Huami Magazine Cleveland May/June 2022

CLEVELAND

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May/June 2022 Volume 1 Issue 8

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Where The Heart Is Catering & Events Cleveland - May/June 2022

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There AreWish, No If,But Ands, Buts About It! We May GodOr Has A Plan There No If, Ands, Or Buts About It! A Letter From Are The Editor A Letter from the Editor

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EvenI in my lowest God has prepared withwhen being when to beI arrogant. quiet, because path to higher ground for me. And even choose to follow my someone may get it confused own way, He redirects.

Make youarrogant. tomorrow with being happen today, butlife, most I strive to live a better a life importantly make it count.

Make youtotomorrow that is connected God through Life and is but a whisper and happen today, buta most obedience grasping better we mustofput ourselves in a importantly make count. understanding what Heitdesires position to hear what it Life is but a whisper and for me. I admit that I don’t haveis all telling us.put we must ourselvesI in a the answers, and sometimes make position to hear what it is mistakes. It’s good to know that even when I telling get offus. track in life, God’s love Terry L. Watson never changes.

www.huamimagazine.com Editor In Chief

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November/December 2014

On The Cover

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CONTENTS

CLEVELAND

MAY/JUNE 2022

Beacon Hill Community Services

Pamela Williams

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Innate Success

Shmeka Gibson

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M.A.D.E.

Keyon Smith

On The Cover

Where The Heart Is

Veronica and Jerome Henry

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Soaring To The Top

Trooper Shawn Harvin

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Huami Magazine Cutest Baby

Marrel Gravely Foushee

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Also Featured

Artega Stamps Introducing Mrs. Arkansas International 2022.

Little Rock, AR

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Delvin Sullivan He is on a mission to educate the youth about the importance of financial literacy.

Huntsville, AL

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Dr. Schenita Randolph She has partnered with community leaders to bring awareness to issues that affect Black Americans.

Greensboro, NC

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Where The Heart Is Catering & Events

By Terry L. Watson - Photos Provided by Veronica Henry Veronica and Jerome Henry of Cleveland, OH are genuine representatives of what love, hard work, and dedication look like. Their union of 14 years has produced several successful businesses and many beautiful memories. Still, they admit that none of what they’ve accomplished outweighs their desire to serve others.

Veronica and Jerome are the owners of Where The Heart Is Catering and Events and Where The Heart Is A New You. Their catering business is a full-service offsite catering company that caters to all types of events such as weddings, birthdays, retirement parties, baby showers, school, and corporate events. They offer everything from food to full-blown decorations, including Table Linens, Centerpieces, Wall Monograms, 360 and Selfie Photo Booths. They also have flexible setup options from Full Service, Presentation Setup, and Drop Offs.

While Veronica focuses on the food side and decor design side of their business, Jerome works tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure every aspect is executed and carried out with perfection and excellence.

Born and raised in the inner city of Cleveland, particularly in the Collinwood community, Veronica discovered her passion for cooking at a very young age. She recalls working alongside her mother in the kitchen. Her father worked second shift at Ford Motor Company, and Veronica would prepare him food and put it in the oven until he came home.

She says, “I remember sleeping light and listening for his key in the lock, and then I would go running to the kitchen to get his food out for him to eat dinner. I would sit there with my hands on my cheek, smiling and waiting for him to eat the meal I had designed for him. My father would eat the whole plate as I sat there and watched him.”

The dish she created for her father consisted of ground beef, elbow pasta, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce.

Veronica poured her heart into that meal and said it felt great to cook for her father.

However, she would find out years later that her father didn’t like ground beef. It didn’t matter, Veronica said, because “My father was truly a girl’s dad, My hero and food taster.”

Where The Heart Is A New You provides corporate in-service and training for companies and individuals that want to offer their clients a new method of treating and caring for people. They offer lessons on receiving people with warmth and how to maintain a professional presence. Their clients are those who are committed to personal development and self-improvement and who are engaged in the constant pursuit of excellence.

Jerome is also a native of Cleveland.

He is an experienced Service Recovery Specialist and has over 25 years of experience. He has always possessed leadership qualities, many of which appear while he conducts business. He is complimented often for his level of professionalism and genuineness. He is known for leaving lasting impressions on his clients and providing valuable tools and information for them to reference in personal and professional arenas. He says, “When a person lives true to who they are, it makes it easier to help and leave lasting impressions. This is the way of light, and we are light. Be the light that you are.”

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After graduating from high school, Veronica attended the University of Akron and studied Criminal Justice Technical Education. During this time she had an apartment and would prepare meals for her friends, such as Barbecue Neck Bones, Fried Pork Chops, Fried Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Yams, Greens, Pinto Beans, Corn Bread, and more. “All you had to do was tell me that you were hungry, “ she says. Veronica’s apartment was that apartment where people on campus knew they could always come and get a meal.

