Urban Expression - Special Winter Edition

Winter 2015: Special Edition

The dictionary defines legacy as a gift that is endowed or conveyed from one person to another.

Many times a legacy originates from an ancestral source and is spread amongst a number of people.

While a legacy is much about what is passed on through death, it is even more about what is gifted through life; learning from the past, living in the present and preserving and building for the future. Legacy is what drives us to decide the nature of life we want to live and the type of world in which we want to live.

It’s the same drive that allowed Septima Poinsette Clarke, educator and civil rights activist of the 1920s to play a major role in the voting rights of African-

Americans, Medgar Evers to fight for desegregation of public schools, during the 1950s, and Whitney M. Young to become a powerbroker and advisor to Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon during the civil rights struggle of the 1960s.

It is because of their struggle and roles as advocates for change ,that we today are able to vote, attend desegregated schools and can sit at the table to make powerful decisions, ideals that were once thought of as unimaginable. It is with gratitude that we celebrate the struggles of those before us, honoring their legacy and fortitude as a catalyst to leave our own imprints on the nation.

HONOREES Cheryl Smith

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Vaeyanna Lettman

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Xavier Arriaga

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Kyle Anderson

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Thea Montanez

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SPONSORS Aetna

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CBIA Aviator Nathaniel Moore III

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Shipman and Goodwin

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SUPPORTERS Urban League of Greater Hartford Young Professionals

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The Klaizanne Experience

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Dr. Roy Kellerman, Sr.

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Nixon Realty

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Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

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Anita, Ava House for Women, Inc.

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A LEGACY REVEALED IN PHOTOGRAPHS Event Photos by Odell Powell

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What does SELMA mean to you? By Natasha Ruiz

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What does SELMA mean to you? By Xavier Arriaga

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Youth Department Programming

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Urban League Board of Directors Congratulations

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Imprints in Cultural Enrichment Cheryl L. Smith, the Artists Collective Co-Founder, Dance Director for nearly 25 years and Program Director for several years, has been an inspiration and role model to generations of young dancers in Hartford. She is a native of Connecticut and has taught and performed throughout the state, particularly in the African American community.

Ms. Smith studied dance with Phyllis Stone, Angela Bowen-Peters, and at the Alma Lewis School in Boston. She served on the staff of Westledge School in Simsbury as the Dance Director for several years, has taught at the Watkinson School in West Hartford and at numerous other public and private schools, as well as the University of Connecticut.

Ms. Smith has performed in Boston, New York, Washington and throughout Connecticut.

Currently, Ms. Smith is the Associate Director of the Artists Collective. She continues to inspire hundreds of Greater Hartford youth and adults. She is an integral part of the leadership of the Artists Collective.

Imprints in Leadership From Bloomfield CT, Vaeyanna Lettman is a writer and poet who aims to inspire young women like herself. She began performing poetry after going through a life changing high school experience, and now performs around the state of Connecticut. In addition to these events, Vaeyanna has also assisted with and performed at a few events hosted by the Permanent Commission on the Status of Hartford Women.

Although she is a recent high school graduate, Vaeyanna’s work never stops. She continues to perform and inspire at local churches, women’s events, and other forums throughout the state of Connecticut.

Vaeyanna is currently a student at Manchester Community College and plans to transfer to the University of Saint Joseph or Clark Atlanta University. Her ultimate academic goal is to major in Social Work and minor in Psychology. Vaeyanna’s long term career goals are to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Cosmetologist, to write a collection of books with her poems and stories, and to continue to inspire young women around the world to have confidence, love themselves, and strive through hard times and adversity. Her motto is that “minor setbacks are a set up for major comebacks.

In 2012, Vaeyanna was awarded Young Philanthropist of the Year by the Aurora Foundation, an organization whose mission is “to be a catalyst for positive change in the lives of women and girls in Greater Hartford.” She also won the 2012 Kids' Court TV Competition for the high school division at the state capitol. In 2013, Vaeyanna took first place in the 2013 Omega Psi Phi Talent Hunt Competition. Additionally, Vaeyanna served as President of “Young Women Creating Change”, an organization devoted to community service, and holds an annual conference to uplift young women in the Greater Hartford area.

