Dec.
10th - Movement 50 Hosts Van Jones. Earlier
in the day Mr. Jones moved the crowd with his introduction of keynote speaker Rev.
Jesse Jackson at the Intel/Diversity in Tech event in Santa Clara, CA. During the evening, the same day, Mr. Jones
commanded the stage at Impact HUB
Oakland and in his true to form nature, always having a strong message to
deliver, he addressed the movement around "Black Lives Matter" to the
mission of #YesWeCode, which is a new initiative, founded by Mr. Jones,
to train 100,000 people from low-income communities to code. Mr. Jones put into very plain context that
it's not that law enforcement officers are afraid of the violence that African
American boys and men may do to them, but rather they are afraid of the
potential of success of these individuals.
Movement
50, the group that hosted the event, are a group of new leaders, activists,
artists, entrepreneurs, and pioneers energized about the future direction of Oakland
and motivated to engage the larger community in joining that movement. The organization started with the need to
bring together the Bay Area's diversity and talent in order to harness that
collective power towards change.
Dec.
13th - 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, 26th Annual Scholarship Dinner. The damp weather in San Francisco did not
stop close 600 supporters from gathering at the Marriott Hotel dressed to
impress and ready to celebrate the many successes of their various programs
throughout the year. The organization has several programs supporting youth:
Youth Movement Program, The Junior 100 College Bound Mentoring Program, and The
Collegiate 100 Black Men at UC Berkeley.
In 2014 they awarded $25,000 in scholarships and since their inception
in 1988 they have awarded over $1.2M in educational scholarships and grants.
The Gala Chair this year was Mr. Danny L. Williams and the MC of the
hour was the funny and talented Daniel Dugar, and award recipients
were: Michael Morgan, Oakland East Bay Symphony - Community
Achievement Award; KBLX 102.9 - Corporate Community Achievement Award; Kazan,
McClain et al - Corporate Achievement Award; and Robert L. Harris, Esq. -
Lifetime Achievement Award.
100 Black Men of
America, Inc. seeks to serve as a beacon of
leadership by utilizing our diverse talents to create environments where our
children are motivated to achieve, and to empower our people to become
self-sufficient shareholders in the economic and social fabric of the
communities we serve. Now more than 100
chapters and 10,000 members and still growing.
ZIRX
- Never Park Again. I think
I've FINALLY found a driver - well a driver of sorts - and I never have to
worry about parking again. For the many
meetings and events that I attend in a day, I have to actually factor in time
just to find parking which can add close to two additional hours to the hustle
and bustle of the day. Thank the stars
for ZIRX, a parking concierge. You
simply download the app on either your Android or iPhone, stop you car near the
address where you're going, request a driver/agent via your cell phone and usually
arrive within 5 minutes they show up.
The agent will then take your car while you shop, do errands, attend
meetings, etc.. Then, when you're done
just call the agent and within about 15 minutes they show up with your
car. The $15
daily price includes it all: pickup, storage, redelivery, and tip. Go online to read more about insurance, full
day rates, etc. Read more - Zirx
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Dec.
16th - Colors of Christmas w/Peabo Bryson @ Davies Symphony Hall. From joining the crowd to engage in selfies
to serenading the women and children, Peabo Bryson is a crowd favorite every
year and I look forward to the event every year. The Colors Of Christmas is an annual holiday musical
celebration hosted by R&B sensation Peabo Bryson. Joined by a changing
selection of musicians, Peabo Bryson and friends ring in Christmas every year
with a musical evening full of favorite pop and Christmas hits.
This year,
Peabo Bryson was accompanied by Taylor
Dayne, best known for her No. 1 single Love Will Lead You Back and Tony and
Grammy winner Jennifer Holliday, as
well as American Idol Ruben Studdard,
for an unforgettable performance. Every year the concert is backed by a full
orchestra and the selected choir has been directed by the highly regarded and
internationally known director, singer, songwriter, musician and Bay Area's own
Jeffery Williams. - {Photo Lf.: Carolyn Tyler, Anchor ABC7)
Dec.
18th - The African
American Employee Network (AAEN) Holiday Mixer @ W San Francisco. Did you make it? I hope so because it's
certainly an annual holiday event that you don't want to miss. Some of the most influential movers and
shakers in the Bay Area are all in the house, under one roof at one time which
is rare. It's not about passing business
cards but more about 'cultivating a relationships' with the men and women who
are moving the dial in both as corporate professionals and entrepreneurs. As much as they are professionals they also
know how to party and 'get it in' do it was not a 'stuffy' evening, but rather
lot of good conversation, great music and smooth vibes.
AAEN
of the Bay Area is a collaborative network of African American employee
resource groups from the private, public, and educational sectors in the
Greater Bay Area community. AAEN was
organized by representatives from EY (Nicole Felix), Merrill Lynch (David
Spencer), michaelD. Communications (Michael DeFlorimonte) and PG&E (Dela
Weeks ) in direct response to a need expressed by members of the corporate
community. AAEN objectives are focused
in four areas: Career/Professional Development • Financial Management •
Work/Life Balance • Technology. AAEN
launched in Oct. 2011with an event sponsored by Merrill Lynch. Fifteen Bay Area corporations
were represented. Today, AAEN is in
contact with 30 Bay Area employee resource groups and associations.
Dec.
13th, 100 Black Men Annual Scholarship Gala. Ms. Natalie Gunn and Mr. Bakari
Adams were the 'BEST DRESSED couple of
the evening. Done and Done!
And go!
