WOMANIFESTING

Gertrude

I’m thinking of rooms,

A large resemblance of rooms,
All the hours spent in rooms.
Someone has been downstairs

In the kitchen soaking chicken flesh
And skin in a steamy bath,
Vegetable oil seeping into napkins

Thin squares, cubed, six of them
Make another room in which
A baby is sleeping, his skin is full

Of soft, repetitive leaks, licks,
The orange cat is cleaning its fur,
Violent, mechanical head throws

To catch all sides of its coat,
Raspy cartilage of its tongue,
Housed in the dark room of its mouth,

A box of moving images buzzes
So steadily it hums, in a room
With no occupants or time worth record.

Good Hair

I scrape the dead,
      dirty loveliness
from his fatted forehead,

Roll the night’s story     
      from his eyes,
& set him on the closed toilet seat.

Under his soft weight,
      air whistles from the sky
blue cover.

I reach over aged porcelain,   
      water the bristles
until dripping is rushed to ease

The widening of his binding
     strands, raise the boar
above his head of still-closing plates,

Unravel brief fuzzy rivulets, again   
     & again, and when
all is smooth & shiny,

I part my son’s hair,
     just above the left temple
like the older women tell me

               It is right to do.

Elegies for New York Avenue poems by Melanie Henderson

ISBN:978-1-59948-330-6, 96 pages

Cover/List price: $14 (Only $12 if purchased from the MSR Online Bookstore)
Release date: November 27, 2011.

Melanie Henderson was born, raised and lives in Washington, DC. She is an alumnus of Howard ('04) and Trinity ('07) Universities. Prior to earning an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, she studied poetry at the Voices Summer Writing Workshops (VONA) in San Francisco, CA. Her paintings, photography and poems have appeared in Drumvoices Revue, Fingernails across the Chalkboard: Poetry and Prose on HIV/AIDS from the Black Diaspora, jubilat, and Southern Women's Review among others. She was selected as a featured reader for the 2009 Joaquin Miller Cabin Poetry Series and as a recipient of the Larry Neal Writers' Award (DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities). She is the Managing Editor of Tidal Basin Review and the mother of a charming little boy.

My name is Gina Santiago and this is my womanifesting story.

I'm so excited about sharing my journey on starting my business with the world. And if the world doesn't show up, at least I know my mother will read this. So here it goes…do most people say that? Ok, let’s try this…let’s start the journey….

Almost two years ago, I started cooking more in my kitchen instead of on my lovely grill. Now this wasn’t a bad thing for me but a little new so to speak. You see, I’m a grill master and I did most of my cooking on that grill. I would cook inside a few times and had a few “signature” dishes I would brag about but my heart was on that grill. But I decided to cook more meals inside. It started becoming more of a joy to cook on the stove and my meals were pretty darn good. Then I saw a documentary called Food Inc and it changed my eating life. I was taken aback by what I had just witnessed. It was amazing to find out what I was eating and what I was feeding my kids. So as a family, we made a conscious decision to make changes on what we were putting in our bodies. I then experienced the supermarket of all supermarkets…Trader Joe’s. I was in food heaven. It was great and so enlightening that I could buy food and it didn’t have 75 ingredients listed. I was never a label reader but after I watched that documentary, I started to briefly look at the amount of ingredients in my food. I didn’t know you needed a hundred things just to make cheese, apple juice or a green pepper…ok maybe not the green pepper. But have you seen the size of a green pepper? So organic and all natural food became my life. The flavor was amazing! I mean my taste buds were like what is this pleasure happening in my mouth right now?

Now two years later, I’m still cooking up a storm and loving it! I’ve cooked countless dishes that have a flavor just to die for. And of course I’ve made them both on the grill and on the stove. I decided to go back to school to become a Chef and now I’m starting my own business. I’ve finally found my passion and that is to cook. Not only cook but cook with fresh ingredients that just burst with flavor. Now I want to share what I’ve made for my family with the world. If the world decides not to hop on this food bandwagon, you know who will be my number one customer (mom). I’m ready to go all out and give this my all. I’m ready to fall and get back up if need be. I’m ready to succeed at this too. I’m also ready to share the entire experience with you. We will be excited together through this journey that is about to take off. Only joy and laughter will be allowed here because there is no crying in cooking. Well, there is when you dice those onions. But besides that this is going to be a positive adventure that I know you will enjoy. Thanks so much for taking this ride with me!

Until next time!

Enjoy your food with True Flavor

http://true-flavor.blogspot.com/

As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same - Marianne Williamson

My name is Benita Robinson Osbey and this is my womanifesting story.

I am Kevin’s wife, Barbara’s daughter, Bennett and Barton’s sister, Willie Edward and Deborah’s niece, and Jeremy, Deven, Joel, Taylor, and Jordyn’s auntie. I am a cousin, Godmother, friend, classmate, UCLA graduate, ardent Obama supporter, diehard Lakers fan, dynamic Soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, and Christian woman of strong faith. I hope this is how people see me, and not as Benita with cancer. Cancer does not define me, it is something I live with, but it is not who I am.