Imprints in Youth Achievement Xavier Luis Arriaga was born on December 9th, 1997 in the South End of Hartford, Connecticut. Growing up on Jefferson Street for most of his life, he moved to the North End of Hartford during his senior year of high school. Xavier was able to avoid the negative influences surrounding both neighborhoods with the help of his mother. His mother, originally from a harsh area of Puerto Rico, moved to Bronx New York for a better life.

Unfortunately, she would endure even harsher living conditions. Having her first son at the age of 16 made her life even more challenging,. Fortunately she would later overcome those tribulations. It is this strength and resilience that Xavier admires most and propels him to excel in life. Xavier currently attends the Law and Government Academy at Hartford Public High School and his dream is to attend the University of Connecticut, where he would like to major in Political Science, Philosophy or Economics, with a minor in English.

A turning point for Xavier was being selected to go to the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Warsaw, Poland. Prior to the trip Xavier was unmotivated and skeptical of the opportunity. He did not believe the world was making any strides to become a better place, which led him to lose faith. Xavier applied for this trip with the mindset that he would not get selected. Nevertheless he did and was also the only male and the youngest out of five high school students accepted nationally. On this trip he attended conferences and workshops where he heard from some of the brightest motivational speakers in the world, and was moved by their plans to help change the world. He also toured Auschwitz where he saw remnants of the abuse people endured in concentration camps during the Nazi regime. This trip taught Xavier humility and respect for the hardships endured during that time. One gentleman in particular persuaded him to step up and help make the world better a better place. Since then Xavier has made it his duty to become a global citizen, which has influenced his academic and career aspirations.

Xavier’s long term educational and career goals are to receive a PhD in Philosophy, and eventually establish an organization that helps underprivileged urban youth eradicate negative influences from their communities and aid them in excelling academically. This organization would also help youth gain the skills to become successful adults and teach that altruism benefits society as a whole. While first being a local initiative, his goal is to ultimately become a national program helping those in need around the world and to create an economic system (similar to the program founded by Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker, economist and civil society leader who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize) that teaches social and economic responsibility. Xavier’s ultimate dream is to become the U.S. Senator from the state of Connecticut and to eventually become the President of the United States of America.

Imprints in Advocacy Born and raised in Hartford, Councilman Kyle Anderson is no stranger to our community. Kyle has spent his life engaging with the people of our city as a community activist, small business owner, and now a member of the Court of Common Council. The son of

Wilfred Anderson, Jr. and Councilwoman Jacqueline Anderson, public service is in his blood.

After graduating from Weaver High School and then Virginia State University, Kyle returned home to dedicate himself to Hartford. He has been a board member of Hartford Communities That Care, the John E. Rogers African American Cultural Center, and the Doc Hurley Scholarship Basketball Tournament. He has also been recognized for his volunteer work by the Urban League of Greater Hartford, Hartford North End Little League, and the YMCA of Greater

Hartford.

His most recent community endeavor is the Greater Hartford Male Youth Leadership Program, which he founded in 2007. This program, along with its community partners, teaches various life skills and promotes higher education to all of its participants.

Kyle is currently an employee of the State of Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. He is the father of three children, and lives in his childhood home in the North End. He is a member of Metropolitan AME Zion Church, where he also serves on the Usher and Greeter ministries. In all that he does, Kyle continues to strive to improve the quality of our community.

Imprints in Philanthropy Thea Montanez is the founder and managing director of Montanez Consulting, LLC, a social impact marketing, communications and strategic planning firm specializing in advising public and private sector clients on driving innovative, impactful and inclusive social change within underserved communities.

Over the past 10 years, Thea has worked on both sides of the not-forprofit arena and served in several professional leadership roles including as the manager of philanthropy and community relations at The Hartford Financial Services Group. In this role, Thea managed the company’s charitable sponsorships and giving, design and execution of community outreach programs, and employee volunteer engagement initiatives. She has a proven track record for successfully leading the planning and implementation of large-scale community based initiatives on behalf of the private sector, including The Hartford Financial Services Group’s $7M Asylum Hill Community Investment Strategy.

As a community advocate and civic leader, Thea has served - and continues to serve - on numerous Boards of not-for-profit organizations, including the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Connecticut Women’s and Education Loan Fund, and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation.

Her leadership in the community has earned her several awards and recognitions, including being named CT Magazine's "40 under 40" in 2014, CT Latino News “Champions of Change” in 2014 and CT Women’s Alliance’s “Woman of Distinction” in 2012.

