August / September 2019
Ujima Celebrates 11 Years in the Community by Damita Miller-Shanklin
facebook.com/Ujima Magazine
Ujima is celebrating our eleventh anniversary. We are happy to share the news and local stories from the past eleven years. It hasn't been easy. It's not easy. But because my team and I believe in the Ujima vision we continue to provide the quality and excellence our community deserves.
twitter.com/Ujima Magazine
Meet the Team by Damita Miller-Shanklin
Our product looks different but it still is the same at the core. This is the first year we produced a newsmagazine. We are uniquely different than a newspaper by the fact we are not a weekly paper and we use the magazine-style as our look.
We have had several contributors over the years and are greatly appreciative of their time. As the Publisher of Ujima, I am especially proud of a special group of ladies because we work together like a family. And we take exceptional care of each other! Let me introduce you to the backbone of Ujima – a powerhouse team who has been on board since 2008.
Having to make changes (once again) was not an easy decision but with any dream, you know you have to keep going. Once I came to terms with it, my team and I make it work.
(My, how time flies!) Mary Linnen is our Social Media Manager, Editor and Writer. She provides all the recipes and food tips and daily motivational quotes on our Facebook page. Mary will also be the Managing Editor of Ujima: Active Living, a series of articles and resources exclusively for our 50+ audience launching this Fall. Chiquitta Harris is our Creative Director. She owns Majestic Design Group, LLC and does all the creative and layout for the magazine. She ensures the Ujima brand and vision is clear and consistent. (Chiquitta is also our in-house Wellness Coach who helps ensure that we function at our best mentally and physically). Eliza Edwards is our Operations Manager and Outreach Coordinator. She ensures Ujima is moving ahead and staying on task. She looks at the big picture and guides the
N EWS
AR T
C U LT U R E
team to growth and brand recognition. Additionally, Eliza engages and educates the community about the organization and our long-term goals. Shametra McGregor is a collaborator and writer for Ujima. She owns and operates Events by Paige VII. She shares information and interviews about Everyday Heroes. This dynamic team works hard tirelessly behind the scenes to inform our readers about what’s happening locally and around the world. Thanks to each of you for your unwavering commitment to Ujima’s success. I appreciate each of you for lending your talents, resources and expertise — and I look forward to the next chapter!
EN T ER TAIN MEN T
In this Anniversary issue, you will meet the team and learn more about Ujima. We are going to tell our story. We hope to move forward with changes to make Ujima a viable company in our community. Ujima's journey is a different journey but it's my journey. We thank Austin and the surrounding areas for being apart of Ujima as we go forward telling the stories of people. I raise a glass to toast another year of growth, stories and uplifting the community.
H EALT H & W EL L N ESS
T R AVEL
FO O D
