Vol. 1 / Iss. 3 8.18.2011
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young prophe t
! Austin-Area Urban League
Young Professionals O f f i c i a l Ne w s l e t t e r
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let t e r f r o m t h e p r es. – A Call To Action –
N e x t m o n t h I w i l l h av e b e e n a
“working girl” (as in out of the college and in the real world working, not in the more suggestive sense of the word) for a year, and as I assessed these last few months, I challenged myself. How had I, as a self-proclaimed community advocate, as your YP president, used the platform of my job and the Urban League to address the ignored, inform the ignorant, enlist the passionate, and inspire the willing? Rather than expand any further, below is an excerpt from a letter I wrote this past fall, petitioning the Austin-Area Urban League Board to become the YP president, that serves as a reminder for me of why we do what we do:
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Dear AAUL Executive Board, The mission of Urban League intersects with my interests in rectifying the systemic issues that continue to plague my generation...As an Austin native I recognize the need for this resource, specifically in Austin. We have the potential to be a
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resource to young adults in college, those making the transition to the working world and to those already in the working world and ensure that Austin’s young professionals of color are not just surviving, but thriving. As a result, I believe I have the proper knowledge base and contextual grounding to contribute right away at the Urban League helping to cultivate innovative ideas and dynamic dialogue in pursuit of the Urban League’s mission and vision for the Young Professionals chapter. My father’s passion for community outreach has had a profound impact on my developing interests in social justice, policy and community service. Similarly, my maternal grandmother’s dedication to the field of education, and more specifically her commitment to students whose social, economic and cultural backgrounds are underrepresented and under-supported by institutions of learning, has helped to encourage my own interests. Recognition of social disparities has created a sound foundation for assisting the vision of the Young Professionals and ignited a strong passion to take part in similar work and I therefore would appreciate the opportunity to become the President of the Austin Area Urban League Young Professionals. I consider it an honor and look forward to serving you, the Urban League, my generation and our community. Respectably, Virginia Ashleigh Cumberbatch
So what’s your story? Join the Austin Area Urban League Young Professionals narrative. Email us at aaulyp@gmail.com to join the movement! —Virginia Cumberbatch aaulyp president
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y p fac es m e m b e r s m a k i n ’ wav e s
Tamra Cobbins
Angela Oguntala
Tamra represented the YPs at the African American Men and Boys Harvest Foundation’s annual “Aspire to be Me” fundraiser and talent show. Tamra put her sparkly personality to good use Co-MCing the event. She helped introduce the lovely native talent and keynote speaker for the evening, actor Mehcad Brooks (don’t be jealous ladies), and did a fabulous job entertaining the crowd and encouraging the young and amazing talent of the night. To see Tamra in action checkout photos at www.facebook.com/AAULY
Technology and social media expert by day and super model by night? Well she might not agree, but how could we not acknowledge the front cover fabulousity of Ms. Oguntala on this month’s issue of Tribeza. To check out the beautiful cover go to http://bit.ly/r7jqKC.
About TAMRA Day Gig: Admission Advisor
and Asst. Basketball Coach, Concordia University YP Duty: Social/Membership Co-Chair Fun Fact: Car’s name is Cletus
virginia cumberbatch
+ terri broussard Both ladies were featured in GivingCity Austin’s Connectors feature along with two other African American women. Each woman spoke on their experience living in Austin and the major issues they feel need to be addressed. To learn what the four non-profit leaders had to say about the challenges Austin faces check out this quarter’s GCAM here: http://tinyurl.com/3ngem78
(Oh, and if you missed the July issue of Tribeza check out Graham Cumberbatch’s article on life growing up in Austin here: http://tinyurl.com/3hs9wfl) About ANGELA
About VIRGINIA
Day Gig: Project Manager,
Day Gig: Coordinator of Client
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Brandi Richardson Not only is Brandi the new NUL President, but she was a huge part of making the AAULYPs happen. The former Southern Region President, Brandi helped walk the AAULYPs through their re-launch. We congratulate Brandi on a well-deserved election and look forward to serving under her. Check out Brandi’s introduction at http://www.nulyp.net/. About BRANDI Day Gig: Newly Elected
President, National Urban League YP Status: Honorary AAULYP Fun Fact: Lives in Dallas
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Services, Hahn, Texas YP Duty: President Fun Facts: Hates chocolate, loves H-E-B brand veggie chips (must try!)