Thea is a contributor to The Huffington Post and a graduate of Syracuse University.

Thanks to Our Sponsors

Supports Urban League of Greater Hartford in

Proud to support the Urban League of Greater Hartford as we celebrate Black History and the imprints made on our nation!

Thanks to Our Supporters Celebrating Black History with Urban League of Greater Hartford as they reveal legacies throughout our nation!

-Dr. Roy Kellerman, Sr. Proud to support Urban League of Greater Hartford Black History Celebration!

To view more photos from our night of celebration, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/ulgh64?_rdr

WHAT DOES SELMA MEAN TO YOU? The movie Selma, demonstrates how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders peacefully protested to advance the voting rights of all. Their nonviolent actions, use of peaceful means and private but persistent negotiations on the part of Dr. King, lead to President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. After viewing this movie, I can see how far we have come in our efforts towards equality, but I can also see how much work needs to be done. Dr. Martin Luther King is an inspiration to me to advocate for change, not by hurting one another or physical efforts, but by using our voices to talk to one another and communicate change. As Dr. King most famously stated, “We must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools”. I agree wholeheartedly with Dr. King when he says we must learn how to live together. If we do not, where will we end up?

The march to Selma displayed the bravery of Americans, both black and white, who stood up to injustice and marched for their basic, but most important right - the right to vote. Their bravery is something to be modeled, as they did not know whether or not they would make it home that night. That just shows the courage and the passion they had towards creating change for individual freedom, which was guaranteed to everyone in the Bill of Rights, but was not exercised towards African Americans at that time. Their drive helped them work towards what they wanted in order to protect individual freedom and selfdetermination. In this same respect, we, meaning the national community, need to work together.

Unity is the key factor for affecting change. The national community has to be willing to step up, not be afraid, and speak out against social injustice and discrimination. We cannot just sit back and watch or continue to retaliate using violence against violence. This will continue to exacerbate the seemingly never-ending cycle of violence and hatred that has increasingly permeated America.

Today, we see social injustices on various levels. Racism continues to exist; even in 2015 gender inequality through pay exists and has been a primary measure of President Obama. Why are women still viewed as weak even after many great female leaders, like Harriet Tubman, Shirley Chisholm, Edna Negron Rosario, Maria Sanchez, Oprah Winfrey, and Hilary Clinton have made strides to break these barriers. They worked to make justice in women’s rights a reality, and we need to follow these great examples to continue to eliminate the injustices that still exist today for everyone to become equal.

To prevent further casualties based on discrimination in employment, schools, communities and so on, first we must reflect. We must believe that it can be done. As Dr. King said himself, “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase”. He states that you don’t have to see the whole staircase. You just have to take the first step. That first step is to speak up.

Although I am not at the age where I myself can vote, I will use other resources such as protesting, starting campaigns, spreading awareness, attending school, and whatever is in store to help me fix this societal perspective that people of color are different; that a woman is supposedly different from a man, thus non-deserving of equal pay. Or, that someone white is more deserving of a better education than non-whites. We are all the same, living on the same Earth, but somehow receiving different benefits. How can this be?

It’s time to take a stand! We can no longer allow privilege, race and gender to dominate hard work, or unequal treatment to force us not to strive towards excellence. Frederick Douglass stated it best that “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” It is up to us, the people, to bring about change. What will you do? Will you stand to advocate for change or will you remain silent in the face of injustice?

Natasha Ruiz Project Ready Scholar Law and Government Academy Scholar

PROJECT READY NATIONAL MENTOR PROJECT is based upon three primary cornerstones: 1) a mentor/youth relationship building model, 2) core work readiness and academic activities leveraged from NUL’s existing programs (Project Ready and the Youth Development Framework and Guide), and 3) wraparound activities such as community service learning and financial literacy that further engage the youth and demonstrate meaningful connections to society and the economy.

Project Ready Mentor intentionally links youth and positive adult role models in a ONE TO ONE situation in order to help youth develop a sense of accomplishment and connectedness, a sense of self-worth and possibility and a relationship that allows the youth to contribute to their community in substantive ways.