March 1, 2011 will forever be etched in my mind. I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. I can remember that day like it was yesterday. What I had on and how I felt before I walked in to the Oncologist’s office. We were having an early spring, so it was a little warmer than it normally is in March. I still recall thinking, “I can’t be sick. Why I am going to see an Oncologist?” That day, I felt like a crisp spring salad with peaches and strawberries on top. Everyone knows I am a hybrid of California and Georgia, so I call myself a strawberry peach girl. In the words of my dear friend Meri Culp, I was looking “fruit sassy.” I had on the cutest dress with bright blossoming colors and some cute peep toe shoes. Because after all, this was some sort of mistake, I could not be sick. When the Oncologist said to me, “You have Ovarian Cancer,” my big brown eyes just stared at him as if he was speaking a foreign language. I remember him taking my hand, placing it on my lower abdomen and pelvis area and saying, “Couldn’t you feel that lump?” I told him, “No, because no one has ever told me to feel there. I have been taught to feel my breasts, in my armpit and even down my arm, but never my abdomen.” He then went to say, "Didn't you notice that your stomach had gotten larger. I turned to him with a head roll and replied, "All of me has gotten larger. My butt, legs, and hips. Why would my stomach getting larger be a cause for alarm?"

“No! This is not happening to me. I went to the doctor regularly,” was all I kept telling myself. A friend’s sister was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in late 2009 and passed away in June 2010. I remember her telling us, as her sister was battling the disease, that her sister had not had a pap smear since the sister's kids were born, 15-20 years prior. Well, I didn't think I was at risk because I had a pap smear on a regular schedule. My OB/GYN had moved me to every other year since I had had a partial hysterectomy and was perimenopausal. So I go along on my merry way not thinking I was at risk. I prayed for her sister and her family. Kevin and I attended the funeral. Nine months later, I was diagnosed with the same thing. My diagnosis was slightly less advanced than her sister’s was. My cancer had spread to other parts of my abdomen but Praise God the cancer was not in the lymph nodes.

After being stunned and in a fog for weeks, I asked God, “Why me?” He whispered back, “Because you have a voice and I need you to speak for all the women who no longer have a voice or who don’t have the strength to speak.” I began to do more research and knew that God had given me a voice to speak up and speak out; to be an inspiration. I began to form a closer relationship with my oncologist, Dr. Alfred Jenkins, asking him question after question. When he informed me that you could not detect Ovarian Cancer with a pap smear, I was stunned. This was further evidence that I needed to become more vocal about Ovarian Cancer.

Five months into my journey, after a diagnosis of Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer, three surgeries including an ileostomy, 3 rounds of chemotherapy, a bald head, a fierce wig and some cute caps, I realized that I was pregnant with THE idea, my baby, TEAL BUTTERFLIES. Eight months in, I have had more chemo, minor setbacks, more surgeries, and some difficult days, but my baby continues to grow. TEAL BUTTERFLIES is on its way and soaring.

Before I share more about TEAL BUTTERFLIES, I would like to say thank you to my husband, Kevin Osbey, who has been my caregiver for the past 8 months. He has made me feel special and loved during my entire illness. I ask each of you to remember the caregivers in your prayers because the disease takes its toll on them as well. I cannot express enough thanks to my mom, Barbara Robinson Knox, who has travelled back and forth from California to Georgia, over and over again to be by my side. My Aunt Deborah, a health care professional, has been a sounding board and a cheerleader, asking everyone she meets to pray for me. My brothers, nephews and nieces have lifted my spirits on the days when my faith waned. My niece’s words, “Auntie , you are beautiful!” always brought a smile to my thinning face. My uncle, calling me just to check in and flying to Atlanta to take me home from the hospital, reminding me he brought me home from the hospital when I was born and he was there to bring me home again.

Tears come to my eyes when I speak of long-time girlfriend, Lori Blackwell, who flew out from Los Angeles to be with me during chemotherapy. My Atlanta bestie, Yolanda Owens, who has been there every step of the way; making sure we wanted for nothing and called everyone she knew to be at my 50th Hospital Birthday Party. Yes, I was in the hospital on my 50th birthday. My partner-in-crime, Tony Hunter, calls me every day just to see if I am okay and make me laugh. Then there is Regenia Cooper, who made sure we had house cleaning services during my illness.

Let me not forget two people who ha

ve been instrumental in providing me excellent care, Dr. Kyra Harvey, Primary Care Physician, and Dr. Alfred Jenkins, Gynecologic Oncologist. I thank God for Dr. Harvey. She did not dismiss my urinary tract infection as routine, went a step further during my examination, and sent me for further testing. There are not enough words that I can write that would sum up Dr. Jenkins. He is brilliant, knowledgeable, precise and honest. He saved my life. I know that I was probably one of his toughest patients and pried into his personal life one time too many, but I needed him to see me as a person and not just a patient. I think I accomplished that.

So many people have prayed for me: from the East Coast to the West Coast and the North and the South; my family, aunts, uncles, cousins, immediate and distant relatives, in-laws and extended; those I've known for a lifetime and a hot minute; friends who I met in Los Angeles and Atlanta; Pastor William Watley, Rev. Larry Jones, Retired Pastor George Moore, and the ministerial staff at Saint Philip AME; Reverends Robert Shaw, Anne Shaw, Robert Hendricks, Daryl Walker, John White III, and Kenneth Paden; church members from Saint Philip AME, First AME, St. James AME, New Philadelphia AME, New Testament Church of Christ Holiness, and Living Word Church of God In Christ; colleagues I worked with while working for the City of Los Angeles, the American Cancer Society, and Macy’s; classmates from Carson High and UCLA; my unwavering sorors of Delta Sigma Theta, especially the jewels on the mountain at Stone Mountain-Lithonia Alumnae Chapter; the dedicated men and women who work with my husband at Clayton County Water Authority; and all the wonderful people who I met on MyBarackObama.com, facebook, Womanifesting, and the Porch. It is because of the prayers of the many that I am able to share my journey. I am humbled and grateful for each and every person who is in my life and who has been on this journey with me. They have made the journey endurable.

