote on Tuesday, November 6, 2012! The last day to register to vote is on Monday, October 22nd. If you would like more information from the event, please contact me at jamelaejoseph@yahoo.com.

Participant announcements:
Jazz Hudson:Check out spoken word artist Jazz in an amazing theatrical production “EMPOWER: Master of the Three Rings,” on October 27th at the Herbst Theater at 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. Doors open at 5pm, showtime at 6pm. http://soulciety.org/events/empower

Aurielle Trapps:Imani Community Church is looking for amazing talent,muscians, dancers, singers and spoken word artists to perform in their Rock the Praise event on Saturday, November 3rd at 7pm. Contact Aurielle at aurielle.trapps@yahoo.com

Ta’Darrell “T-Ran” Randolph: T-Ran and his team Life Before Time will be performing at Fresh Steps w/other local artists on Sunday, October 21st at Lukas Lounge on 2221 Broadway, Oakland. The show begins at 10pm. http://t-ranmusic.com/

Exhale Salon: 404 14th Street Oakland, CA 94612
SALON HOURS
Tuesday-Friday 9AM to 6PM
Saturday 8AM-3PM
Phone: (510)832-9900
e-mail: exhalesalon.body@yahoo.com
http://www.exhalelife.com/stylists.html

Youth and Education

Below you will find a recap of our Youth and Education Event. The recap includes the purpose of the event, what took place, solutions derived and information participants shared at the end of the event.

“Kids today are just bad,” “These young people need some guidance,” “Where are their parents?” are words frequently expressed by members of our community. If you watch the news, visit schools or pay attention to youth in the community, it’s evident why those sentiments are expressed.

Background:

However, it’s rare to hear people talking about solutions to meet our youths’ needs. It’s always easier to simply point fingers at parents and teachers and take no responsibility for the youth. The fact of the matter is along with parents and teachers, we have the ability to make a difference. Many of us would be great role models and mentors, and it’s time we take the initiative to support our youth…

Recap:
On Sunday, June 3, 2012 about 30 adults and 9 youth joined together to discuss youth and education in our community.

Some of the youth and young adults posed for a group picture after the event

First, we discussed the meaning of education. As a group we decided that education is the knowledge of self, a tool for survival, a higher level of understanding, exposure and access, and experience and growth.

Then, we performed skits in which groups were given scenarios representing the different views on our youth today. One skit showed adults viewing the youths’ behavior as “bad and ignorant,” while the other showed the adults relating to the youth and finding something positive out of their behavior. The all youth skit was one of the most interesting; they were asked to act out how they view the youth in which they simply displayed what we would call “ratchetness.”

Skit: The adults relate to the youth through dance

To help bring meaning and direction to our discussion, everyone was encouraged to remember our definition of education and the different perspectives displayed in the skits.

Next, we discussed different topics regarding youth and education. We touched on the needs of our youth, whether traditional education is still important, what are youth should be learning, how to get them excited about learning and what we could do to support them.

During the discussion, we saw how crucial it was to have youth representatives present. While adults brought up the need to start specific programs, our youth participants expressed the importance of not only starting programs but supporting them and being mentors throughout the programs. A common message shared was that we (young adults) are not too far in age from our youth. Whether they always verbalize it or not, our youth look to us for support and guidance, and we certainly have the ability make an impact.

Youth participants exchange ideas

Solutions we came up with include;

– Encourage youth to create their own craft
– Provide media literacy
– Get out and find resources (church, community centers)
– Be honest with the youth
– Create Afro Centered Curriculums
– Have more parental involvement and support systems
– Teach financial management
– Lead by example
– Make sure education is not limited to the classroom
– Leaders create alternatives to engage youth
-Teach self worth-body development workshops
– Provide support groups for youth
– Relate and empathize with youth
– Leaders utilize personal passion to connect with youth
-Teach youth about politics
– Provide culture-based education
– Use word of mouth communication in spreading knowledge

Skit: The mentor unexpectedly learns from the youth

After we discussed our solutions as a group, everyone was given an individual action plan worksheet. The idea is that we do not leave these discussions just to get together again and talk about the same thing. In order to make a real impact, we have to get out in our communities and do our part. We must have a plan of action.