The YOUTH ANTI-VIOLENCE Initiative is a collaboration amongst local organizations: the YMCA of Metropolitan Hartford, Inc., Hartford Knights, Hartford Communities That Care, and Faith Congregational Church which aims to mitigate youth violence in the city by educating youth and families and providing alternative activities that are more conducive to becoming productive members of society. The ultimate goal of this program is that every program participant witness an improvement in the quality of his/her life during this six month program. Participants will receive training in our Workforce Fundamental Course which focuses on: employability skills, life skills, basic reading and math skills, self-assessment, career exploration and soft skills.

The SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING PROGRAM provides summer internship experiences for students’ ages 14-19 residing in the Greater Hartford region. The focus of this program is to provide job readiness skills with an emphasis on Personal Branding, Financial Literacy, Networking and Communication skills, Professional Etiquette, Resume Writing, Interviewing Skills and College Readiness. After training in these topics, students are provided with career competency development through real-world work experiences that offer exposure to career paths within the business industry aligned with their interests.

YOUTH PROGRAM SNAPSHOT

Project Ready is a Signature program of the National Urban League which assists 9th-12th grade students in making academic progress, benefitting from cultural enrichment opportunities and developing important skills, attitudes and aptitudes that will aid in their transition from high school and position them for post-secondary success. Participants receive academic, social and cultural support and are able to take part in digital literacy service learning projects. Key strengths of Project Ready are flexibility, local innovation and customization, and its potential to impact whole families and communities. The Urban League of Greater Hartford’s Project Ready Program consists of Project Ready Mentor, Youth Anti-Violence Program, Manage Your Future., Comcast Digital Literacy and Summer Youth Employment and Learning Program.

The MANAGE YOUR FUTURE program provides case management for 50 youth, ages 14 to 18, with leadership and skill-building opportunities. The program emphasizes positive development components to help youth mature into healthy, well-rounded adults. Youth experience approximately two hours of instruction per week on financial literacy, life skills, job readiness and the importance of planning and motivation. Youth learn how to prepare job applications, write resumes, cover letters and how to use these tools effectively. Youth also have the opportunity to participate in a paid work experience.

The

COMCAST DIGITAL LITERACY

program trains high

school students (grades 9-12) to become proficient in basic computer and internet skills. Once students complete training, they participate in planning and executing a Digital Literacy Service Learning Project; teaching digital literacy skills to members of the community.

As a result of participating in this program, students will gain enhanced problem solving, team-work, and planning skills, as well as enhanced civic engagement skills.

For more information regarding youth programs, please contact Natasha Moore - Harris, Youth Program Manager (860) 527-0147 ext. 294 | NMoore@ulgh.org

These programs are made possible in part by the following funders:

HAS SEGREGATION REALLY ENDED? The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in the United States. However, as a young man and a student, my experiences suggest that segregation is still very much alive. Even though segregation is illegal today, our society is still suffering from its direct and indirect effects. Segregation is detrimental to the advancement of the human race, particularly for the younger generations of today.

The most meaningful and sustainable approach to end segregation and its issues is through education. Nothing is more powerful than ignoring the color a person’s skin and exploring the content of one’s heart. This helps create unbreakable bonds, from doing coloring books with each other, to competing to get the highest test scores, to eventually graduating college. While this seems easy to establish, we still lack this type of schooling. The case of Brown vs. the Board of Education happened more than sixty years ago. Yet if you walk into an urban public school like mine, you’d be able to count the number of white students on one hand. We become comfortable with what we have grown familiar with. So, after 12 years of schooling, going to college with white students can be quite overwhelming. Because of the lack of diversity in our education, this could lead to further segregation in college. This is a neverending cycle of segregation that needs to be stopped.

In my state we give more funding to magnet schools than public schools, which, in my experience, has only increased segregation. The idea of magnet schools was to allow urban black/Hispanic students access to the education of suburban towns. Despite its intention, this leads to public schools losing funding and more social segregation. As a student from a struggling public school, I see firsthand just how much we lack. For example, our school can’t afford the technology necessary, yet the magnet school down the street has a fountain in its

entrance. With the lack of funds we are unable to always hire the highest quality teachers. This means we aren’t getting the education we deserve. In fact, I go to school in the state with the highest achievement gap in the nation.

I worry not only for what this means for my community, but all other communities in similar situations. If students aren’t receiving an equal education, than they have a decreased chance of being successful in college. If students in my community aren’t going to college, this damages the success my community can have. This means lower paying jobs, and the cycle continuing into the next generation. Martin Luther King once said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character that is the goal of true education.” If we are truly striving to continue his legacy for achieving civil rights, we must live up to this standard.