After graduating from The University of Akron, she landed a job working for Cleveland Municipal School District as a Learning Disability Tutor for 12 years.

After leaving there, she worked a few other jobs in the same field but soon decided that she really wanted to do something else more fulfilling. “I knew it was something more profound on the inside, drawing me to cooking and entertaining on a different level,” Veronica says. So, in 2010, she decided to start a catering company. In 2012, she enrolled in Culinary School at Cuyahoga Community College and perfected her craft.

Veronica says when God gave her the vision to start the catering company, she asked Him what she should name the company. “I heard Where The Heart Is. I was told that name would be the umbrella for many companies,” she says. “In 2013 we changed the name from Where The Heart Is Catering to Where The Heart Is Catering & Events.”

Veronica said their company, Where The Heart Is A New You, is birthed out of a desire to help people tap into the true essence of who they are by loving and accepting themselves. Their focus is also on assisting and teaching good customer service skills and using your inner voice to pursue the business you have always wanted.

While the official starting date for Where The Heart Is A New You is October of 2021, Jerome says the company services came to him in 2006. “My wife and I wanted to have a community and peoplefocused aspect to our catering and event décor. We wanted to emphasize customer service and people treatment,” he says.

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Since its inception, Where The Heart Is A New You has been able to keep the product highly potent and consistent and keep the subject of people treatment interesting. “Maintaining the integrity of our product has meant making hard decisions on what business to pass on and structuring the work so that it produces the same high-quality outcomes,” Jerome says.

Veronica says she is inspired by Jerome’s encouragement and support. “He’s my biggest supporter and loudest cheerleader.

It’s nice to have a Booster Club in the audience when you’re moving off pure vision and determination,” she says. She is also inspired by her brother William, who she says reminds her “Presentation Is Everything”, a motto she has spoken since the beginning of her business journey. She also shares that running a business can have its challenges and says her biggest challenge is to remember the answer is inside of her, and she must be willing to go inside.

Pictured with Veronica & Jerome (left to right) are Tiera Patillar, Aisha Tate and Sharrell Pointer These are some of the faces behind the excellence of Where The Heart Is Catering & Events

Their advice to up-and-coming Chefs, Caterers, or Event Designers is to know your worth and never devalue what you do and offer. “Know the signs when it’s time to walk away from the deal. Most importantly, know that it’s ok to walk away from the deal,” she says.

In the future, Veronica and Jerome plan for Where The Heart Is Catering & Events to offer a one-stop shop, state of the art event venue that can accommodate four events of 250 people at the same time. “We are writing our vision and making it plain,” they shared. To learn more about Veronica and Jerome, and Where The Heart Is Catering & Events, and Where The Heart Is A New You, please visit their website. h

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wheretheheartis.anewyou@gmail.com 216-313-0390 216-322-7641

www.wthicateringandevents.com 216-322-7641

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Mrs. Arkansas International 2022

By Monica Montgomery Cover Photo by Brittany Grant Stage Photos Provided by Jenny Waldon

Beauty pageants…. As you read that, what came to mind? In our politically correct climate, most people dare not say. We can admit that for “pageant women,” beauty is a way of life.

Atlantic City hosted the first Miss. America pageant in 1921. Pageantry has changed in the 102 years since bathing suit beauties took that inaugural walk down the boardwalk of Atlantic City, but not by much.

Even all these years later, the image of beauty pageant contestants is burned in the minds of every little girl. Tall, thin, gorgeous, and, let’s be honest, most of the time white.

In March of 2022, Arkansas crowned Arteja Stamps as its first African American Mrs. Arkansas International. This tremendous honor is no small feat, but Arteja, who has only been competing in pageantry for two years, says she was determined to take the crown because “I believe I’ve been called to be an advocate for those whose voices need to be heard. So, I use my crown as an elevated microphone.”

Arteja was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.

After marrying her high school sweetheart, she relocated to Saline County, Arkansas, in 2004. She and her husband, Jason Stamps, have made a life and a home for themselves and their two daughters Sasha, seventeen, and Sahara, fourteen.

“There was some adjusting that had to be done in the beginning. Arkansas, specifically the area we live in, is very different from Chicago. But now I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” Arteja explained.

One of the significant differences Arteja says she has become accustomed to is being in the minority.

According to the 2020 census, the racial makeup of Saline County is 87.9% White, 8.4% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.60% from two or more races. 5.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race (U.S. Census Bureau quickfacts: United States 2020).

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Photo Provided by Jazmyn Davis

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“Everyone knows all the black families in my town.

That’s just how few of us there are here,” Arteja says with a laugh. “I don’t have a problem with that. My issue is that, for some reason, we are treated as if we don’t have a say in what happens in our local community. As a citizen and a parent, there are questions that I believe need answers, but those answers aren’t readily available to me and people who look like me,” Arteja goes on to explain.