More about TEAL BUTTERFLIES:

TEAL BUTTERFLIES was born as a voice for all the women who are no longer with us, as the wind for those who are still soaring and as an educational resource to prevent another woman from taking this journey. I am striving to use the voice that God has given me; and live by the words that many of us have heard sung in church on Sunday mornings: "If I can help somebody, as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody, with a word or song, if I can show somebody, how they're travelling wrong, then my living shall not be in vain." I am not sure what life holds for me, but what I am sure of is that you have to “cut the rope” from this disease, step into your destiny without doubt, take hold of your life, only looking toward what the future has to offer because God is still in control!

The Name:

TEAL is the color that represents Ovarian Cancer. BUTTERFLIES represent resilience. Butterflies go through many journeys as they soar. Those of us with this disease will go through various phases and journeys, but we will SOAR!

TEAL BUTTERFLIES was created as a vehicle to garner more attention to Ovarian Cancer and as a medium to increase awareness about the disease. It serves as an inspirational tool to share your hopes and success stories, as well as an opportunity to raise money for research and programs specifically focused on Ovarian Cancer. TEAL BUTTERFLIES is dedicated to educating women about early detection of Ovarian Cancer and empowering them with resources and information to become intimate with their bodies and bring awareness to the early symptoms of this disease.

TEAL BUTTERFLIES is working toward becoming a 501(c)3 organization. In the interim, we are working with other organizations, like the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance, to raise funds for Ovarian Cancer awareness. September is designated as Ovarian Cancer awareness month and TEAL BUTTERFLIES accepted the challenge. On Friday, September 2, 2011, we participated in the National Wear Teal Day. People all across the country painted their towns teal from urban America to suburban American, from every hamlet to every hood, from the outhouse to the White House. Some put on a teal shirt, while others dolled up in a teal dress, painted their toe nails sparkly teal, or added a piece of teal jewelry to bring about Ovarian Cancer Awareness- the "other" silent killer. We also participated in an Overcome Ovarian Cancer Walk and raised $4100 dollars to help towards awareness. Team TEAL BUTTERFLIES consisted of approximately 20 dedicated walkers made up of family and friends, who donned their teal tee shirts, caps, and beads in my honor, waving teal pompoms as they canvassed the course. Additionally, we sponsored a Teal Toes Pedicure Party to bring about awareness. This is an event where friends get together and get teal pedicures as a vehicle to spark conversation about Ovarian Cancer. We had fun, made our toes cute, discussed Ovarian Cancer, and raised money. Each guest received a bag of goodies with Ovarian Cancer awareness information along with non-carcinogenic teal nail polish. This event raised enough money to purchase four Ovarian Cancer Bags of Hope for women who have been recently diagnosed.

If you would like to give hope to a woman who was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, go to www.gaovariancancer.org and donate in my honor or in honor of someone else. You can also go to my website www.tealbutterflies.org and find other organizations to support. Also, check out my Teal Butterflies facebook page to stay abreast of Ovarian Cancer information and don’t forget to follow Teal Butterflie on Twitter.

TEAL BUTTERFLIES Tidbits:

Feel your abdomen and pelvic area! Become intimate with your body and not just your breasts!

Don’t just check the “girls”, also check the girls’ best friends ….your ovaries. Talk to your OB/GYN about early detection.

Ovarian Cancer is known as the “other” silent killer of women, most women being diagnosed at Stage 3 or Stage 4. Ovarian cancer accounts for approximately 3 percent of cancers in women. While the ninth most common cancer among women, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women, and is the deadliest of gynecologic cancers.

Ovarian cancer symptoms:

• Pelvic and abdominal pain

• Urinary frequency and urgency

• Increased abdominal size and bloating

• Difficulty eating and feeling full

Other symptoms may include:

• Constipation or diarrhea

• Nausea

• Indigestion or gas

• Abnormal vaginal bleeding

• Unusual fatigue

• Unexplained weight loss or gain

• Shortness of breath

• Low back pain

Who is at risk for ovarian cancer?

• Women with close relatives with ovarian cancer, such as your mother, sister or daughter, especially if she was diagnosed before the age of 40. Having several family members with ovarian or breast cancer also increases risk.

• Women with a personal history of cancer of the breast, uterus, colon or rectum, or a family history of these cancers.

• Women over 55 years of age.

• Women who have never been pregnant.

• Women who have been taking estrogen after menopause for at least 10 years.

• Obese women, particularly if they carry excess weight around the waist.

• It used to be believed that fertility drugs increased a woman's risk of ovarian cancer. Using talcum powder in the vaginal area was also considered a possible risk factor, but neither of these is now felt to produce significant risk.

My name is Monique Halley and this is my womanifesting story.