Having a damaged community will not help the desegregation process and taking money away from public schools will not help the desegregation process, but having a strong educational community will.

We can’t only point the finger of blame at politicians. We too must take responsibility and certainly, must also take action. We must strive to educate ourselves and those around us about the inequalities that still continue to stain our community and put us at risk. This is a call to action for us all-the parents, politicians, teachers, students and other members of the community to come together and help solve this issue of social segregation through education. We must stop pulling money from public schools to fund magnet schools. Everyone should be entitled to quality education, and public schools should not be seen as the lesser choice. In doing this, we will see more successful students, higher achieving schools, brighter communities, and, of course, a more equitable America.

Xavier Arriaga Project Ready Scholar Law and Government Academy Scholar

MENTORS MUST: 

Be at least 21 years old

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Commit to a youth for 1 year

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Interact with mentee for 2 hours per week, including one face-to-face

meeting per month 

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To become a mentor and help shape the lives of tomorrow’s leaders

CONTACT

TIEASHA GAYLE

URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER HARTFORD

Complete Mentor training (in-person and online)

140 Woodland Street

Pass a screening interview and criminal background check

(860)527-0147 x 276

Hartford, CT 06105

TGAYLE@ULGH.ORG

Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) Classes Pre—Closing Education Class 

Three-hour or Eight-hour homebuyer class provides steps towards homeownership

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Helps participants become mortgage ready and achieve affordable homeownership

Post Commitment Class 

Three-hour class provides an overview of financial and practical topics a homebuyer should understand before completing the homeownership process.

Financial Literacy 

Financial Planning and Money Management

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Credit

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Saving and Investing

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Banks and Other Financial Institutions

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Taxes and Insurance

VITA ( Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Call 211 to register

For class schedules, registration and information visit www.ulgh.org Call today for more information (860) 527-0147

Project Ready Scholars along with scholars from the Greater Hartford area met with Senator Chris Murphy at his office on Constitution Plaza before viewing the movie SELMA together at Spotlight Theatres.

Pamela Golchin, Branch Manager from American Eagle Financial Credit Union in Newington, presenting on the importance of saving for College and the future. Manage Your Future participants were able to open bank accounts .

Tieasha Gayle, Youth Development Specialist from Urban League of Greater Hartford, conducting a session on the importance of Personal Branding.

Youth Anti-Violence, and Manage your Future participants at the premiere of Diamond Ruff.

Project Ready participants from Bulkeley High School performing in the school band.

Project Ready Scholar, Natasha Ruiz, interviewing Adrianne Baughns— Wallace , the first African American newscaster in New England via skype. Natasha was so excited to interview Mrs. Baughns-Wallace who is a great inspiration to us all.

Youth Anti-Violence program participant, Jamelia Coburn reading Tears of a Tiger, by Sharon Draper, a fiction story about a teen who is consumed with guilt for driving his friends home after a long evening of drinking and partying ; one teen is subsequently killed in a car accident.

EARN YOUR High School Diploma FREE GED Classes !

Weekly Schedule Monday –Friday

VISIT Urban League of Greater Hartford 140 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT 06105 Call (860) 527-0147

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY!

Visit Urban League of Greater Hartford TODAY!

Urban League of Greater Hartford, Inc. is an affiliate of the National Urban League. Founded in 1964 by Rachel Milton, Marion Hepburn Grant, Dr. James S. Peters II, Judge Norris O'Neill and Olcott Smith, the Urban League is a community based not-forprofit. It is one of the largest direct social services agencies in New England. Urban League of Greater Hartford is a direct services agency providing services in four programmatic areas: Adult Education, Youth Development, Workforce Development and Training, and Economic Enrichment.

Our Mission: To promote the self-empowerment of individuals in the Connecticut Capital Region to achieve educational, occupational and economic equality for themselves and their families.

Our Values:

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Focused on helping people in need change their lives

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Committed to personal and team accountability for excellence

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Committed to creating and delivering innovative solutions

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Caring, respectful and honest in all that we do

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We teach what we value, and we live what we teach

140 Woodland Street Hartford, CT 06105 Phone: 860-527-0147 Fax: 860-244-0794 Website: www.ulgh.org Email: nmoore@ulgh.org