Why you might ask, would this thirty-eight-year-old professional, wife, and mother of two teens decide to enter the pageant world?

“Because I needed to make a statement, and I needed to be heard. In a world where social media is raising our daughters to think that beauty only looks one way, I wanted to set the standard for my girls. I wanted them and other young women out there to know that they can be their authentic selves, no matter what others think of them,” Arteja said confidently. “The other reason was that no matter what we think of pageantry, it opens doors.”

Arteja is passionate about helping the underserved.

The way she’s doing that is with the F.A.C.S. foundation.

F.A.C.S. stands for Fight Against Childhood Starvation. This program was officially birthed in 2018. The need came to her attention when she noticed food going missing from her pantry.

“I would have just gone to the grocery store, and things would be missing. I finally asked my youngest daughter Sasha what she was doing with a family pack of Oreos and a big bag of Cheetos. She broke down and told me that she wasn’t eating them herself. She said her classmates didn’t always have snacks at school, so she would share the food with them at lunchtime. I felt so bad,” she said. “We started by connecting with the school and providing snacks for the kids, and things grew from there.”

Today F.A.C.S. has four projects to help those who need a “little help sometimes.” Project 1: Project Feed a Family: This project is intended to help provide food during the Thanksgiving holiday. Project 2: Christmas Spirit – This project helps provide gifts and a little Christmas cheer to families in need. Project 3: SOS – This project helps people behind with their utilities. Project 4: Project Lifeline – This project is intended to assist families with small but essential monetary assistance—examples: Gas money, lunch money for children, or a Day Care bill.

Arteja, whose profession is as a training manager, began to see gaps in support for and information for people of color in her area, and she wanted to do something about it.

“Before I became Miss. Arkansas International, I campaigned for Ward 3 Aldermen in the city of Benton,” Arteja explained. “I knew going in that there was no way I would win, but my reason for running was again for my daughters. They needed to know that they have a voice, and if they don’t advocate for themselves and see things through, they give that up. The powers that be in this area needed to know that black women vote too, and despite popular belief, we will show up for the race!” she said with

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great conviction. “I wanted to shake up the status quo.

I wasn’t trying to flip the table over; I just wanted to give it a good shake.”

Never having participated in pageantry before, Arteja decided in 2019 that a state title would give voice to her plight and that of so many others. Confidence, conviction, and ambition pushed Arteja to give it all she had while being realistic about the challenges she would face.

Although the world of pageantry has come a long way, the worldview of what is considered beautiful still has some evolving to do. The pressure for the average woman to be seen as beautiful is heavy, but when the job title you are aiming for literally has the words “beauty queen” in it, the pressure to achieve can be soul-crushing. Arteja’s message to young women in the industry is simple. You have to be enough without the crown to bear its weight.

“I tell people all the time I am in no way a ‘pageant girl.’ My daughters started competing at the same time as I did, but we each had our own reasons. I had to make sure they were secure in who they were before they started because it can be a lot. I am honored to say that my daughters are also title holders in their categories. That said, I am not a pageant mom.

Pageantry is very political, and if you are not careful, it will change you.”

do. I preach self-love, advocacy, and being your authentic self.

I would be a hypocrite if I allowed myself to be presented as anyone but me.”

As a wife and mother, Arteja is very protective of how she is portrayed in the media. Plunging necklines and airbrushed cheekbones were not going to work for her. Arteja knew that for her to be successful, she had to be the one who controlled her narrative.

“I tell people I was a queen before the crown,” she explains.

“I’m a smooth two-hundred-five pounds and loving it!” Arteja exclaimed, flashing bright eyes and a genuine smile. “I’m not going on a diet or changing a thing about myself. This is the Arteja who won because the judges called me ‘a breath of fresh air.’ You may be surprised how many women are willing to trade their moral compass for a crown.”

Arteja says that although she doesn’t plan to compete anymore, she still plans to take part in the world of pageantry.

“As an advocate, I am always thinking about the young

There are two major systems in pageantry. There is Arkansas America, which leads to Miss America, and there is Mrs. Arkansas International. “I attempted Miss America, but I always landed in the top ten. I felt like Arkansas America wasn’t looking for an African American queen right now. They were looking for someone who is the polar opposite of me. So I went to the international system,” Arteja explained. Her wisdom paid off.

As Mrs. Arkansas International, Arteja now has the eyes and ears of people should couldn’t have reached on her own.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity because I was having a hard time getting support for my foundation before. Now everyone can hear me,” she said, laughing.