YP Duty: PR Committee
member Fun Facts: Drinks a box of Topo Chico a week and speaks “not so fluent Farsi”
About TERRI Day Gig: American Heart
Association, Austin Chair / VP, Leadership Austin: Best Party Ever Fun Facts: Held wedding in Austin and Louisiana Y
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Have something to celebrate or know of YPs doing big things in the community? share with us for next issue! Email us at aaulyp@gmail.com
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health matters
—by—
/A Little Sweat Ain’t Ever Hurt Nobody D id yo u s e e t h e F i r s t
Kayak/Canoe Town Lake – Rowing Dock Boat Rentals 2418 Stratford Drive Austin, TX Phone (512) 459-0999 Everyday, 7:00am to 7:00pm
Gloria’s Restaurant 3309 Esperanza Crossing, Suite 100 Austin, TX 78758 Phone (512) 833-6400 Saturday Nights, 10:00pm to 2:00am
Lady, Michelle Obama, dancing to the music of Beyonce? Homegirl did the ‘dougie’ and demonstrated how easy and fun exercise can be for people of allages. In 2011, Michelle Obama launched Let’s Move, her second major national health initiative targeted at combating child obesity. According to information on the Let’sMove website, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly onein three children in America are overweight or obese. The numbers are even higher in African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40 percent of the children are overweight or obese. Obesity is directly linked to many chronic related health problemslike heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, which
are currently listed amongst the top tenleading causes of death for these demographic groups. Exercise, when done the right way, can help prevent disease and promote wellness for the body. On average, adults should seek a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day, which could simply translate into a nice walk around the neighborhood. Benefits of exercise include (1) stress relief and the improvement of emotional mood, (2) prevention and a natural combatant to chronic diseases, (3) helps to manage weight, (4)boosts energy levels, and (5) promotes better sleep. The life and schedule of a Young Professional can be very busy, but here are some fun ways to move your feet, stay active, and remain on the social scene around Austin!
Salsa Dancing/Lessons Speakeasy 412D Congress Ave Austin, TX Phone (512) 476-8017 Tuesday Nights, 9:00pm to 2:00am Salsa Dancing/Lessons
Dallas Swing Lessons MJ’s Lounge 5700 Middle Fiskville Rd., Suite 102 Phone (512) 451-6527 Thursday Nights, 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Team Sports (Kickball, Volleyball, etc…) Sports and Social Club Visit the website, http://www.austinssc.com Schedule Varies Y
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Christopher Howard, MBA, MPH
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stylewatch /Summer Wrap-up
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Brandy Joy Smith
S w i m w e a r h a s c o m e a l o ng way f r o m t h e d ay s o f f u l l c ov e r ag e o n e p i e c e s o u r m o t h e r s a nd
grandmothers once wore. Modesty may not be a big issue now, but fit certainly is. Let’s face it most of us can’t pull off string bikinis like a Miami super model. So what’s a girl to wear at her next pool party affair? Most currenttrends are taking a nod from the past. Check out this summer’s hottest trends in swimwear.
high-waist bottoms This little number is perfect for hiding any belly bulge and creating a smaller waist as it hits in a more faltering part of your body.
one-pieces with ruching
ruffle bikini tops Perfect for enhancing the appearance of your bust.
The ruching will help camouflage most body flaws
/ unisex trend: neons Neon made a huge comeback this year and nothing says look at me like a neon colored swim suit. Guys don’t sleep on this trend; the neon 90’s-inspired trunks are so hot this season.
retro prints Swimsuits naturally have a very sportswear feel (because they are sportswear), but throw on a retro print swimsuit and you have more fashionable option. Y
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cut-outs Super sexy with out showing it all off. Check out Austin’s own Bandita Couture Swimwear for the most seductive swim suits sporting this trend. http://banditacouture.com/
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m o n t h ly r e a d i n g l i s t Check out some great reads on community engagement, politics, the economy and young professional culture. If you have a great article to share post it on our Facebook page. http://clutchmagonline.com/2011/07/you-are-what-you-eat-do-menu-calorie-counts-change-what-you-order/ http://juantornoe.blogs.com/hispanictrending/2011/07/la-times-usage-latino-preferred-over-hispanic.html http://www.theroot.com/views/gates-meets-gates http://clutchmagonline.com/2011/07/melissa-harris-perry-breaks-down-wealth-gap-debate-on-msnbc/ http://juantornoe.blogs.com/hispanictrending/2011/07/opinion-why-do-latinos-resist-helping-other-latinos.html http://www.theroot.com/views/america-forgot-james-weldon-johnson http://www.theroot.com/views/dont-forget-blacks-deficit-struggle http://www.theroot.com/views/eight-jobs-will-stick-around Clutch Magazine: Kerry Washington, Usher, Questlove featured in Hollywood Reporter Philanthropy Issue http://tinyurl.com/3rtn56x/ http://clutchmagonline.com/2011/07/thou-shall-tweet-10-things-we-can-learn-from-twitter/ http://www.theroot.com/views/biggest-lie-about-race-it-s-real http://juantornoe.blogs.com/hispanictrending/2011/07/a-new-voice-enters-national-dialogue.html http://www.theroot.com/blogs/national-urban-league/state-black-america-getting-worse Need a break from the computer screen? Check out the LA TIMES book reading list: http://www.latimes.com/features/books/lat-summer-reading-html,0,6657508.htmlstory
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y p gu est q + a Marc Morial Talks on the National Urban League’s Pull with Obama The Urban League CEO tells The Root how the Tea Party has affected his group’s influence at the White House. — by joel dreyfuss — reposted from theroot.com
this year saying we need a jobs plan. To some extent I feel I’ve been a voice in the wilderness while people have been distracted about lots of things. Times have changed, but I really think if the Urban League did not exist, people would be thinking about how to create it. TR: Twenty, 30 years ago, the issues of African Americans were front-page news. Today they are often far less visible. Some papers don’t even print the black unemployment rate when reporting joblessness.