So next time we think about how “bad” are youth are, we should also think about what caused them to be that way and what we can do to help, even if it’s just one, our youth need us.

We also need each other! So share, promote, support and collaborate….

Ta’Darrell “T-Ran” Randolph: hiphop4thesoul@gmail.com Twitter: @t_ranhiphop
Download T-Ran’s new single Bittersweet Poetry at http://lifebeforetime.com/
Check out T-Ran’s website tranmusic.com to stay up to date with all T-Ran’s projects.

Also, Ta’Darrell is working with 6-12 year olds at the Boys and Girls Club on High Street. Please contact him at tadarrellrandolph@yahoo.com if you are interested in volunteering.

Jesus El: jesusel03@gmail.com Twitter: @zeusdadunka
Check out Jesus’ talent at http://showtimedunk.com/

Jazmine Dailey: jazmin.dalisa@yahoo.com Twitter: @miss_dalisa
Jazmine’s dad is opening a bar called Halftime Sports Bar/Restaurant on 316 14th Street in Downtown Oakland. The expected opening date is July 27th. Jazmine is heavily involved in this project so look out for more info from her!

Ronneisha Cato: Cell: 916-420-7841 xlw08@aol.com (Contact her via cell first)
Calling African American moms! Black Women Birthing Justice is interested in your birth story in hopes to build community, to learn from one another and to challenge the obstacles that prevent black women from having empowering and healthy birth experiences.

Christen Brown: creationofsociety@gmail.com Twitter: @Create1Society
Creation of Society is a brand that strives to promote a conscious society by leading by example and producing quality products that reiterate their world perspectives and ideological views. Their vision is to promote and grow their brand via unique clothes and wearable art equipped with social and ideological statements as well as, independent documentaries, speaking engagements and multimedia marketing resources.
Visit: http://creationofsociety.com/

Megan McFarland: mmcfarland07@gmail.com
Megan is a teacher at Oakland Tech and will be the advisor of the Black Student Union for the upcoming school year. Contact her if you’re interested in collaborating.

Jesse & Amina: Jesse and Amina have their own
Twitter: @jesse_brooks and @miinameanz
Event Company called Luxury Rap. So look out for their events, especially the 90s R&B party at the Supper Club SF. Also, they’re getting married this August! Shout out to Black Love!

Charles Simon: My little cousin is looking for a job
Contact: Contact me if you know of job opportunities for high school students

Adryan: adryannnn@aol.com
Adryan is working on her brand pzymbol jewelry. xindividuals who enjoy bold pieces. She also designs custom pieces for men and women. There will be more information in months to come.

Me: Jamela@flyprogram.org Twitter: @mela_e coordinate a mentor program for a nonprofit called Fresh Lifelines for Youth. We work with youth who are on probation in Santa Clara County. We are in need of adults 21 and older who are interested in simply having fun with a youth and are committed to making a difference. We especially need males! So if you know anyone in the San Jose area who may be interested, please share this information (San Jose State students can receive internship credit)
Visit: http://flyprogram.org/

An opportunity shared w/me through one of Pendarvis’ colleagues, Macheo Payne
Oakland Freedom School will operate until July 20th. They have Harambee time every morning from 9-9:30am and are in need of community members to read aloud to the children. What a great way to kick off your morning! Contact Macheo at macheop@yahoo.com asap.

We Had a Fun FIELD Day

On Sunday, April 22nd a group of us got together for a field day at Mosswood Park. This Sunday also happened to be Earth Day; it was such a beautiful day to enjoy the outdoors. While people engaged in conversations with old friends and new associates, fed their stomachs and played games, there was a feeling of community building.

We had some old school fun playing intense games of steal the bacon and kickball. With many of us often busy with work, projects or figuring out our next move, this was a great way to simply release some energy.