I want to first thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my story. I am filled with gratitude that I was able to discover the things that I am passionate about, then to find a way to express them. It wasn’t an easy path. I got sidetracked occasionally, I became discouraged because of fear and a lack of confidence, and I was indecisive and confused about what I wanted and who I was. However, I always knew that something was in me to do more. I had to be patient and honest with myself. I did a lot of reading, journaling, taking classes and asking questions.

I first thought selling self-help books was it. I started an online bookstore. The books I sold focused on the spiritual, financial, emotional, physical and social areas in life. That didn’t go anywhere; the search continued. Then one day I had an “Aha” moment. I would create questions covering the same topics of the books I was trying to sell. I didn’t know what I was going to do with those questions, so I kept searching and journaling in pursuit of an answer. Then one day it all finally made sense! I had an epiphany-- an idea to make a journal and infuse those important questions within the journal. The idea developed into a Self-Check journal, which allows you to evaluate key areas in your life and create balance. I have been an avid journaler for many years and this was the perfect match in every way!

Since then I have created Simply Bliss, an online stationery store. I hand-make unique selections of journals, sketchbooks, notecards, and notebooks. My tagline is “Take Note of Your Life!” because I believe that it is very important that we reflect on and document our lives in our own way—journaling is the ideal way to do so! This quote illustrates the passion that underlines each creation. Simply Bliss is a collection of stationery characterized by beautiful style, unique craftsmanship and quality materials.

Because I have journaled for so many years, I know how valuable it has been in my life. I want to make an impact on people’s lives by showing them the benefits of journaling and helping them write, illustrate and bring to life their own individual hopes and dreams.

Through journaling one can capture ideas, mark an important milestone in one’s life, or show appreciation for another by giving the journal as a gift. One can select from my catalogue of themed journals, notecards, envelopes and specialty paper goods, or embrace an individual personal style or need for a specific look, design or theme by choosing a personalized item. I can create the journal that fits your own specific needs and desires!

A portion of the proceeds from each sale is donated to the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, in support of my son, and others who have Sickle Cell. Please visit their website to learn of this important mission.

My journey did not end at journals and stationery. I realized that I want to do more than create a great product – I want to encourage others to begin journaling. It became clear that the best way was to blend in another passion of mine--self-awareness, with journaling. Hence, the birth of my blog Simply Bliss Life. Through the blog I will share helpful concepts from great authors, offer e-courses, link to inspiring articles, list journaling prompts, give action items, interviews and loads of fun and creative content. My mission is to Encourage Self-Awareness through Journaling. That became my goal because that is what I had to do to find my passion--to uncover greater self-awareness. Journaling helped me get past the discouragement, fear and lack of confidence to become decisive and clear about life.

My Desire is to: Support you in finding out who you are through exploring the truth.

My Goal is to: Help you experience a more authentic and fulfilling life.

My strategy is to: Always communicate, stay connected, maintain a sense of humor, and remain optimistic, have an open mind and give unselfishly of myself.

I also feature great personal development books, with inspiration for the mind + soul at Bliss Books.

Recommend Simply Bliss to a friend, make a purchase, or send us a note about which items catch your eye.

In my efforts to encourage journaling I am offering a free e-course on 7 Ways to Get Started Journaling, check it out.  Simply Bliss Life Blog

Online store

My blog

Facebook

Twitter

Thank you to WOMA and the online community!

Sincerely,

Monique

Monique, we are taking note and we wish you the best. Thanks for sharing your womanifesting story and thanks for donating a Simply Bliss package to the 2nd Annual WOMA Awards and Silent Auction.

You are SO WOMA!

If you would like to share your womanifesting story, please contact us. Your story is sure to inspire others.

Supreme Suite

I.

Sisters of call response

and silver spangles

born to sing of love

with tambourine

and violin.

You let Roma woman bleed

through bell and handclap.

But mama raised good girls,

so you hip dip, two step to the side,

flamenco your hands, and extend your

desire through the line of a fingertip.

II.

Flo,

what did you know of riding

in cars with boys after the show?

What do good girls know

of shame? of new disgraces?

And sisters left untouched

what can they do

but hum you into living

then carry your blue note

of a body

home.

III.

You were girls together

like Nell and Sula.

What do blood sisters know

of unraveling desire from a lyric,

holding a smile over

ooooo babeee,

faining heartache with a handclap?

Flo, did you grant forgiveness at the grave?

Did they say your name

like Nell said Sula’s?

Oh Lord, Flo then

girl, girl, girlgirlgirl.*

Blue Light Alchemy

(for Michael Jackson)

a rotation

an orbed

path

inside a circle

inside a

circle

revolutions

into

a groove

worn in the floor

where you

spun

like a

planet

worn

into new element

spun into a black

Saturn

light and gas

into sulfur

blue light

alchemy

a spinning top

of memory

you will

lock and pop

your vinyl self

that sweet tenor

and terror

into the blur

of a black boy’s

body.

Dr. Kelly Norman Ellis is an associate professor of English and director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Chicago State University. Her first collection of poetry entitled Tougaloo Blues was published by Third World Press. She is also co-editor of Spaces Between Us: Poetry, Prose and Art on AIDS/HIV. She is a Cave Canem Poetry Fellow and founding member of the Affrilachian Poets.