National Conference opens Wednesday in Boston. The 101-year-old organization’s president, Marc Morial -- a former mayor of New Orleans -- sat down with The Root in the league’s New York offices overlooking the city’s waterfront. A frank, wide-ranging conversation covered the nation’s current economic struggles as well as the Urban League’s ability to influence President Obama and Congress. “We have less impact on the ultimate course of legislation because of the Tea Party,” Morial observed. Find out what else he had to say.
MM: We’re not on the front page of the paper because in many respects, the objective of civil rights was to help African Americans achieve mainstream positioning, whether it was in the government, whether it was in the elected sphere, whether it was in the mainstream of journalism, whether it was in the corporate suites or city halls. To some extent, we’ve had a great deal of success in helping people achieve mainstream positions in American life. I spent most of my career in that sort of focused area: running a city, being in a legislature and being in a mainstream law firm. In the 1950s and ‘60s, when you thought of African-American leaders, the only thing you’d think of was outside the mainstream -- activists. What is reflected today is that black leadership is much, much broader ... The number of visible public spokespeople has really, really changed.
The Root: At a time when we have an African-American president but African Americans are bearing a heavy economic burden, what do you see as the role of the National Urban League?
TR: The information on your website is all about jobs and economic empowerment. But considering the current recession, what impact do you think you’re having on national policy?
Marc Morial: The Urban League today is as important as it’s ever been, but in a very, very different way ... We served more people in 2010 than at any time in our history. The numbers tell the story. It’s a product of the Great Recession. When times are tough, people look to us for job placement, job training, free after-school services, help staying in their homes. They look to us for our voice; we’ve been very active
MM: I thought at the beginning of the Obama administration that we had a great deal of impact on the structure and design of the stimulus [package]; we had a great deal of impact in helping the passage of health reform and bank reform. We needed a health bill. Finally we had a chance. We had a president that would put his neck out, and we put tremendous effort behind passage of that legislation, influencing Con-
T h e Nat i o na l U r b a n L e ag u e ’s
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— C on tinued from p. 5— “Tech Beats”
gress. [Take] bank reform, which includes provisions against predatory lending. We had a great deal of impact, supportive impact on the passage of legislation. What has changed, I think, is the backlash of the right. It has been very well organized, very systematized. It’s been a coherent message coming from the right in the minds of the Tea Party. You see it being played out by the [right’s] utilization of the debt [ceiling] limit to elevate a budget-cut scenario. That has changed the dynamic very dramatically in a two-year period. We’re in a bit of a defensive posture trying to protect the things that are important to us.
TR: You’re close to corporations, and you have corporate execs on your board that are sitting on trillions of dollars. They’re not spending and they’re not hiring. Why? MM: There is not demand in the economy. It’s fundamental. You will hear from some of [the execs] that it’s uncertainty about regulations and uncertainty about taxes. I fundamentally don’t buy that. I think it is a political argument. But it isn’t a political argument that a business is not going to spend if they don’t think that by expanding, they’re going to sell more goods. That’s a real argument. What businesses have done is they contracted and right-sized; they’ve shed employees and they’ve become profitable on a smaller basis. There are some strands in the business community who are not pro the president; there are some that are pro the president. I am a firm believer that there is too much ideological division intertwined with naked selfinterest. A corporate CEO or a U.S. senator has to represent a constituency: my shareholder, my base. Top-level leaders should ask a second question: What is best for the nation?
TR: Do you feel that you have less influence on the Obama administration now than two years ago? MM: We have less impact on the ultimate course of legislation because of the Tea Party; they have managed to create caution in middle-of-the-road Democrats and middle-of-theroad Republicans. They’ve been so strident. There’s a tendency by the Tea Party to overreach. That’s why you see polls shifting hard [toward compromise] underneath this budget debate. Mitch McConnell probably saw it first: “I’ve got to put something out there. I don’t want to be tied up in this scorched-earth policy.” I’m a big believer that public opinion can sway like a pendulum. We need a direct job-creating program. We need additional fiscal [stimulus] measures, whether it’s two-thirds spending and one-third some targeted tax relief. What we need to do as a nation from a strict economic policy, the political will is not there. There’s a segment of the population that [believes] the biggest threat to the future of the nation is the debt. I’m convinced the government needs a fiscal plan. I’m not convinced that debt in the short term is the biggest threat to the future of the country.