In honor of Earth Day, we all made sustainable fashion pledges to do things such as purchasing organic materials, supporting local clothing designers and shopping at local thrift stores. Many also pledged to donate old clothing and some decided to immediately put their pledge into action; Jazmine Dailey was thankful to receive a few bags of donated clothing for the young ladies she works with in the community.

Additionally, to encourage people to think more about their fashion choices, we displayed sustainable fashion boards, which were created by my close friend Dominique Drakeford who is obtaining her Masters Degree in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Fashion at New York University.

It was just a solid day that everyone contributed to. Whether it was bringing kids, sharing a dish or just having good attitude, everyone made it happen. It was refreshing to do something fun and simple that led to a feeling of community. Let’s keep this up.

SAVE THE DATE for the next event on Sunday, June 3rd.

I Hosted an Event. Here’s What Happened…

“A Continuation of Black History Month: Discussing Real Issues and Developing Real Solutions”

On Sunday, March 11th, 28 young African American adults came together to discuss relationships, pop culture and education. The purpose of the event was to go beyond our private conversations with friends and 140 character tweets on twitter about issues in the Black Community. The event strived to build upon those discussions by providing a space for a fun and thought provoking dialogue among peers.

Participants came from various parts of the Bay Area, with the majority coming from Oakland. Those who arrived around 3pm were able to mix and mingle and enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres.

To start the event, we made a toast to Cory Harris (aka Ceazy), who was celebrating a Birthday. Cory led us in an ice breaker in which everyone shared what they love about being Black.

“I love our history, skin tone, unity, resilience, essence, survival, underdog position, rich culture, perseverance, style, energy and sense of family…we are strong, fun, youthful and great” participants shared.

We then went on to shout out words that made us think about a strong community.

Participants mentioned “Family, adhesive, guidance, health, independence, history, power, foundation, help, awareness, change, music, resilience, spirituality, investment, network, discipline, nature, property, tootsie roll, faith, religion, fashion, food, art, education, control, jobs, sports, Chinatown and love.”

With the Black Community as the focus of the discussion, our hope is that we would keep the words above in mind when discussing the issues and the solutions for our community.

During the relationships discussion, we watched videos, spilt into small groups and shared ideas on topics such as “Ni**as ain’t sh**t,” “The independent woman” and “How to start healthy relationships.”

Participants individually reflected on what they planned to do to develop stronger relationships with each other. A few shared their ideas of valuing honesty, being more understanding, communicating and remembering that men and women are socialized differently. Why is this even important?

My message: The only way we can build a strong black community is if we work together. Many of us self consciously work against each other. The men are talking amongst the men and the women are talking amongst the women, but we really need to continue these conversations with each other. We have been fighting each other to no benefit and our community needs us. If we don’t get it together, there will be no strong black families. Let’s get it together.

After the long, passionate relationships discussion, we focused on the affects of pop culture on our community. We watched clips of reality television, talked about real community leaders compared to entertainers “leading” our community and engaged in interactive activities in which we reflected on popular song lyrics. Although we all acknowledged the negative affects of reality tv and degrading/violent music, the majority of the participants admitted they would continue watching reality tv and listening to popular music. So what are people going to do to lessen the negative impact of pop culture?

Participants said they would…
Educate and enlighten people about music, support each others’ positive efforts, be proactive vs. reactive, think about who is funding our source of entertainment, think about what we need vs. what we like, influence people to think differently, create our own music & shows, be accountable for what we watch and listen to, have more balance in our music, make positive provocative and challenge everything.

My message: Have balance. If we want to watch trashy reality tv, let’s at least make sure we’re watching a documentary the next day or are reading a book…& the same goes for music. Most importantly, we have to then talk about it and talk about it more than we talk about the trashy shows and music. We have to share it with others, promote and support things that are positive. Someone tweeted the other day “I can speak intelligently sometimes but I choose to be ignorant on twitter (and some more stuff).” We have to change the way we think. It shouldn’t be considered a burden, not fun or not cool to speak some real stuff. Let’s make sure we don’t underestimate the power of music and television and it’s affect on the way we interact in society and the way our youth interact.