“I made it clear to the judges and anyone who would listen that I was not there to win a pageant. I was there to get the word out about childhood starvation in our local communities. I was there to bring attention to the racial divide in the Arkansas pageant system. I was there to show my daughters and all the little girls watching that beauty is not one size fits all. I now have a way to get my words out. It just so happens to have come with a sash and a crown.”

Arteja admits that her “brand” of beauty was not readily accepted even after she won the crown. An incident with a photo-shopped picture caused Arteja to draw a line in the sand. “As I said, if you are not careful, this industry can change you. They will try to recreate you in their image, and that is something I refuse to

women who will come after me. So I’ve created my own pageant system, called Miss Arkansas F.A.C.S. The age categories are 0-75. My goal is to continue to bring attention to the F.A.C.S. foundation while doing my part to encourage and uplift all women in the world of pageantry.”

The future is bright for Arteja and her family. After her year as Mrs. Arkansas International, we may see her name on the school board election ballot. The possibilities for a queen and those who embrace their authentic selves are endless. h

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Public Service: A Path to Destiny

By Monica Montgomery Photos Provided by Tory Bass Photography

Whether it’s in his church, his local community, or as a North Carolina State Trooper, Master Trooper Shawn Harvin’s commitment to public service shows in a big way.

As a young man, Shawn knew he was destined to help others. His question was, how would that look? Born and raised in Greensboro, N.C., Shawn attended James B. Dudley High school. When Shawn was a student, the student population was predominantly black. As a student, Shawn believes he and his classmates weren’t given the support needed to explore their career options post-high school.

“I always knew I wanted to work in some public service area, but I had no idea of how to get started or who to talk to,” Shawn explained.

“Our school counselors weren’t effectively guiding us in the area of career development when I was in school.”

Although grateful for his education, Shawn admits that African American students were not being prepared and informed in the same way their counterparts were. When Greensboro’s first black Police Chief, Sylvester Daughtry, visited Dudley high school, Shawn’s vision of the future began to take shape.

“It just happened that when I was trying to figure out what public service looked like for me and where to start, I was given a little divine help. The first black chief of police, Sylvester Daughtry, came and spoke at our school. I was impressed and excited. This was someone who looked like me, and there he was, the chief of police. As a young black male, it said that if he could do it, I could do it too. That was a very important moment for me.” Shawn admits as he looks back that his excitement faltered when the realities of life hit.

“I wish we would have had what students today have in the way of counselors and mentors. We needed people willing to expose us to all that life had to offer beyond high school. That way, I could have had a clear plan of what I wanted to do. What we got instead was the pressure to graduate. It was all they focused on, ‘get out of school, get out of school,’ and that’s what I did. Without knowing what my next steps should have been, my dreams were just dreams. My reality was I needed to earn money to live.”

After graduating from high school in 1992, Shawn says he worked a few small jobs. When first daughter Jonquil Smith was born, Shawn knew it was time to get serious. His serious first job was with Cone Mill in Greensboro, N.C. “I was just happy to have a steady paycheck at that point. I had a new set of adult responsibilities, and they couldn’t wait for me to figure out the future. Having children has a way of making you grow up fast,” Shawn shared.

Shawn worked at the mill for three to four years, but just as he was becoming complacent, he was reminded that life had more to offer, and so did he. “It was a good job, with great benefits, and I was making decent money, allowing me to take care of my daughter. But I wasn’t following my passion for public service,” Shawn confessed. “My mom didn’t want me to settle, and she would regularly remind me that working at the mill for the rest of my life what not it. That was not a career; it was just a job. Her wisdom helped get me back on track.”

Holding tight to his dreams and his mother’s words of wisdom in his ear, Shawn explored different avenues that led to the path he was meant to follow. While at Cone Mills, Shawn joined the in-house fire brigade. It was just the spark he needed to pursue the destiny he believed awaited him. “I applied to the Greensboro Fire Department several times but kept getting denied. Then a friend told me about the BLET (Basic Law Enforcement Training) program. Becoming a firefighter was my first choice, but law enforcement was also a way that I could serve my community, so I went for it.”

On the advice of his friend Shawn, sponsored by A&T State University, he took the BLET course at Rockingham Community College.

According to the North Carolina States Attorney’s website, The Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) Curriculum is designed to prepare entry-level individuals with the cognitive and physical skills needed to become certified law enforcement officers in North Carolina (NC DOJ, Basic law enforcement training 2019).

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“From the moment I started as a police officer, I knew it was for me,” Shawn explains with a big smile. “Sure, there were many other public service jobs out there, but I was hooked after my first taste of law enforcement.”

Not every member of Shawn’s family was as sure about the path he had taken, but still supportive. “My mother was worried about me becoming a police officer initially. She tried to get me to look into a position at the post office and everything. My father was a stonemason, and my brother worked construction, so this was totally different.”

Although Shawn met his wife at A&T, they lost touch after he left.

