Behind-the-Scenes Look at "In Her Words"

Enjoy this behind-the-scenes video, shot by filmmaker Biljana Milenkovic and edited by Khadijah Ali-Coleman, this video gets feedback from the cast about their experience portraying the cultural icons featured and give a glimpse of what's in store at the debut of the show "In Her Words" which debuts Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1pm at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library in Washington DC. Visit http://www.theyliveon.wordpress.com for more information.

Capital Hip Hop Soul: Wes Felton

Cutting-edge and eclectic, DC-based singer Wes Felton is always bringing something new to the music game. His renowned flavor of innovation and unbridled honesty lead many music listeners to either love or hate him, but the love definitely outweighs the latter. Read more about this innovative artist in a Q & A on SoulTrain.com HERE.

Capital Hip Hop Soul: Akua Allrich

DC-based vocalist Akua Allrich fuses musical genres to create music that is not easily categorized as jazz, blues, or R&B. Quickly garnering attention on adult contemporary radio stations for her first CD A Peace of Mine (2010) and the single “Hard to Get”, Akua (pronounced Ah-kwee-ah) is moving forward with redefining what soul music is in America.

“My sound is a fusion of styles with its base in jazz, blues, soul and African rhythm,” she says. “I want my music to reflect all of my experiences as an African born in America.”

Read her full interview on SoulTrain.com HERE.

Capital Hip Hop Soul: Princess of Controversy

Princess of Controversy performed in the 2010 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest, a Liberated Muse production and we got a glimpse first-hand of how dope PoC rocks the mic. She is a DMV mainstay-- whether she's rocking the mic solo or with her new group DPE-- and this month, she is featured on SoulTrain.com.

Honing her career as an MC, singer, and actress on stages across the country, POC has done everything—from appearing on reality shows to writing plays, including her most recent touring production “ALPHACHICK”. She believes that broadening your horizons as an entertainer helps you develop as an artist and perfect your craft.

“I love being able to share what I do and getting feedback makes me better and stronger,” she says.

Read her interview on SoulTrain.com HERE.

WAMMIE Nominations Announced, Favorites Nominated

Gods'illa

 

While we were dismayed to see that the cabaret and musical theater categories were absent without any prior word they would be removed from the running, waking up this morn to see the listing of nominees for the WAMMIES was inspiring. Kudos to some of our Liberated Muse favorites who recently were nominated this week for Washington Area Music (WAMMIE) awards, including the hip-hop trio Gods'illa who we first witnessed at our 2008 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest, hip-hop producer and MC Kokayi who inspired the director of the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest, Maceo Thomas to conceive of the idea of the festival, highlighting local talent, soul singer/MC Maimouna Youssef who is managed by Liberated Muse member Diallo Sumbry and local staple Carolyn Malachi who is founder of the organization Smart Chicks. Congrats to you all!

See all nominees HERE.

Southeast Ministry Shines Beacon of Light for Ward 8’s Unemployed Residents

By Khadijah Ali-Coleman

“If you have a job, think of [hiring] a Southeast Ministry student,” Valarie Ashley suggests.

Ashley, executive director of Southeast Ministry—a Ward 8-based nonprofit located on MLK Ave in SE that provides job training and educational services to adults—has led Southeast Ministry since 2009. She has grown the small nonprofit into a community haven that is attracting the attention of both those seeking services and those with services to provide. 

“Our goal is to help those who come to us become better participants in family and community,” Ashley says. Many of those served by Southeast Ministry are often unemployed or underemployed, she adds, so, training them to become employable is a priority.

“For us, underemployed looks like people who are taking anything to earn money—temp work, handyman services—jobs with no future guarantee, no benefits, no guarantee that there will be work tomorrow…many people who have been locked out of the job market for so long.”

Ashley finds that the first step to making folks who come to Southeast Ministry employable usually starts with building basic skills and helping in the area of education. She also finds that teaching from an African-American cultural perspective also helps makes learning relevant to the students. For, she says, “ninety-nine percent of who we serve are African-American.”

