I AM DEBORAH!!

Docs & Dialogue Update

Wow, what an exciting week! I started off the week with a very productive planning meeting for the kick off event of Docs & Dialogue! Everything is flowing so smoothly, that I am certain the kick-off will be a So Fresh Saturday!!

We are working on booking the youth artist and leaders to perform and moderate the session, which we hope will inspire all the attendees. We will be at the beautiful Perry Mansion Cultural Center in Englewood viewing Hip Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes. Everyday, I see Englewood reshaping its image to a place of culture, art, peace, & opportunity.

Kusanya Cafe

I recently attended a coffee & cake benefit for a new cafe set to open in the fall of 2010 in Englewood on 69th & Halsted. Yes, 69th & Halsted...I am so glad I am not the only who see the unlimited potential of this community...It will be considered the Brooklyn of Chicago in due time. Click here to learn about the Kusanya Cafe

I AM DEBORAH MOVEMENT

I received an email about the Deborah Movement from the Black Star Project on Monday. Basically, the Deborah Movement is modeled after the biblical Deborah the Prophetess (Judges 4:8-9), who was a woman honored for her wisdom, leadership and winning great battles for the Lord.


The Deborah Movement has surfaced current day as a response to the senseless killings, underfunded schools, lack of jobs, lack of aldermanic involvement and all around blighted communities. The only true way to revitalize a community as a whole is to involve every segment of the community. I was honored to be considered as a leader of such an empowering movement.


We met briefly yesterday to talk about the purpose then about 40 of us walked to the 35th & Michigan police station. It was a magical moment. I am truly looking forward to this movement becoming a national movement where we women are standing up to combat the senseless violence in the communities...This movement is will break barriers & become a model that others can follow...I am ready to take action & keep it moving, so stay tune for more...


Our Mission Statement:
"To activate, engage and enlighten the masses by practicing the daily living habits in order to improve the quality of life in our communities and our world, wherever we exist." The Deborah movement is the blueprint for what communities should look like, feel like, be like, behave like and MOVE like..."I will surely go with you!"


Here is the news coverage about the events yesterday: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=7412523


I AM DEBORAH & I WILL PROTECT MY COMMUNITY..."Will you go with me? I will surely go with you..."

Docs & Dialogue / Robeson High School

I guess I thought that I can keep up with the blog and handle the 50 things I am currently juggling on my plate...WRONG!! I see the blog may have to be a weekly report or updated when I feel like expressing myself.

Docs & Dialogue a Success!
First thing first, the Docs & Dialogue pre-screening held Saturday at Hamilton Park was very well received by the attendees! We screen 4 docs and the audience provided very informative feedback that will assist the launch team in moving forward! SAVE THE DATE the kick-off is May 15th!!

My Experience as a Mentor at Robeson
I recently sign on to be a mentor at Robeson High School, because for 1 its my neighborhood H.S. and 2 it is in need of alot of help. So mentoring the students is one of many of my contribution to my community.

Well, I was assigned to 2 mentees after the first week of use choosing our mentees, 1 of my mentees were kicked out of Robeson in Feb. for not having enough credits. I tried to get a clear explanation to how Robeson is determining who goes or who stays...still not unclear how this process works. So I connected and bonded with my other mentee and we talk quit frequently. I attended our "village night" where all the mentors/mentee hang out for few hours and was told my other mentee was too kicked out due to low credits.

My question is how does a High School kicked out students when there is less than 2 months to go of school? These are seniors who are enrolled in night school, involved in a mentor program and just like that they are booted! They truly are treating our children like they have cell numbers with no consideration to their future. Its sad...however, I am running for LSC at Robeson and at Banneker so hopefully I will have some answers to my questions, soon!

Day 1...

So I guess as a new blogger, I can recap the events of the day or post something before heading to dreamland...Day 1 of being a blogger was quite liberating to say the least! Being able to speak my mind to this "virtual" world regardless of who is listening is kind of cool...

If you want to catch up with me in the "real" world I will be attending the following "civic" meetings this week...Oh yeah as a FYI I do not like meetings...I like ACTION!!

Anyway, here is quick schedule for the week

Tuesday-Education Taskforce Meeting at KKC -5:30pm-7pm
Wednesday-Englewood Community Cultural Planning Council at Hamilton Park Cultural Center-5pm-7pm
Thursday-Village Mentor Night at Robeson High School (Hubby Bday)& Maybe Harlem Globetrotters Game?? 4pm-7pm
Friday-Greater Englewood Coalition Meeting 5:30pm-7pm
Saturday-Docs & Dialogue Pre-Screening Event at Hamilton Park Cultural Center-1pm-4pm

Yep....its a busy yet fulfilling week ahead and I intend to enjoy every bit of it!

Until next time...TAKE ACTION!!

Village of Englewood Stand Up & TAKE ACTION!!

If you know me, I am all about organizing and TAKING ACTION!! So here is a call to action for residents in the Englewood Community.

First things first:

1. Are you a resident of Englewood?
2. Are you ready to join forces with other residents to combat the violence in our community?
3. Are you tired of folks complaining and not taking ACTION?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, join us as we develop the “Village of Englewood”. An alliance of residents of the Greater Englewood Community, who are empowered, organized & ready to TAKE ACTION in order to create a peaceful community. We will work together to develop immediate and long term ACTION plans for the “Village of Englewood” in order to...

Empower our youth
Enrich our health
Assure our communities are safe
Demand adequate education in our schools
Protect and provide services to our seniors
Promote job sustainability and economic development

TAKE ACTION & contact me today at 773-744-8849, its work to be done!!

ACT NOW Symposium

As we know, quality education is essential in our communities, however, what happens if your community do not have quality educational systems in place.

Then the students depend on quality after school programs that promote academics, team building skills, cultural experiences, etc. Well, ACT NOW is a campaign that is in support of SB 3543 and HB 1826. This bill is asking for the commitment from the State of Illinois, to create a system of after school programs that will enhance every young person's chance for success in life.

Right now only 30% of students have access to a after school programs and some of these are not even quality programs. Through this legislation these programs will now need to be held accountable and will be evaluated to determine its "measurable outcomes".

There are tons of agencies in Englewood doing after school programs but unfortunately this may only mean playing a few games until their parents pick them up...Our children need a little more in order to truly be successful throughout their adolescent and teens years.

Support this bill by sending your state rep a letter to implement this must needed bill, link here for ACT NOW resources: http://actnowillinois.org/takeaction.html