WOMANIFESTING (WOMA) hosted “WOMA’S 2nd Annual Mother’s Day Luncheon” on May 7, 2011 to support survivors of domestic violence who are clients of the non-profit WEAVE (Women Empowered Against Violence). This event was designed to uplift and encourage the women by providing them with support and encouragement in a relaxed, fun setting. Approximately 25 women and children attended the event. The program included a welcome by WOMA Founder and Executive Director Tracy Chiles McGhee and Deputy Director Lindsay Young, a catered lunch, a presentation of gifts and prizes, and impromptu dancing. And just like last year, everyone of all ages loved the teddy bears donated by Hugs Across America.

One attendee, Maria, stated “Gracias por el opoyo y por darnos fuerzas para sequir adelante y ensenarnos a que la vida es muy linda. (Translation:Thanks for the support and for giving us strength to move forward and teaching us that life is very beautiful.) Another attendee, Sally, added “Thoroughly enjoyed your presentations both last year and this year. Hope you continue to get sponsors for events like this. Thanks for sharing.” At the conclusion of the event, a very pleased McGhee stated that “WOMA will continue to partner with WEAVE and other organizations to produce events that promote self-empowerment, sisterhood, and service.”

WOMA would like to thank the event committee for their fruitful efforts: Lindsay Young (WOMA), Sasha Ariel Alston (WOMA), Liz Harens (WEAVE), and Anna Garcia (Corazon)

WOMA would also like to thank the following for in-kind and/or monetary donations: Africuria (caterer), Naline Salone, Helen Lewinski, Constance Young, Courtney Young, Michelle Morales, Hatshepsitu Tull, Caira Woods, and Samah Elsayed.

Event Photos: http://www.womanifesting.org/apps/photos/album?albumid=11542939

WOMA CELEBRATES NATIONAL POETRY MONTH WITH INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP

To celebrate National Poetry Month, WOMA & DC YOUTH SLAM TEAM, in collaboration with the Watha T. Daniel/ Shaw Neighborhood Library branch of the District of Columbia Public Library, hosted a Spoken Word Poetry Workshop for YOUTH titled:

“Girl, You Be Killing Em”/Defining Beauty Through Poetry.

Award-winning, Spoken Word Artists Jonathan Tucker & Hadaiyah "Ya-Ya" Bey used poetry to lead an interactive workshop on how we see and define beauty. Students participated in a discussion and engaged in creating and sharing poetry regarding the workshop’s theme.

Although geared toward youth, poets and poetry lovers of all ages were welcomed to participate. Our youngest participant was 9 years old. He and his older brother, age 13, were visiting the library when they discovered the workshop and asked if they could join. They were excellent budding poets among others, including high school students, college students, and young professionals. Thanks to Jonathan & Ya-Ya for leading a thought-provoking workshop that got our creative juices flowing and helped us explore beauty in unique ways.

Thanks to Mahogany Books for serving as a sponsor and for the book give-away.

http://www.mahoganybooks.com/

My name is Aiesha Turman and this is my womanifesting story.

I was coordinating an afterschool cultural arts and literacy program for high school students in Brooklyn when I observed that my female students were experiencing a lot of the same issues that I faced when I was their age and thought it would be a great idea to explore these issues with them in a girls-only group because it was important for other young women and girls to realize that they are not alone and there are ways to reach out.

My passion urged me to do more. So I decided to do make a film---First I needed to learn how to make a film, and since I learn by doing, I came up with the idea of having our culminating project that year be, well, a film. I found a curriculum from the Directors Guild of America and set about spending two and a half months teaching a group of 20 12th and 10th graders how to write a movie while I served as director. After we made the film and had our "premiere", it gave me the confidence to do make The Black Girl Project.I called on the help of the young women I initially worked with who were now all either in college or entering college. It took two years, but I made an hour-long documentary, but I wanted to do more.

Knowing that I wanted the film to spark dialogue, I sought fiscal sponsorship and the organization, The Black Girl Project, whose mission is to help equip young women andgirls with the tools needed to become healthy, self-actualized women, was born. I then called on the help of some fabulous scholars, educators, business-womenand creatives to be on my advisory board. Our first big accomplishment was pulling off a big premiere screening at the Spike Lee Screening Room on LongIsland University's Brooklyn campus. We faced challenges with having a very little budget, but what we did have was will. I am fulfilled because of the feedback I have received from the film and the work that the organization hasbeen able to do, such as safer sex outreaches, workshops, and more.

Right now, we are planning an all-girl youth-symposium, co-leading twice-monthly workshops with the Urban Yoga Foundation, and developing a workshop series with the hopes of: expanding, duplicating and packaging the film so that it can get into the hands of as many wonderful folks as possible. I'm creating mini-docs or digital stories of between 10-12 minutes each which will take you a bit deeper into the lives of the young women featured in the film; Publishing a book! The BGP book will explore the why's, what's and how's behind the origins and process of the project, as well as take a look at the young women's lives since the initial filming; and creating curriculum and screening tool-kit. The whole of The BGP is intended as a teaching tool and the curriculum will explore the themes that were explored in the film: family, obstacles, dreams, love and relationships, the media andmore. The screening tool-kit will assist anyone who's interested in hosting a screening create a memorable, educational, and enlightening experience.

How can you help? We're on Kickstarter until the end of March to help raise funds to do all of this, and if you pledge support, there are many tangible rewards you can receive at any level. But we'd also love to hear from you. We're on Facebook and Twitter as well.