TR: What do you want to come out of your conference? MM: I want to come out with an elevated focus around jobs and an elevated understanding of our 12-point jobs plan. The second thing I want to come out of it with is the understanding that deep budget cuts are going to hurt the economy. Joel Dreyfuss is the managing editor of The Root. http://www.theroot.com/views/conversation-marc-morial?page=0,2
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bullet in events / au g u st 2 0 /
/ August 25 /
Q Live One Minority Business Seminar
For Colored Girls... UpRise! Productions + VORTEX Repertory Company
Claude W. Black Center You’re invited to the Q Live One Minority Business Seminar The seminar will address: Learning how to create an effective website. Meet potential sponsors for your events. Learn new marketing ideas through Radio & Television advertising. Learn how and where to apply for grants for your business. Admission is FREE! http://www.qliveone.com/seminar
UpRise! Productions and VORTEX Repertory Company present a vibrant new production of Ntozake Shange’s award-winning play, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. This choreopoem ode to contemporary women inspired a new genre in American theatre in the 1970’s and went on to inspire a hit film in 2010. http://www.vortexrep.org
/ august 23 / The New Philanthropists: Fundraising with Diverse Popluations Join the Austin Community Foundation as they host Armando Rayo and a expert panel for a Engage 501- Multicultural Philanthropy Session. Learn and share your opinions about philanthropy and non profit and its relationship to diversity and multiculturalism. Visit austincommunityfoundation.org for more info. http://tinyurl.com/3wfsxxf
/ au g u st 2 6 /
/ au g u st- th ursday s /
/ august 20-27 /
/ se pt emb er 10 /
2011 Texas LEAD
Neo-Soul Lounge
Austin Fashion Week
The 2011 Texas LEAD is designed with YOU in mind. If you are a student, a corporate decision-maker, or a business owner, you can now TAKE CHARGE of the NEW DECADE in your career through powerful presentations and workshops. Connect with diverse business leaders of Austin, learn key success factors, build your brand, and increase your visibility.
AAULYP Education / College Prep Seminar
The 11th Street Station Restaurant and Bar will host a NeoSoul Lounge every Thursday from 9-Midnight. Come listen to cool sounds of Austin and if your looking for an opportunity to display your talents, hop on stage for the open mic showcasing music and poetry.
Fashionistas are revving up for Austin Fashion Week, which will kick off Aug. 20 at a party at the Cowboy Harley-Davidson of Austin showroom on I-35. Launched in 2009, Austin Fashion Week is intended to cultivate the city’s burgeoning fashion scene and recognize the work of designers based here. Last year, more than 12,000 people attended various fashion week events. Get your fashion swag on, discover a new designer and support the Texas fashion scene!
http://www.southflavas.com/
www.texaslead.com/index.htm
Have an event to promote? Want the YPs to get involved?
http://fashionweekaustin.com/
To make a post in the next Young Prophet (Sept.) submit your request(s) to:vacumberbatch@gmail.com
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The YPs are hosting the first part of a 3 part series to help Austin’s Juniors, Seniors and their parents learn how to prepare for the college experience. From SAT testing, to the application process and how to pay for college, the YPS want to be a resource of information, guidance and support. If you have expertise in any of these fields or have a passion for our youth contact the YP Political/Education chair Ricardo Zavala. ryde008@yahoo.com
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spec ial event
34th Annual e q ual oppo r t u n i t y d a y g ala
Y Ps , come hel p the Au stin-Area U rban Leag ue celebrate its 34th Annual Equal Opportunity Day Ga la . This amazing event helps raise money for the Urban League mission, encourages students with scholarships, honors deserving community advocates and brings us all together for a night of reflection and inspiration. This year the YPs will take part in the event and hope to have a table full of YPs. Hurry and go purchase your tickets. Use the code YPNOW and you’ll receive a $35 discount on your ticket for being a YP! For more information and to purchase tickets go to http://2011eod.eventbrite.com/ Additionally if you know companies/people deserving of the following honors, please send in your nomination to Olivia Hailson at Olivia_Hailson@aaul.org Corporation of the Year Award request for nominees The winner should meet the following criteria: · Proven to be a valued· friend of the AAUL · Volunteered their time to the AAUL · Provided their talent to the programs or initiatives of the AAUL · Provided financial support to enhance the mission of the AAUL Whitney M Young, Jr. Award request for nominees Do you know someone who: · Is dedicated to the fight for equality? · Has built bridges between youth and adults? · Demonstrates commitment to community service? · Has helped create opportunities for disadvantaged individuals in the following areas: Employment, Job Training, Housing, Politics, Education?
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