Next, we planned to discuss education but we were a little too ambitious. By the time we ended pop culture, we were almost an hour past the scheduled ending time. So we decided to save that topic for another date.

We ended the discussion with some final reflection on the night. Some of the words said were “powerful, enlightening, beautiful and encouraging.” Before we parted, everyone received the chance to share any special projects, businesses or ideas they were working on. Here is the information;

Jazmine Dailey’s father: Will be opening Halftime Sports Bar/Restaurant on 316 14th Street Downtown Oakland in Mid-April
Contact: jazmine.dalisa@yahoo.com

Jesse Byrd’s Clothing Line Oiseau:
So here’s the breakdown of it all. People can vote once a day everyday in two ways:
1) Visiting Our Voting Page Here on the competition website: http://www.getontheshelf.com/product/4528/Oiseau-Clothes

2) Texting 4528 to 383838
The top 10 companies with the most votes by April 3rd move on to the final round. There are 4,000 companies that were accepted from across the country ranging everywhere from mom-and-pop businesses to near Fortune 500 goliaths so as you can see we’re going to need all the help we can get. Folks can always post or share the video directly on their facebooks or twitter along with the text-to-vote information. The link to the video is here:

Contact: wyldcatt3@aol.com

Kristin Thompson: Imbrace Boutique (Men & Women’s Clothing-Oiseau Clothing Now in Store) Address: 3602 Grand Ave Oakland
Contact: imbraceboutique@gmail.com

Joseph Wright: Website AKHIDUZIT.com will be up soon. It will include information about Joseph’s barbering, design and poetry. His father also does photography-Email: gwp639@comcast.net Phone: (510) 534-2086
Contact: wrightjosef@gmail.com

Jazmin Hudson: Is a poet, actress, educator and mentor. Visit http://www.jazzhudson.com/ or contact her for event info.
Contact: lovejazz.jh@gmail.com

Pendarvis Harshaw: Journalist
http://ogtoldme.tumblr.com/ Check out the blog & hit him up if you know of any OGs.
Contact: OGpenn@gmail.com

Jesus El: Warriors dunk team member, world traveler, dancer and poet
http://www.showtimedunk.com/
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/11/DDBK1IIVSA.DTL
Contact: jesus@showtimedunk.com

Doug (Fresh): Clouds Clothing (Him & his boys’ clothing line)
http://www.cloudsclothingco.com/
Contact: sessionsdouglas@gmail.com

Louis Arnold: BBQ
Every Saturday we will be at the Hayward Farmers Market selling BBQ from 9am-1pm. Come out and see some of the great fresh foods, vegetables, fruit and Great BBQ with that Fantastic Arnold Sauce. We can also cater ANY event from full service to drop-off. Stay in contact with us throughout the Summer as we will be featured in many Festivals throughout Oakland and various parts of the Bay Area. Please follow us on Twitter @ArnoldSauce to also stay up to date. Contact us at ArnoldSauce@sbcglobal.net. Or (510)432-1195. Menu attached..

And from me: T-Ran’s New Mixtape: An Urban Musical http://www.mediafire.com/?bpdwz0zcwxn2927
Visuals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RqYhBuc7ks

Contact: hiphop4thesoul@gmail.com

Action to be taken for all of the great ventures of our peers above: Support, Share, Promote, Read, Listen, Vote, Purchase!

Let’s think outside the box, take care of ourselves but think bigger than just ourselves.

In community sprit,

Mela

Peace!

Co-facilitator Adryan Sterling, Host Jamela Joseph, Co-facilitator Caylen McGehee

Participants take a break from their small group discussion on relationships to pose for the camera

Participants enjoyed the different views on pop culture

Participants watch Reality TV clips during Pop Culture discussion

Participants share their personal ventures with the group

Meet some of my little ones…

All the kids loved the flash of the camera, especially Kwadjo. Kwadjo could not walk, but it certainly did not stop him from getting around. You could always find him moving around the room on his back, playing with every toy in sight. Kwadjo’s favorite activity was looking out the window at the cars driving by. Since he was unable to stand, I would pick him up to see the cars. Multiple times during the day he would look at me and say “car, car, car.” I admit that I spoiled him and would pick him up to see the cars almost every time he asked. After he watched the cars drive by, I would grab his hands and say “nantew,” which means walk in Twi. I could see in his eyes that it was difficult for him, but I continued to encourage him; I am hopeful that he will be able to walk one day!