------------------------------

Now this is some pretty awesome womanifesting. PLEASE SUPPORT The Black Girl Project. Also, if you have a womanifesting story, please share it with us at woma@womanifesting.org. You may be feautured in a future WOMA blog.

Black Girl Project Around the Web:

WEB: http://blackgirlproject.com/

Kickstarter  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/810890058/the-black-girl-project

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblackgirlproject?ref=ts

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/blackgirlproj

On March 19, 2011, WOMA hosted an event, in conjunction with the District of Columbia (DC) Public Library, entitled WOMANIFESTING IN ACTION, in honor of our 1st anniversary and Women’s History Month. The event was held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and brought together local women leaders to share how they use collaboration, community building, and social activism to further their causes and to make a difference. It was a well-attended event with a fair share of men in the audience supportive of the spirit of womanifesting.

The event opened with a welcome from Kathy Jenkins, Manager of the Popular Division, DC Public Library. She spoke of her excitement of partnering with WOMA to bring the event and looked forward with great anticipation of doing more collaborations in the future. Kathy also expressed passionately her vision of the library as a central and neutral meeting place for diverse groups to connect and broaden their circles based on shared interests. Next, Tracy Chiles McGhee, Founder & Executive Director of WOMA, welcomed everyone, explained the definition of womanifesting and promised that several examples would be witnessed at the the event through a conversation with the panelists who epitomize the definition.

One of the highlights of the event came when Yasmine Arrington, a local DC high school student, delivered a riveting "Call to Action" speech to the attendees.Yasmine spoke with great wisdom and clarity of purpose. She uplifted and inspired the audience with her mandate that we not be stingy with our gifts but instead share them by making a difference in the lives of others. As a surprise to Yasmine, Councilwoman Muriel Bowser, Ward 4 of the Council of the District of Columbia presented her with a resolution from the Council honoring her in essence for her outstanding accomplishments, for taking the initiative to establish a scholarship fund for aspiring students with incarcerated parents called ScholarCHIPS, and for being an excellent role model to youth and an inspiration to us all.

After Yasmine effectively set the tone for the event, the moderators, Marita Golden, Acclaimed Author & Master Teacher (pictured to left above) and Nikita T. Mitchell, a young professional and Writer (pictured to right above) introduced the panel and got the discussion going. Both Marita and Nikita did an excellent job in facilitating the informative interchange. Each panelist brought a unique perspective to the table, discussing a range of causes from HIV/AIDS issue advocacy for women to the use of art to promote peace and social justice to "digital sisterhood" to build relationships and deepen impact to the theatrical storytelling of women to claim our place, voice, and awesomeness to the importance of the community coming together to ensure safe places where children can play and learn and have fun. All were passionate and had big dreams for their endeavors. There was a general consensus that in order to realize those dreams, collaboration through a pooling of resources and innovative ideas and unique offerings coupled with a willingness to support one another is crucial.

Members of the audience asked questions and spoke of being inspired to raise their level of involvement and to offer support. One said, "Great event today! I hope that these events continue! I look forward to participating!" Another said, "This was such a moving event. I learned so much and I was touched by these women." Still another said, "The entire panel was very informative. Truly blessed by the knowledge that has been provided here today." Finally, one young lady summed it up, "FABULOUS!"

Tracy closed by offering WOMA as a platform to do just that and invited everyone to become a member of WOMA to continue the conversation and the work. Then to conclude the event, a lucky audience member received a copy of Marita Golden's latest book entitled, "THE WORD: Black Writers Talk About the Transformative Power of Reading and Writing Edited by Marita Golden"and admittance to WOMA's Annual Award event to be held in June 2011.

WOMA sincerely appreciates all the contributors for sharing their brilliance with us and showing us what WOMANIFESTING IN ACTION looks like. We ask that you support the worthwhile missions of WOMA, the moderators, and the panelists. You can learn more about them from their bios below and by visiting their websites. Please check the WOMA calendar for upcoming events. Your presence will be most appreciated.

WOMA would like to thank all that contributed to the event including a lively audience. In addition to the above mentioned participants, a special thank you goes to the following:

CO-PLANNERS, Kathy Jenkins, DC Public Library, Lindsay Young, and Samantha Kirby Caruth; PRESENTER: Ward 4 Councilwoman Muriel Bowser; SPONSOR: Kimberly A. Woodard;  VOLUNTEERS: Enchanta Jackson, Sasha Ariel Alston, and Takeyah Young & SUPPORTERS: Divine Chocolate, Josephine Bias Robinson and Carolyn Woodson

MODERATORS

Marita Golden (http://maritagolden.com/)

Marita Golden is the award-winning author of 14 works of fiction and nonfiction. As a teacher of writing, Marita Golden has held appointments at George Mason University, and Virginia Commonwealth University, where she served as a member of the MFA Graduate Creative Writing programs. She has also taught at Emerson College, The University of Lagos (Nigeria), Roxbury Community College, and American University. She served as Writer in Residence at the University of the Districtof Columbia, in Washington, D.C. Marita Golden has lectured on the topic ofliterature, women’s studies, African-American Studies and African American literature nationally and internationally.

As a literary activist, Marita Golden founded and served as the first president of the Washington-D.C. based African-American Writers Guild. In 1990 she co-founded the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation, which presents the nation’s only national fiction award for college writers of African descent and an annual summer writer’s workshop for Black writers, Hurston/Wright Writers’ Week, as well as the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for published Black writers. She now serves as President Emeritus of the organization. Marita Golden holds a B.A. from American University in American Studies and English and a Masters Degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University.