They reconnected in at the end of 2002 and were married in June of 2005. From the start of his journey, the love and support of his family are what has kept him going.

“My wife and my daughters are everything to me. I am a man of faith, and it matters to have a praying wife to cover you every time you step out the door. In law enforcement, nine times out of ten, we see the worst of the worst. Death, tragedy, and people at their absolute worst and it’s hard. So, you have to have, in my opinion, a strong faith in God and the support of a loving family. Without those, I don’t think I would be sane.”

After completing the BLET, Shawn started his career as a law enforcement officer on the campus of A&T State University in 1995. “I was grateful for my job at the mill, but I knew I had to do something to build a future for myself and my daughter. Taking the BLET was a step in the right direction,” Shawn explained.

It’s been said that when you are on the right path for your life, you will find everything you need for the journey along the way. While working at A&T State, Shawn first met his wife, Keffney, a student at the University at the time. Years later, they would meet again and marry, but she says she knew that he was her husband from the first moment they met.

Once Shawn started in law enforcement, he knew that education was the way to move forward. While working at A&T as a law enforcement officer, Shawn went to school at Guilford Technical Community College, where he earned his associate’s degree in Criminal Justice Security in 1998. He received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Homeland Security from Liberty University in 2016, and his master’s in Criminal Justice with a minor in Homeland Security from Cumberland University, Kentucky, in 2018.

“In high school, all I wanted to do was get out. When I worked at the mill, I learned that I wouldn’t get far with only a high school diploma. Once I started at A&T, I set my sights on what would move me forward in my chosen career path… more education.”

As Shawn continued to study, he took advantage of opportunities along his path. In 2000, Shawn left A&T and started at the Thomasville Police Department in Thomasville, N.C. After a year there, Shawn went to the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

In 2002, the law enforcement side of the NC DMV merged with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Shawn officially became a trooper in 2006.

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Shawn and his family find themselves walking a fine line in the recent clash between civilians and law enforcement. It is hard to celebrate him as an officer when there seems to always be a negative connotation around that uniform. As a black male and a law enforcement officer, you would think he would struggle between the two worlds. Shawn’s perspective is this… “You have to know what you are out there for. My job is to serve the people, even those who don’t want me to. I still have to and want to help them. I treat every situation and individual with respect because that is what we all deserve. It can be difficult at times because I still have young daughters who hear negative things at school or in the neighborhood. That’s why we talk with our children and we communicate regularly. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that my children know who their father is and that I love them.” He also said his family can’t wear any paraphernalia outside of the home in fear of putting us in harm’s way.

As Master Trooper Shawn Harvin walks his destiny path, he continues to honor God, himself, his family, and people have noticed. Shawn received the North Carolina 2021 State Trooper of the year award and has been featured on Fox 8 News “Highlighting Heroes.” Shawn works with several community service groups, including his church, True Salvation Christian Fellowship, and the Masons. He is a certified EMS for Guildford County, and he teaches law enforcement at several local community colleges.

It’s clear that Shawn loves what he does, but he is realistic about the future. “I’m forty-nine years old, soon to be fifty. I know I won’t be able to do what I do and keep up this pace forever, but I will do whatever I can to make a difference while I can. When I retire, I will focus on my other passion, photography.”

Like with every other thing Shawn puts his hands to, he is no slouch as a photographer either. His photos have been featured on the Food Network channel, Essence Magazine, and MunaLuci Bride Magazine.

Some of his pictures will also be featured at Massanutten Ski Lodge Resort.

“I want to build something for my daughters. Something they can be proud of and that will help carry them forward. Something that will help them as they discover their path to destiny.” h

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The HEEAT Research Lab 22

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By Ellen Richardson Photos Provided by Still Shots Photography

Over the last few years, there has been a heightened awareness of the health inequities that exist in the African American/Black community as well as the impact that racism has on health outcomes. These inequities and racism, however, are not new and have shown to have a profound and negative impact on Black Americans. A group of advocates throughout the Triad and the Research Triangle areas of North Carolina are addressing health disparities through equity, engagement, advocacy, and trust. Led by Nurse Scientist and researcher Dr. Schenita Randolph, The HEEAT Research Lab is committed to finding solutions and ensuring the improved health of the Black community, specifically in the areas of sexual health and HIV. “The addressing Health Disparities through Engagement, Equity, Advocacy, and Trust Research (HEEAT) Lab was established alongside fellow researchers, nurses and clinicians, entrepreneurs, and community members dedicated to addressing health inequities within the Black community,” said Randolph.

“We highlight the significant role of Fathers in promoting adolescent male sexual health, while recognizing the impact that experiences of racism and discrimination have had and continue to have on Black males health and health outcomes.” Randolph also shared that the Centers for Disease Control has identified racism as a serious threat to the public’s health.