One of my favorite kids, Fahstina, was unable to walk or even sit up. Unfortunately, she had too much fluid in her brain which caused her head to enlarge. Although she could not move much, she maintained such a great spirit; I will never forget Fahstina’s smile. Anytime I spoke to her or gave her a hug and a kiss she would light up with a smile. She didn’t really speak but as I recited numbers and the alphabet, at times I would here her trying to repeat them. While I sang and dance with the children, Fahstina would do her best to make music with the toy drums. She got along with all the children and rarely ever cried. I learned so much from Fahstina. She wasn’t able to walk, talk, or eat alone but yet she was still able to SMILE.

When I first entered the orphanage, Yahmatu was the first person to greet Stacie and I. She ran up to the both of us and grabbed Stacie’s hand; it was evident she was excited to have visitors. She was one of the oldest kids and frequently had to be taken to the hospital. When she wasn’t seeing a doctor, she was my little helper. She did not speak English, but she was the easiest to communicate with. I taught her words in English while she taught me words in Twi and of course we used hand signs to communicate as well. Yahmatu caught on to the alphabet very quickly; she was extremely intelligent. I will always remember what she said to me on my last day at the orphanage “May God bless you as you go back to your country.”

The Beginning of my Service at the Missionaries of Charity

I absolutely loved my volunteer assignment in Ghana! I was placed at the Missionaries of Charity, an orphanage started by Mother Theresa in the 1980s. The orphanage is run by Catholic Missionaries who serve children and adults affected by poverty, abandonment, and physical or mental illness. It houses 40 beds for children and 35 for adults.

According to the Catholic sisters, in Ghana, often times if a child is born with a disability, they are given away. Also, if the mother or someone in the village dies after the child is born, the child is blamed and could be given away or literally thrown away. Most of the children at the orphanage were abandoned for those reasons; however, some had parents who were unable to properly care for them but would visit from time to time.

Me and some of the children at the Missionaries of Charity

I must admit that when I first arrived at the Missionaries of Charity, I was a little nervous. I expressed interest in volunteering at an orphanage, but I did not know that the children would have disabilities. When one of the sisters showed me to the room I would be working in, I experienced an unexplainable feeling. As I entered the room all I could hear was crying, moaning and screaming. I saw children rolling around the floor because they could not walk, a little girl stuck on her side because her head was too large to move, and others strapped in seats because they could not sit up; it was a difficult sight.

There were a million thoughts running through my mind. I would have liked for someone to inform me about what I was walking into. I was caught off guard, and I only hoped I would be strong enough to do the work. Although I did not like being unprepared, my recent experiences helped me to learn to be open and flexible and a little less analytical. Furthermore, I knew I needed to be challenged and put outside of my comfort zone, so I remained calm and kept a positive attitude. After mentally and emotionally preparing, I was ready to serve.

The next morning I arrived at 7:50am and got straight to work at 8:00am. I had no idea I would be thrown right in without any instructions. There was no time to be sad for the children or nervous about interacting with them; I didn’t even have time to ask questions.

I spent the day washing dishes, hang drying clothes, playing with the kids and feeding those who could not eat on their own. The work was at times challenging, especially because the ones who could speak only knew Twi, but it was amazing how quickly I adjusted in just one day.

By the end of the day, I knew each child by name and they knew mine…well somewhat. My name was no longer Jamela. The kids referred to me as mom, ma, or bruni. I instantly connected with the children who were only yearning to be loved and cared for. I couldn’t wait to come back the next day!

My babies Fahstina and Kwadjo posing for the camera