Nikita T. Mitchell (http://nikitatmitchell.com/blog), Twitter: @NikitaTMitchell

Nikita T. Mitchell is a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting, providing facilitation, communications, strategic planning, organizational strategy, performance measurement, business case analysis and financial management services to her federal clients. A graduate of Howard University, Nikita earned her Bachelor’s in Business Administration (BBA) in International Business with a concentration in Finance. During her four years at Howard, she held various leadership positions on campus, studied abroad in France and worked in the financial services industry – both in New York City and in London. 

Nikita is a passionate and involved member of her community, dedicating asignificant amount of her time to local non-profits committed to youth and women. As a Board Member for the Cultural Academy for Excellence, a localnon profit committed to the development of youth through the performing arts,Nikita continues her early and engaging leadership. She also works with the DC Rape Crisis Center as a counselor on the 24-hour hotline and as an advocate for sexual assault survivors in local hospitals. 

In her spare time, Nikita can be found with her head in a book. She has aninnate passion for professional and personal development. She loves social media, writing, and traveling. She dreams of one day running a travel program for young women that promotes cultural education, self-esteem building andacademic achievement.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Yasmine Arrington, local high school student credited with starting a ScholarCHIPS for aspiring college students with incarcerated parents. (http://www.facebook.com/scholarCHIPS)

Yasmine Arrington is a senior at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. She was born and raised in Washington, DC. She is a published and award winning poet.Yasmine has recently earned her Girl Scout Gold Award-the highest communityservice award in Girl Scouting! She lives with her grandmother and two younger brothers, Gary and Michael. Her mother died her freshman year of high schooland her father is currently incarcerated. Despite these setbacks, Yasmine has taken life’s challenges in stride. She has launched her own non-profit entitled ScholarCHIPS (for Children of Incarcerated Parents). ScholarCHIPS is raising $30,000 to gift three graduating seniors with incarcerated parents, who wish to pursue a college degree, with $10,000 each.

PANELISTS

Patricia Nalls, Founder & Executive Director, The Women's Collective, 2010 Washingtonian of the Year (www.womenscollective.org)

Patricia Nalls founded The Women’s Collective after several years of living in isolation about her own HIV diagnosis. Patricia committed herself to finding, supporting and organizing women with HIV/AIDS. At first it was from her kitchen table, then from acommunity space and now from offices on U Street with several integral programs for women living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS and families. Unfortunately, her journey, although wonderful, also contains the memories and pain from losing many sisters along the way to the disease. Each day, she recommits herself to the struggle and she is energized by the work she and others have accomplished in combined efforts.

Carrie L. Ellis, Director of Project Management, KaBOOM! & Board Chair, Teaching for Change

Carrie L. Ellis is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta,GA where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.  Following her undergraduate studies, Carrie moved to California to teach middle school English and Mass Media in LosAngeles through the Teach For America program. She was inspired to pursue a master’s degree in Communication Management from the University of Southern California, where she concentrated in Educational Children’s Media.  Once she graduated, Carrie headed to Washington, DC to work for several years on the national staff of Teach For America.

In 2005, Carrie joined the staff of KaBOOM! as the Directorof Project Management, a national nonprofit that creates play spaces throughthe participation and leadership of communities.  Every year, her team oversees the planningand installation of over 200 community-built play spaces throughout NorthAmerica.  Carrie also serves as the Chairof the Board for Teaching for Change, a nonprofit that provides teachers and parents with the tools to transform schools into centers of justice for students.

Jessica T. Solomon, Founder, The Saartjie Project & ChiefVisionary Officer, Spark Creativity (http://sparkcreativity.info)

As a community artist, Jessica T. Solomon, founded The Saartjie Project,an award-winning theatre ensemble using story and collaborative performance as a vehicle to promote social change. Jessica also serves as a member of the Connectivity Committee at The Woolly Mammoth Theater Company in Washington, DC.She views her work in the performing arts as an extension of her work as an Organization Development practitioner. As a capacity builder and organization development practitioner, Jessica has worked internationally with universities, non-profit organizations, government agencies, creative businesses and individuals to increase impact + uncover solutions. Jessica holds a B.A.’s in African American Studies and Communication Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a M.S. in Organization Development from American University. She is the 2007 Starting Bloc for Social Innovation Fellow and the 2009 American University Hal Kellner Awardee.

Marielle Mariano, East Coast Coordinator, Chalk4Peace (chalk4peace.org)

Marielle Mariano is an art educator, art therapist, East Coast Coordinator of the non-profit organization CHALK4PEACE,Inc., and a fine artist. Since graduating from Georgetown University in ’93, working in the medical sciences and then graduating with a Master of Science in Art Therapy from Eastern Virginia Medical School in ‘99, Marielle has chosen to commit herself to using the creative process to help heal and better others’experiences. She has encouraged them to do so through her work in art education and art therapy in Fairfax County Public Schools and her work with CHALK4PEACE,coordinating outdoor chalk art events that encourage international peace expression and education in a variety of communities around the world. Marielle is passionate about C4P because she feels it challenges people to not just create a visual representation of one’s idea and wish for peace, but to also make peace an active part of one’s life in the hopes that it will spread to others. 