As a nurse for over 25 years, Randolph has always had a heart for educating young Black males and females, primarily due to the disparities in health, specifically for sexually transmitted infections and HIV. “Before working on the academic side of healthcare, I was a public health nurse. I saw young males and females coming in for HIV and other sexual health screenings. I also understand as a Black woman how race and gender discrimination impacts health care delivery and outcomes,” she said. “Witnessing all of this, I made it my mission to do what I can to address health inequities within our community through education, research, and advocacy.”

“We are partnering with the community to develop and implement culturally and socially relevant interventions that will promote health particularly for Black women and Black male adolescents and young adults.”

Randolph partners with trusted community members, such as barbershop and beauty salon owners, to provide the education and resources necessary to promote health in the community. The HEEAT lab has developed an intervention called UPDOs (Using PrEP, Doing it for Ourselves) Protective Styles.

UPDOs Protective Styles is a salon-based intervention developed in partnership with researchers and the

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community to promote awareness, knowledge, and uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black women living in the United States south. Black women in the US make up 12 percent of the population but account for 60 percent of new HIV cases among women. PrEP is a pill that, if taken daily, reduces the risk of one contracting HIV. It has been proven to be 99% percent effective.

However, less than one percent of Black women who are eligible for this preventative measure actually use it. The HEEAT Lab just wants women to be aware and knowledgeable so they can make informed decisions about their own health. UPDOs takes a comprehensive approach and addresses overall health of Black women in the US, including HIV, cardiovascular disease, and intimate partner violence.

This salon-based intervention has partnered with salon owner Tamica Campbell Hughes of Kotur Kutz in Greensboro, NC. Hughes offers awareness and education for area African American women about PrEP or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. Educating trusted partners like Tamica Hughes about these and other women’s health issues such as cardiovascular disease and intimate partner violence, can have a widespread community impact.

According to Hughes, her salon’s partnership with Randolph and The HEEAT Research Lab has been life-changing. “Partnership with this social research lab offers knowledge that will help stylists and their clients provide support for improving women’s health. The truth is that by reaching one woman, you can change the world. Getting the knowledge is the first step to protecting you and your body, and this is a great life-altering message for stylists to share with women throughout the community,” Hughes shared.

Thanks to other available social, behavioral programs like The Talk, Randolph and her partners are assisting parents in having the necessary tools to support and guide young Black male youth in their sexual health and understand the impacts of racism on health behaviors and outcomes. “This web-based application includes podcasts that feature perspectives from fathers, videos that showcase the importance of seeking racial equality, as well as other valuable content that helps start the conversations between fathers and sons. We also encourage mothers to leverage this information to help them build healthy relationships with their sons and provide resources to help their sons make healthy sexual health decisions,” Randolph says.

Partners for The TALK include Gene Blackmon, Barber and Owner of Prestige Barber College in Greensboro, NC, and Akili Hester, Barber and Owner of Black Wall Street Barbershop in Durham, NC.

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The HEEAT Research Lab: UPDOs Program Development Team Pictured from left to right are Dr. Ragan Johnson, Co-Investigator, Dr. Schenita Randolph, Director and Principal Investigator, Allison Johnson, Clinical Research Coordinator, Crystal Taylor, Executive Producer for UPDOs, Tamica Campbell Hughes, Community Partner and Stylists, and Corrina Dunn, Community Partner and Stylists. Other members of the HEEAT Lab not pictured include Gene Blackmon, Barber and Owner Prestige Barber College, Akili Hester, Barber and Owner of Black Wall Street Barbershop, Aaron Lyle Jr., CEO Black Fly on the Wall, Dr. Harvey Hinton, Terrance Pleasants, Davon Washington, Dr. Cherie Conley, Dr. Selena Monk, Candice Lewis, and Kelvis Tann.

Randolph describes herself as a “Nurse Scientist who genuinely cares about her work having a real-world impact in the community.” When asked what lies in the future for the HEEAT, Randolph has a clear response. “As a researcher in academia, it is important for us to test our interventions to evaluate if they have the intended outcomes for which they were created, so we are now recruiting women to test the UPDOs intervention site.”

Without any question, Randolph and The HEEAT Lab are doing their part to improve the health of Black Americans. Please visit their website for more information. h

The HEEAT Research Lab www.theheeat.nursing.duke.edu schenita.randolph@duke.edu 27

Beacon Hill Community Services, Inc. 28

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By Ellen Richardson Photos by Pamela Williams

As someone who has always enjoyed telling comeback stories, I have to say that I am excited to tell the story of Beacon Hill native Pamela Williams. This inspiring woman and current Founder and Executive Director of Beacon Hill Community Services, Inc. has spent her entire life giving back to others.