Growing at the Root

In just the past two years, Southeast Ministry has helped hundreds of adults earn their GED and build employable skills while attracting donors and community partners who offer valuable opportunities to Southeast Ministry clients as well. One participant, Melissa Moon, a local mom participating in Southeast Ministry’s GED classes is appreciative of all of the organization’s offerings.

“I’m trying to get my GED to better my life and my children’s lives and Southeast Ministry is doing a great job,” says Moon. “With the help of my teacher Ashley [Luttmer], I’ve been getting helped in things like percentages and algebra, things I didn’t do so well or understand in school.”

Valarie Ashley admits that she is grateful that Southeast Ministry continues to thrive and be available to provide services to adults like Moon despite the current financial troubles in the US and the specific issues communities like DC’s Ward 7 and Ward 8 face. She attributes Southeast Ministry’s longevity to the community partnerships she’s formed with other organizations in the city. One partnership with the nonprofit organization Byte Back provides technology training to adults and has been a recent success of Southeast Ministry.

“The partnership with the nonprofit Byte Back allows us to add that technology component to our services which is so necessary,” Ashley says. “So many people are afraid of computers, so at intake, we make people get an email address to begin the process of being familiar with computers.” Ashley laughs as she admits that the next step, after having clients set up an email account, is actually conditioning them to begin using their new email address to communicate.

“It’s all about training. We have to train people to check their email.”

Another partnership, this one with DC Public Schools, allows students to enroll in an External Diploma Program which allows them to take high school level courses and earn a high school diploma. For the first time, three Southeast Ministry participants graduated from the External Diploma Program this past summer.

Ashley, who has worked for larger nonprofits like Covenant House and Goodwill during her earlier career explains that building partnerships is one of the most important thing a smaller nonprofit can do to stay relevant and responsive to the needs of those served.

“I’ve come from someplace big, but when you’re with someplace big, opportunities come to you , so the question now becomes, how do I find resources as a very small nonprofit so I can provide quality programming to the people who come here because we do have the good fortune of being right here on the avenue.”

What she and her staff have done is scour the city and create networks with other nonprofits and businesses to lessen the difficulties those coming to Southeast Ministry will face. One example is the service integration partnership established with Brighter Day Ministries, located across the street from Southeast Ministry. To support Southeast Ministry clients who may have difficulties finding food or having clothes appropriate for a job interview, Southeast Ministry staff can refer a client to Brighter Day Ministries to receive fresh food rations or clean and appropriate clothing to wear for the job while Brighter Day Ministries can refer clients to Southeast Ministry for adult education classes and job training.

But, sometimes, community offerings walk right up to the front door.

When Gifts Come Knocking

“So, this is the best story,” Ashley begins.  “So, one day I get a call from our office manager saying that there are two men downstairs that say that they’re from the government and they say they can save us money on our energy bills. And, as they’re coming up, I’m like, ‘Who is this trying to scam me,’ but, it was real.”

These two men were from the District’s Department of the Environment, knocking on doors to inform nonprofits about a weatherization grant which would provide efficiency assistance in the form of replacing windows, insulating the attic, changing light bulbs to more energy efficient ones, and bleeding radiators.  After a 17-page energy audit and confirmation from Ashley to begin work, contractors renovated Southeast Ministry in a matter of months.

“We have this space that is more comfortable to have and windows that we can actually look out of now. We knew that our building was meager before, but not how meager it actually was. We didn’t realize how inefficient the building really was,” Ashley says.

With the new building renovation, comes a renewed spirit that Southeast Ministry definitely plays an integral part in the larger landscape of Washington DC. Ashley confirms that the goodwill shown Southeast Ministry only strengthens her resolve to stay focused on serving those who are most at-risk of being passed over for employment.

“At the end of the day, I don’t have a problem asking for things if it makes the difference between someone getting a job and not having one.”

To volunteer, donate and learn more about Southeast Ministry, visit www.southeastministrydc.org or call 202-562-2636

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Liberated Muse partners with nonprofits throughout the Washington DC area on arts projects and workshops. Southeast Ministry has been a partner with Liberated Muse since 2009.