Ananda Leeke,Founder of Digital Sisterhood Month & Author of upcoming memoir (www.anandaleeke.com)

Yoga+ Creativity + Internet Geek = Ananda Leeke. Leeke is a lawyer turned “Jill ofmany trades”: innerpreneur, author, artist, coach, and yoga teacher. Hermission is “Empowering U2BU through creativity coaching, Reiki, self-care,social media, volunteerism, and yoga.”  She has penned That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’sPoetic Memoir of Self-Discovery (2009) and her debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One(2007). In December 2010, she launched the Digital Sisterhood Network and Digital Sisterhood Month to give women in social media an opportunity to celebrate their connections, conversations, communities, collaborative partnerships, and commerce. She traveled to Haiti as a blogger ambassador for The Heart of Haiti Campaign, a partnership between Macy's, Fairwinds Trading, and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund in February. Currently, Leeke is working with wounded warriors as an artist-in-residence for Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts at the National Navy Medical Center and writing Digital Sisterhood, a memoir (2011). 

D.I.V.A., INCORPORATED TO PRESENT STAGED READING OF AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT KATORI HALL'S SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY MORNING DURING

28TH ANNUAL ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Directed and Performed by Howard University Alumni/Broadway Veterans

Lynda Gravatt, Harriett D. Foy and Gavin Lawrence, with

Special Guest -- Playwright Katori Hall -- to Host Post-Reading Q&A

Friday, March 4th, 7:30pm, Riverside Church, SW, Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. (January 24, 2011)─The Ladies of D.I.V.A., Incorporated, The Society for Women in the Arts, is pleased to announce that it will present a staged reading of award-winning playwright-performer Katori Hall's Saturday Night/Sunday Morning on Friday, March 4, 7:30 p.m. at Riverside Church, 680 I Street, SW, Washington, D.C. Playwright Katori Hall, whose new work, The Mountaintop, will premiere on Broadway in 2011 with Halle Berry and Sam Jackson, will host a post-performance audience Q&A. The reading will be directed and performed by Broadway veteran, Lynda Gravatt (Cat on A Hot Tin Roof), and stars fellow Broadway veteran, Harriett D. Foy (Mamma Mia), and Gavin Lawrence (a recent AUDELCO award-winner for his performance in Off-Broadway's Pure Confidence).

Tickets are $10 General Admission/$5.00 for students/seniors. Tickets may be reserved by sending full name and number of tickets requested to ladiesofdivainc@aol.com before Thursday, March 3rd at 5 p.m. (recommended). Tickets will be held at will-call and payment collected at that time. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. All tickets are payable by cash only. For more information on ticket purchases, patrons may call Lynneisha Ray at 212.569.4618.

Set in a Memphis beauty shop/boarding house during the final days of WWII, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning tells the story of a group of African-American women struggling with the heartbreak of losing their men to the war and with the uncertainty of what the future may hold when, and if, their soldiers return. Rich with humor and history, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning is a story about friendship and finding love in unexpected places.

Serving as a fundraiser for The Howard University Department of Theatre Arts where D.I.V.A., Incorporated was founded in 1983, the production will feature performances by Lynda Gravatt* (Miss Mary), Harriett D. Foy* (Dot), Gavin Lawrence* (Buzz), Araba Brown (Gladys), Candace Hale (Taffy), Jabari A.K. Holder (Bobby), Lydia John (Mabel), Jamil Jude (Radio Announcer/Stage Directions), Chantal Nchako (Leanne), Carla Faye Pardo (Jackie), Zurin Villanueva* (Curlin' Curlin').

About Katori Hall:

Katori Hall is a playwright-performer hailing from Memphis, Tennessee. Her plays include Hoodoo Love, which was produced Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre, and The Mountaintop, which was recently produced to great acclaim at London's Theatre 503 and transferred to the Trafalgar Studios in London's West End. It is a recipient of the Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2010. Other plays include Remembrance, Hurt Village, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning, WHADDABLOODCLOT!?!? and The Hope Well. She is currently an artist-in-residence at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Her awards include the 2009-10 Lark Play Development Playwrights of New York (PONY) Fellowship, Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship, two Lecompte du Nouy Prizes from Lincoln Center, Fellowship of Southern Writers Bryan Family Award in Drama, NYFA Fellowship, Van Lier Fellowship from the Public Theatre and the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award. More about Katori can be found at www.katorihall.com.

About D.I.V.A., Incorporated

On March 2, 1983 at Howard University in the College of Fine Arts, Department of Drama, six women saw a need for an organization for all female fine Art students. Thus, they decided to form the organization D.I.V.A., Incorporated, Divine, Intelligent, Versatile Artists - The Society for Women in the Arts. D.I.V.A., Incorporated is dedicated to the enrichment, encouragement and fulfillment of women of color who have chosen the arts as their career. D.I.V.A., Incorporated boasts more than 100 members who live throughout the United States and abroad. Members have achieved successful careers as performance artists, filmmakers, entertainment attorneys, editors, playwrights, vocalists, publicists, dancers, graphic artists, costume designers, arts educators, directors, journalists and mothers. D.I.V.A., Incorporated members continually strive for excellence in all areas of life and serve as a lifelong network for young women considering a career in the arts. Each year, the women of D.I.V.A., Incorporated reunite in March, in a chosen city for a three-day weekend of activities including productions, workshops, and an annual meeting.