“I grew up in a small community on the west side of Chicago Heights called Beacon Hill,” said Williams. “During my time growing up here, this community was so close-knit, and everyone took care of one another. My neighbors and I were so willing to give back to each other.”

At the age of 16, Williams began serving as a tutor for the Community Education Service Center. “The organization purchased a home in Beacon Hill where they began a tutoring program and other educational services for young kids inside the community. I worked as a tutor for third and fourth graders who were struggling within our local elementary school, eventually moving to work within the social services realm. Unlike most teenagers, I never flipped burgers or worked in any of the traditional jobs that most teenagers do. Instead, I pursued jobs that allowed me to give back to my community.”

Although Williams’ heart for her community would begin to pave a road toward a successful future, the newest heart of Beacon Hill would have to overcome what many of us do – a roadblock on the pathway of life. “I became a first-time mother at the age of 19, and by the time that I was 22-yearsold, I was an unwed single mother of three children. Those new responsibilities quickly plunged me into poverty,” said Williams. “I was on welfare, receiving Section 8 housing benefits and food stamps.” Despite being in a difficult situation, Williams continued to let her determination and faith in God lead her toward turning her life around for both herself and her three boys.

This “never say die spirit” kept Williams on a challenging road for the next ten years and gave her the knowledge and experience that she would need to follow her God-given destiny.

“For ten years, I was working menial/low-paying jobs such as answering phones and being a clerk typist. However, the benefit was that I stayed in the social services world. I may have been at the bottom of the ladder, but I took time to soak in everything that I could to learn about social services.

That is where I received my boots on the ground education,” she says.

After years of struggle and lack, she began to see things turn around. “At the age of 29, I wrote my first rent check, and things began to fall into place. I am so grateful to have gone through what I did because it allows me to relate to the people that I now serve. I’m not just talking the talk, but I’ve walked the walk. I now have empathy and compassion for people who struggle as I did. I can meet them where they are and provide them with the same help and compassion that I received while working my way up,” she shared.

As Williams continued on her journey, she would eventually give birth to an organization that would give back to the same neighborhood that had once supported her. “I started Beacon Hill Community Services, Inc. on a whim,” said Williams. “I was only planning to have one event, but God had other plans.”

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After attending her high school reunion in 1999, and spending time reminiscing with other Beacon Hillers about the way things were, Williams decided to develop an annual event known as the Beacon Hill Family Reunion (BHFR). The first event was a dinner designed to reunite past and present residents and bring resources into a declining neighborhood. It was also attended by 98 former neighborhood residents from 22 states. “Witnessing this miracle confirmed what we once had in Beacon Hill was real,” said Williams.

This resurgence of hope quickly grew into an annual reunion event that started with one dinner and grew into a whole weekend of events. Everything is free to the public and includes a parade and a Family Fun Day in the park where attendees can enjoy free food and entertainment. There is a career resource booth, free dental and health care screenings, haircuts for children, and a book bag and school supply giveaway. “We are now approaching our twelfth year, and more former residents from all over the country are attending,” said Williams.

Soon Williams would convert the annual event into a nonprofit organization. “I had already been working and had years of experience in social services and workforce development. So I decided to marry my career with the endeavor to give back to the neighborhood that had raised me,” she says.

After launching Beacon Hill Community Services, Inc. in 2010, Williams used her experience to assist the organization in serving the entire Chicago Southland area. “Due to the support from people from all over the country, we are able to provide over 200 food baskets to families in need throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Last Christmas, we gave out over 300 toys to kids in need through our Toys for Tots campaign. We also deliver food baskets to the elderly through Chicago’s Southland and help residents find jobs. Even more, we provide free clothing and anything else needed to take care of the people who live in this community. I always tell people that we are a small organization with a big mission,” she said.

To find out more about Pamela Williams or Beacon Hill Community Services, Inc, please visit their website or contact her directly.

Pamela Williams

Beacon Hill Community Services

www.beaconhillcommunityservices.org

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708-571-3280

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The Wealthy Child “I am a Change Agent on the path to create a culture of wealth for the next generation”

By Terry L. Watson Photos Provided by Ronald Pollard

Delvin Sullivan is a Dave Ramsey-certified Financial Coach who believes that “The earlier money can make sense to a child, the better chance they have at being financially responsible adults.”

A native of Huntsville, AL, Delvin is the author of The Wealthy Child, a book designed to teach youth about money and the world’s economic process. As someone who grew up in public housing, Delvin’s passion always led him to mentoring youth and posing as a positive role model for kids, particularly young men.

Using the basic principles of wealth, he published his book to level the playing field and offer all children the opportunity to become wealthy through knowledge. Some of the topics discussed in the Wealthy Child production are budgeting, banking, investing, credit, income, and assets. “I am introducing children to the basics of financial literacy in a fun and engaging way and teaching kids about the importance of earning, saving, and spending responsibly. My goal is to ensure they understand the importance of earning, saving, and spending responsibly,” Delvin says.

In addition to being an author, personal finance coach, and entrepreneur, Delvin is also a US Army veteran and recipient of the Unsung Hero Award. He holds degrees from Alabama A&M University and Murray State University. He is married to Felichia, and they have two children, Tierra and Jordan, along with three grandchildren.

Delvin shares, “I began teaching at the Sparkman Homes Boys and Girls Club in 2017, and decided to develop a book and workbook that would give the students something they could take home with them.”

The vision for The Wealthy Child is connected to Delvins awareness of the many challenges that youth face, especially within his community. “Studies show 80% of crimes that send people to prison have something to do with money. I want to change that narrative by teaching children how to earn, save, grow, and respect the dollar at an early age,” he says.

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He shares that he loves being able to change the course of a child’s life by ensuring he or she is financially literate. He is also inspired by youth development and making a difference in his community.

Growing up in similar situations that many of the young individuals he’s helping are, Delving feels that he has a sincere responsibility to create realistic opportunities for them. “I made it to where I am because of the men placed in my life at the Boys and Girls Club. It was Ugene Phillips, Cedric Wherry, and Tyrone Langford. They would preach, “if you want to be an eagle, don’t hang around turkey’s”. That kept me from becoming a product of my environment,” Delvin says.

Delvin’s future goal is to continue to change the lives of millions of children by introducing them to the world’s economic process. To learn more about The Wealthy Child, please visit their website. h

Delvin Sullivan The Wealthy Child

www.thewealthychild.net 256-468-3227

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MAGAZINE

Cutest Baby

Marrel Gravely Foushee

The son Sunny Gravely Foushee and Marrel Foushee

Cleveland - May/June 2022

To submit photographs to be placed in the Huami Magazine Cutest Baby feature, please send a detailed email to huami.cutestbaby@gmail.com

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Dr. Shmeka Gibson Innate Success Corp www.innatesuccess.com

Photos Provided By Jamaal E. Photogrphy and Carolyn Castillo Dr. Shmeka Gibson is an author, international speaker, business owner, and college professor.

Shmeka is the founder and CEO of Innate Success Corp. Innate Success Corp. provides various business options, tools, and resources needed to develop business owners, organize business practices, enhance individual leader traits, and promote potential business leaders.

Innate Success Core, which is one of our fivesubsidiary businesses, provides contract services to organizations in need of organizational infrastructure development and program management, research, and application to funding opportunities and data analytics. Another popular business under the Innate Success model is I.S. Cares which houses the Mentorship Program.

Innate Success Corp. partners with Dress for Success Memphis to implement the “Successful Women in Business” Mentorship Program. The program utilizes the Changing the Mindset Concept© developed by Innate Success that implements a framework to help women in business and entrepreneurship. Innate Success developed and launched the program as a pilot in Fall 2020, and with the help of Dress for Success Memphis, the program flourished and now has an organizational home. The program’s goal is to help small businesses develop or enhance effective and sustainable business practices. The program participants were not required to have an established business, but if they had the time, desire and commitment, the program would help them achieve their goal of entrepreneurship. The 6-month business mentorship program offers intensive business, legal and financial consulting and resources to help businesses upskill and upscale their business.

This program is offered to start-up, grassroots, and small business owners with an operating budget of less than $250,000 annually.

Presently, this program has helped over 46 African American business leaders and raised over $75,000 in grant funding to support the work. The goal is to help these businesses create an organizational infrastructure and enhance stability to upscale the economy and communities. h

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On April 14th, 2022, Lady Vwb Nature was a special guest on Southern Soul Livestream. Calvin Baldwin (host) was very inspired to learn about Vanessa and Varina’s journey to talk about their business and entrepreneurship as new business owners, the lessons learned in small business, and teaching her daughter Vatina ownership at the age of 14 to be transparent, patient and continued education in holistic healing remedies and nutrition.

Vanessa has completed workshops, business coaching, marketing classes, and holistic nutrition certification, and her daughter is right by her side, taking notes. Varina is now 15 years old. We are excited about her future endeavors and what’s to come. Lady Vwb Nature has received certification from US Black Chambers. We work three local pop-up shops a Month throughout Ohio.

Advice to other business owners and Entrepreneurs Be patient. You can’t please everyone, but know there is someone out there who needs your services! Keep an open mind each day will be different. Hard work never goes unnoticed! Take up workshops and business coaching it will better help you gain capital or your business. Our customers deserve the best! Check out our brand profile and get to know our natural skincare brand.

Did You Know?

In 2021, Lady Vwb Nature LLC was the first small business featured in Huami Magazine, sourced out of Cleveland, Ohio

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